• Box Score

CHEYNEY, Pa. (Jan. 9) – Senior guard Jerial Nixon (Lorain, Ohio/Lorain Admiral King) connected for 14 of his team-high 17 points in the second half on Saturday, as the Vulcans posted an 80-68 victory at Cheyney on Saturday in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover action.

The California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team moves to 11-3 this season, while Cheyney drops to 5-6 this year.

Nixon, who has come off the bench in each of the last four games, shot three-of-seven from the floor and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. He also collected four rebounds and three assists in 23 minutes off the bench.

Sophomore guard Travon Vann (Frederick, Md./St. John's Catholic Prep) scored a season-high 16 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and three steals against the Wolves. Sophomore forward Kelsey Williams (Sandusky, Ohio/Sandusky) posted 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks, while junior forward Rashawd Hatten (Clairton, Pa./Clairton) added 13 points and two blocks off the bench.

Junior point guard Travis Williams (Raleigh, N.C./Word of God Christian Academy) recorded five assists in the win, while senior forward Chris Moore (Ellicott City, Md./Howard) finished with a season-high four blocks in only eight minutes off the bench.

Cal U, who never trailed in the game, led 16-12 early in the first half before mounting a 14-4 rally over a five-plus minute span to take a 30-16 lead with 8:48 left before halftime after a pair of free-throws by Kelsey Williams. The Wolves cut the deficit to 35-30 with 1:19 left in the first half before the Vulcans took a 37-30 lead into the break after Hatten added a lay-up with 53 seconds remaining.

The Vulcans opened the second half with five-straight points behind a traditional three-point play by Kelsey Williams and a dunk by Vann, 42-30. Cheyney cut the deficit to eight points, 53-45, before Cal U responded with an 11-0 run capped by a three-pointer by junior guard Joe Berenato (Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic), 64-45, with 7:15 remaining. The Wolves countered with a 10-0 rally to drop the deficit to 64-57 before the Vulcans sealed the win by making 11-of-12 free-throws in the final minute of the game.

Cal U finished the game shooting 54.2 percent (26-of-48) from the floor, including 41.7 percent (5-of-12) from the three-point territory. In comparison, Cheyney made 45.6 percent (26-of-57) of its shots but just 26.3 percent (5-of-19) from beyond the arc. The Vulcans also held the advantage from the charity stripe, making 76.7 percent (23-of-30) of their free-throws.

Junior guard Sharif Bray, who played for Cal U from 2003-05, scored a game-high 25 points after making 7-of-19 shots from the floor and 9-of-10 attempts from the free-throw line. In the loss, Tyrone Smith added 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds before fouling out.

The Vulcans out-rebounded the Wolves by a 35-28 margin and scored 10 second-chance points on 10 offensive rebounds. Cal U tied its season-high with eight blocks in the win and finished with 13 assists on 26 field-goals.

Cal U continues league crossover play tomorrow, Sunday, Jan. 10, when it travels to face Shippensburg at 3 p.m. Fans can follow the game via live stats by clicking here. Last year, the Vulcans posted a 70-60 win over the Red Raiders at Hamer Hall.