• Box Score

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. (Jan. 5) – Facing the defending-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Champion and playing without its leading scorer, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team suffered a 70-62 loss at East Stroudsburg in league crossover action on Saturday night.

With the loss, the Vulcans fall to 5-6 overall with a 4-3 record in conference play. Meanwhile, the Warriors improve to 9-2 this season behind a 6-1 mark in league action.

Sophomore guard Tynell Fortune (Harlem, N.Y./Pocono Mountain West (Pa.)) led the team with 17 points and tied his career high with seven assists. He made 7-of-12 attempts from the floor, including three-of-six from beyond the arc. Fortune has scored in double figures in each of the last four games – all starts – and ranks second on the team this season with 12.2 points per game.

Senior Quentin Harding (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) finished with 12 points on six-of-nine shooting and led the team with seven rebounds. Classmate Mitchell Weedon (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) added 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals, while freshman Jake Jacubec (Struthers, Ohio/Struthers) tallied seven points, four assists and three steals.

The two teams combined for 12 lead changes and six ties in the first half. Cal U scored back-to-back layups midway through the first half to take a 22-16 lead before ESU scored eight-straight points to take a 24-22 lead with 8:57 remaining. The Warriors later scored six-unanswered points to stretch their lead to 36-28 lead before the Vulcans cut the deficit to 38-34 at halftime.

ESU made a three-pointer on the opening possession of the second half before Cal U cut the deficit to 41-39 with 17:42 remaining. After the Warriors expanded the lead to 54-45, the Vulcans scored 12-unanswered points to take a 57-54 lead on a layup by Weedon with 4:51 remaining. ESU countered with an 11-1 run to reclaim the lead at 65-58 with 52 seconds left to play. The Warriors then made all five free-throws in the final minute to seal the 70-62 victory.

The Vulcans posted one of their best shooting performances of the year from the floor, finishing at a 51.0 clip (25-of-49). However, Cal U made a season-low 53.3 percent (8-of-15) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, the Warriors shot 41.0 percent (25-of-61) from the field and 73.7 percent (14-of-19) from the charity stripe. East Stroudsburg finished with 17 second-chance points and scored 32 points off turnovers on Saturday.

Senior forward Terrance King, last year's PSAC Tournament MVP, paced the Warriors with 18 points and 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Fellow senior Gerald Bridges, Jr. added 14 points after making four three-pointers.

Cal U continues PSAC Crossover play next weekend when it hosts Millersville on Friday, Jan. 11, at 7:30 p.m.