• Box Score

CALIFORNIA (Dec. 18) – In its first action in over a week, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team suffered a 78-75 loss against Mansfield at Hamer Hall in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover action on Tuesday night.

With the loss, the Vulcans fall to 3-4 this season with a 2-2 record in league play. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers snapped a four-game losing streak to improve to 2-4 overall and 1-3 in conference action.

Senior guard Keith Lowe (Columbus, Ohio/Centennial) finished with 20 points on Tuesday, marking his fourth-straight game with at least 20 points. He made 7-of-12 attempts from the floor and four-of-five from the free-throw line while tying his career high with seven assists. Lowe has averaged 23.8 points over the last two-plus weeks after scoring 9.3 points in the first three games this year.

Junior Anthony Lytle (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) posted 13 points on six-of-eight attempts and added seven rebounds in the loss. Classmate Chris Williams (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) tied his career high with 12 points and set a career high with nine rebounds off the bench against the Mountaineers.

With Cal U leading by 11 points with nearly six minutes remaining, Mansfield mounted a 16-0 run to take a 74-69 lead with 47 seconds  left in the game. Lowe snapped a five-minute scoreless drought with a three-pointer to the trim the deficit to 74-72 with 40 seconds remaining. The Mountaineers then made four-of-eight free-throws to take a 78-72 lead with six seconds left before Lowe converted a three-pointer with 1.8 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 78-75.

Senior Chuck Harper and sophomore Joe Bell both finished with 20 points in the win. Bell, who scored 18 points in the first half, also led the team with nine rebounds and four assists.

The Vulcans return to action tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 19, when they host Bloomsburg in Hamer Hall at 7:30 p.m.