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Box Score
CALIFORNIA (Feb. 25) – For only the third in the last 20 years, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team will not qualify for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament after losing 66-59 to Slippery Rock University on Wednesday at Hamer Hall in PSAC West action.
With the loss, the Vulcans drop to 12-13 overall and 5-8 in league play – two games shy of qualifying for the eight-team tournament with only one game remaining. Meanwhile, The Rock is tied for second place in the division with a 10-3 record in conference action and 19-7 overall mark.
Freshman forward
Kelsey Williams (Sandusky, Ohio/Sandusky), the three-time reigning PSAC West Freshman of the Week, scored a team-high 19 points on 9-of-17 shooting. He also collected eight rebounds (three offensive), two blocks and two steals.
Junior guard
Jerial Nixon (Lorain, Ohio / Lorain Admiral King/Lakeland C.C. (Ohio)) added 13 points, while junior forward
Chris Moore (Ellicott City, Md./Howard/Morgan State (Md.)) and senior guard
Kenny Johnson (Beaver Falls, Pa./Beaver Falls/Ferrum (Va.)/CCBC) each finished with 10 points.
Moore also collected seven rebounds and three blocks, while Johnson registered a team-high four assists.
After trailing 41-35 with 14:02 left in the game, the Vulcans scored 11 unanswered points over a four-minute span to take a 46-41 lead. After a Rock timeout, Slippery Rock mounted a 14-4 run to claim a 55-50 lead after back-to-back three-pointers by junior guard Maurice Douglas. Cal U countered with a jumper by Williams to cut the deficit to three points, 55-52, with 4:50 remaining. The Vulcans were unable get any closer as The Rock made all six of their free-throw attempts down the stretch.
Cal U struggled from the field in the first half before finishing the game, shooting 34.8 percent (24-of-69) from the floor. Slippery Rock posted a .371 field-goal percentage (23-for-62) after drilling 8-of-23 shots (34.8 percent) from beyond the arc.
The Vulcans committed only seven turnovers in the loss, while forcing The Rock into 17 turnovers.
Douglas led four Slippery Rock players in double figures with 19 points, while senior forward Denell Stephens collected a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 16 rebounds.
Cal U concludes its season on Saturday, Feb. 28, when it hosts conference-newcomer Mercyhurst College for Senior Day, which coincides with Take A Kid to the Game event held by the Vulcans. The game is scheduled for an 8 p.m. start at Hamer Hall.
