• Box Score

INDIANA, Pa. (Jan. 11) – Despite trimming a 17-point deficit to four points, the California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team suffered a 62-43 loss on Wednesday evening to No. 21 IUP at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.

With the loss, the Vulcans fall to 8-5 overall with a 5-4 mark in league action. Cal U entered the game having won seven of the last eight meetings against rival IUP with wins in the quarterfinals of the PSAC Tournament in each of the last two seasons. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks improve to 12-1 overall behind an 8-1 record in conference play.

Senior forward Amy Johns (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport), who entered the game ranked second in the PSAC in scoring, posted a game-high 18 points on 8-of-19 from the floor. She enters the weekend only four points shy of becoming the 24th player in program history to score 1,000 points in a career.

Freshman Selena Adamshick (Harveys Lake, Pa./Lake Lehman) finished with eight points and a season-high 12 rebounds (four offensive), while senior Danielle Luckett (Chicago, Ill./James Hubert Blake (Md.)) and freshman Chelsea McKnight (Grove City, Ohio/Harvest Prep) added six points in the loss.

IUP jumped out to an early 10-4 lead in the first six-plus minutes after Cal U made only two of its first 12 shot attempts from the floor. Following a Vulcans basket near the 14-minute mark, the Crimson Hawks mounted a 13-0 run over three-plus minutes to stretch their lead to 23-6 with 10:46 remaining. Cal U countered with a 10-3 rally to trim the deficit to 26-16 on a basket by Luckett with 5:08 left in the half. The two teams traded points over the final minutes of the half with IUP taking a 30-20 lead at the break.

The Vulcans started the second half on a 9-5 run to cut the deficit to six points, 35-29, forcing the Crimson Hawks into an early timeout. On the next Cal U possession, McKnight converted a pair of free-throws to trim the deficit to 35-31 with 16:04 remaining. IUP responded by scoring eight-straight points to claim a 43-31 lead at the 10:38-mark before a three-pointer by Johns. The Crimson Hawks then continued to expand their lead over the next five minutes, out-scoring the Vulcans by an 11-4 margin to take a 54-38 lead with 5:09 left in the game.

Cal U struggled from the field at the Kovalchick Complex, shooting only 29.5 percent (18-of-61) after making a season-low 15.4 percent (2-of-13) from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, IUP made 39.7 percent (23-of-58) from the floor and 26.7 percent (4-of-15) from long range.

Junior forward Sarah Pastorek finished the game with a double-double of 15 points and career-high 18 rebounds (seven offensive). The trio of freshman Lisa Burton, freshman Amy Fairman and sophomore Talen Watson all added 13 points in the victory.

The Vulcans continue divisional play on Saturday, Jan. 14, when they host Gannon on “Youth Basketball Night” at the Convocation Center with tip set for 3 p.m. There will be special prices available for parents, families and coaches with kids up to 13 being admitted free when wearing their jerseys. Live stats of the game will be available by clicking here.