• Box Score

ERIE, Pa. (Dec. 4) – The California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team nearly erased a 16-point, second-half deficit before dropping a 64-51 contest at Mercyhurst in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.

With the loss, the Vulcans drop to 1-6 this season behind a 0-3 mark in league play. Meanwhile, the Lakers improve to 3-3 overall with a 2-0 record in conference action. Since joining the PSAC, the Lakers have won five of the six games against the Vulcans at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.

Senior Chris Williams (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) and junior Tynell Fortune (Harlem, N.Y./Pocono Mountain West (Pa.)) both scored a team-high 11 points in the loss. Williams, who made six-of-seven attempts from the free-throw line, also led the team with six rebounds. True freshman guard Drew Cook (Beaver Falls, Pa./Beaver Falls) added eight points after making all six free-throw attempts while playing a season-high 28 minutes off the bench.

Mercyhurst opened the game on an 18-9 run after making seven of its first 11 shot attempts. After the two teams traded points, Cal U trimmed the deficit to 25-20 with 6:09 left in the first half despite making only one field-goal during a 9-5 run over nearly five minutes. The Lakers then responded with a 9-2 run to take a 34-22 lead into halftime after shooting almost 55 percent in the first half.

After the Lakers scored the opening two baskets of the second half, the Vulcans mounted a 13-2 run over seven minutes to cut the deficit to 40-35 with 12:29 remaining. Mercyhurst responded with a 7-2 rally to increase its lead to double-digits, 47-37, with 8:50 left to play. The Vulcans and Lakers traded points for the next five-plus minutes before Mercyhurst sealed the victory with a 9-0 run down the stretch to take its biggest lead of the game at 64-48 with 1:17 remaining. Cal U snapped a nearly eight-minute drought without a field goal by connecting on a three-pointer at the 1:00-mark, 64-51.

Cal U finished the game shooting 30.8 percent (12-of-39) from the floor and made a season-high 86.4 percent (19-of-22) from the charity stripe. In comparison, Mercyhurst shot 48.8 percent (21-of-43) from the field and 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from beyond the arc. The Lakers held a 30-24 rebounding advantage and scored 24 points from inside the paint on Wednesday.

Senior guard Jonathan Ouegnin scored a game-high 19 points and also led the Lakers with six rebounds and six assists. Classmate Tony Lytle, who started 15 games for the Vulcans last year, added 11 points off the bench, while junior Callon Dailey finished with 10 points and four rebounds.

The Vulcans return to action on Saturday, Dec. 7, when they host Edinboro in PSAC West play at 5:30 p.m.