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CALIFORNIA (Nov. 21) – In a match-up of two NCAA Tournament teams from last year, the No. 3 California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team earned a 74-72 win over Charleston (W.Va.) at Hamer Hall on Saturday after three starters scored in double figures.

The Vulcans, under first-year head coach Mark Swasey, improved to 2-0 this season with both wins coming against West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) schools. With the loss, the Golden Eagles drop to 1-2 this year with their win coming yesterday against IUP.

Senior guard Brooque Williams (Pittsburgh, Pa./Perry) scored a game-high 23 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the floor and also collected seven rebounds, four steals and three assists. She scored 15 of her 23 points in the first half. Junior forward Amy Johns (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) finished with 18 points and seven rebounds, while classmate Kayla Smith (Elkins, W.Va./Elkins) collected a double-double with 11 points and 16 rebounds (five offensive).

After leading by as many as 15 points in the second half, Cal U held off a 15-3 run by Charleston over a span of 4:30 late in the game to earn the victory. After the Golden Eagles cut the deficit to 68-67, Williams hit a jumper with 1:11 remaining in the game before senior guard Crystal Andrew (Johnstown, Pa./Johnstown) made it a two-possession game with a pair of free-throws and only 22 seconds left. Charleston countered with a jumper before Cal U made two free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

The Vulcans opened the game with a 12-2 run after making five of their first seven shots. After Cal U took a 22-11 lead on a three-pointer by Johns, Charleston mounted a 15-2 rally to take its only lead of the game at 5:01 on a three-pointer by Ali Tobias, who finished with 18 points. Later in the half, Cal U broke a 30-30 tie by scoring seven-straight points before taking a 38-34 lead into halftime.

In the opening minutes of the second half, Cal U expanded its lead to 13 points, 50-37, after out-scoring Charleston by a 12-3 margin in the opening 2:45 of the half. The Vulcans would then lead by as many as 15 points three times before the Golden Eagles mounted their game-changing rally.

For the game, the Vulcans shot 41.9 percent (26-of-62) from the field and 65.5 percent (19-of-29) from the free-throw line. In the loss, the Golden Eagles made 40.9 percent (27-of-66) of their shots and 58.8 percent (10-of-17) from the charity stripe. Charleston also made eight three-pointers at Hamer Hall.

Cal U held a 44-43 advantage in rebounds and forced Charleston into 20 turnovers. The Vulcans converted the turnovers into 25 points and also scored 20 second-chance points on 17 offensive rebounds.

The Vulcans return to action on Tuesday, Nov. 24, when they travel to Painesville, Ohio, to face Lake Erie at 6 p.m. Last season, Cal U earned a 100-33 over The Storm behind a combined 39 points from Williams and Smith.