• Box Score

CALIFORNIA (Jan. 19) – The California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team struggled with early foul trouble and shot just 37 percent in a 77-58 loss to rival IUP on Wednesday night in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play at Hamer Hall.

With their second-straight loss, the Vulcans fall to 8-6 overall with a 1-2 mark in divisional action. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks extend their win streak to five games and improve to 12-3 overall with a 3-0 record in league play. IUP has won the last five meetings against Cal U and three-straight games at Hamer Hall.

Junior forward Steve Swiech (Greenock, Pa./Elizabeth-Forward) scored a team-high 13 points despite playing only eight minutes in the second half. He finished the game shooting four-of-seven from the floor and five-of-seven from the free-throw line.

Senior Rashawd Hatten (Clairton, Pa./Clairton) and junior Chad Tipton (Hanover, Pa./South Western) each added 11 points in the loss. Junior guard Freddy Appiah (Toronto, Ontario/Ascension of Our Lord) finished with eight points and a game-high five assists, while sophomore guard Ryne Niemiec (Brownsville, Pa./Beth-Center) collected a team-high six rebounds off the bench.

The game was close throughout the first half as the teams combined for seven ties and five lead changes. Cal U last tied the score at 27-27 with 2:39 left before halftime on a pair of free-throws by Swiech before IUP scored six-unanswered points to take a 33-27 halftime lead.

The Crimson Hawks seized control of the game early in the second half by opening the period on a 16-4 run over a span of nearly nine minutes to take a 51-35 lead. Following a dunk by Swiech, IUP responded with a 15-3 rally to increase its lead to 23 points, 66-43, with 5:46 remaining. The Vulcans managed to cut the deficit down to 16 points, 69-53, on a three-pointer by Hatten at the 3:07-mark.

For the game, the Vulcans shot just 37.0 percent (20-of-54) from the floor – their second-lowest performance of the season – and made just 56.5 percent (13-of-23) from the free-throw line. In comparison, the Crimson Hawks made over 56 percent in the second half to finish the game shooting over 46.9 percent (23-of-49).

IUP held a slim 36-35 advantage in rebounds with each team scoring 24 points in the paint. The Crimson Hawks also took advantage of turnovers, scoring 24 points off 15 turnovers by the Vulcans.

Senior forward Darryl Webb recorded a double-double for the Crimson Hawks with game highs of 28 points and 12 rebounds. Junior guard Ashton Smith added 13 points and four assists, while fellow guard Julian Sanders finished with 11 points.

Cal U returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 22, when it makes its second trip to Erie, Pa., in seven days, as the Vulcans face Gannon at 3 p.m. Live stats of the game will be available here.