• Box Score

TIFFIN, Ohio (Dec. 30) – Senior guard Keith Lowe (Columbus, Ohio/Centennial) scored 20 points for the fifth time in the last six games, as the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team suffered an 80-71 loss at Tiffin (Ohio) in non-conference play on Sunday afternoon.

With the loss, the Vulcans fall to 4-5 overall with a 1-3 record in road games. Meanwhile, the Dragons won their second-straight game to improve to 5-6 overall.

Lowe finished with 24 points after shooting 9-of-13 from the field, including two-of-four from beyond the arc, and four-of-five from the free-throw line. He also totaled four rebounds, two assists and three steals on Sunday. Lowe leads the team and ranks sixth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in scoring with 18.2 points this season, including 22.7 points in the last six games.

Sophomore guard Tynell Fortune (Harlem, N.Y./Pocono Mountain West (Pa.)) posted 12 points on five-of-eight shooting with a pair of three-pointers. Junior Anthony Lytle (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) and sophomore Jeremy Posey (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon) both finished with 10 points in the loss. Lytle led the team with eight rebounds and tied Fortune with a team-high four assists.

Tiffin opened the game on 10-2 run and later stretched the lead to 20-10 with 13 minutes left in the first half. The Vulcans then scored eight-straight points to cut the deficit to 20-18 on a jumper by Posey with 9:35 remaining. After the teams traded baskets, Tiffin stretched the lead to 27-22 before Cal U closed the half on an 11-6 run to tie the game at halftime, 33-33, following a three-pointer by Fortune.

The Vulcans took their first lead of the game on a three-pointer by Lowe in the opening minute of the second half, 36-33. The two teams traded the lead with a dunk by Lytle with 14:40 left, 45-44, marking the final Cal U lead of the game. The Dragons then maintained a narrow lead for the remainder of the game, including a 67-66 lead following a fastbreak jumper by Lowe with 5:02 left. Cal U scored its last point of the game with 2:53 remaining before Tiffin scored the last four points to seal an 80-71 victory.

The Vulcans shot 47.5 percent (28-of-59) from the field and a season-low 58.8 percent (10-of-17) from the free-throw line. In comparison, the Dragons made 46.7 percent (28-of-60) from the floor and 76.2 percent (16-of-21) from the charity stripe. Cal U out-rebounded Tiffin by a slim 36-34 margin, but Tiffin scored 30 points off turnovers on Sunday.

Tiffin junior Joe Graessle led all players with 29 points after shooting 9-of-19 from the floor, including four-of-eight from the long range, and seven-of-eight from the free-throw line. Senior guard Cody Dennison added 11 points, six rebounds and six assists in the win.

Cal U returns to PSAC Crossover play with two road games this weekend, beginning Friday, Jan. 4, at Kutztown, starting at 7:30 p.m.