• Box Score

EDINBORO, Pa. (Feb. 21) – With 6.4 seconds left in the game, junior guard Jerial Nixon (Lorain, Ohio/Lorain Admiral King) converted a traditional three-point play to give the Vulcans a thrilling 73-72 second-half comeback victory against Edinboro University on Saturday in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West game at the McComb Fieldhouse.

With the win, California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team evens its record at 12-12 overall and 5-7 in divisional action. The Vulcans have played in 10 games this season decided by three points or less and the win also snaps a six-game losing streak for Cal U at McComb Fieldhouse. Meanwhile, the Fighting Scots fall to 17-8 overall and 7-5 in league play.

Nixon scored a game- and season-high 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including five-of-seven from beyond the arc and three-of-four from the charity stripe. He also collected five rebounds, two steals and two assists in the win. The junior transfer is second on the team in scoring (10.8 points per game) and three-point percentage (.312; 29-of-93). Nixon previously hit the game-winning shot against Chestnut Hill College earlier this season.

Freshman forward Kelsey Williams (Sandusky, Ohio/Sandusky) finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, while senior forward Julian Logan (Kalamazoo, Mich./Loy Norrix/Owens C.C. (Ohio)) added 12 points, seven boards and a team-high five assists. Junior forward Chris Moore (Ellicott City, Md./Howard/Morgan State (Md.)) posted eight points, five rebounds (three offensive) and six blocks.

Trailing 58-47 with 8:35 remaining, the Vulcans worked the lead down to four points, 64-60, when Logan converted a three-point play with 4:27 left in the game. Edinboro then lead 68-62 with 3:10 remaining before Nixon drilled his fifth three-pointer of the game to make the score, 68-65. After a Fighting Scot turnover and missed free-throw, Logan made it a 68-67 contest with a jumper and 1:24 remaining. Edinboro looked to seal the game with a jumper at the 46-second mark before senior guard Jesse Brooks (Severn, Md./Archbishop Spalding/Maryland Eastern Shore) made a three-pointer to even the score at 70-70.

With 24 seconds left, Edinboro made a pair of free-throws to take a 72-70 lead. On what perhaps could have been its final offensive possession, Cal U was called for an offensive foul with 8.7 seconds remaining. On the ensuing out-of-bounds play, Nixon collected a tipped pass and managed to tie the score at 72-72 on a jumper with 6.4 seconds left. On the shot, Edinboro was called for a defensive foul, sending Nixon – a .732 free-throw shooter (41-of-56) – to the free-throw line with a chance to give the Vulcans their first lead since the opening five minutes of the game. Nixon converted the free-throw and two last-second shots by the Fighting Scots were unsuccessful to preserve the Cal U victory.

After making 52.8 percent (19-of-36) of their shots in the second half, the Vulcans finished the game with a .448 field-goal percentage (30-of-67). Cal U also shot .467 (7-of-15) from beyond the arc for its second-best three-point performance of the season. In comparison, Edinboro shot 43.5 percent (27-of-62) from the field and 78.6 percent (11-of-14) from the free-throw line.

Cal U out-rebounded Edinboro by a 42-36 margin and scored 15 second-chance points on 16 offensive rebounds. The Vulcans registered 20 assists on 30 field goals, while defensively totaling nine blocks and eight steals.

Junior forward Justin Moore and senior guard Gil Cummings led the Fighting Scots with 12 points each. Senior guard Joe Jones, Edinboro's leading scorer at 21.4 points per game, was limited to a season-low nine points on 4-of-13 shooting.

The Vulcans, who still have a chance at making the PSAC Tournament entering the final week of the regular season, return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 25, when they host Slippery Rock University for an 8 p.m. contest.