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Box Score
INDIANA, Pa. (Feb. 13) – After being limited to just four field goals in the first half, the Vulcans dropped a 70-53 contest on Wednesday night to rival and No. 11 IUP at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.
With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team falls to 9-13 this season with an 8-10 record in league action. The Vulcans have now lost the last seven road meetings against the Crimson Hawks. Meanwhile, IUP improves to 19-3 overall and maintains first place in the PSAC West standings with a 15-3 league mark.
Junior
Chris Williams (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) set a career high and led the team with 15 points on five-of-eight shooting from the floor and four-of-four from the free-throw line. He also five rebounds while starting his fifth-straight game. Williams is averaging 10.8 points over the last four games, more than double his season average.
Sophomore guard
Tynell Fortune (Harlem, N.Y./Pocono Mountain West (Pa.)) added 11 points off the bench, while junior forward
Anthony Lytle (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) posted a team-high six rebounds (four offensive).
The Crimson Hawks opened the game on a 13-3 run, as the Vulcans missed their first 11 shots from the field. After the two teams traded points, Cal U made its first field goal with 9:48 left in the first half. The Vulcans used a 7-2 run over four minutes to trim the deficit to 15-10 before the Crimson Hawks countered with 11-unanswered points, stretching their lead to 26-10 with 4:20 remaining. Cal U then posted another 7-2 rally over two minutes to cut the deficit to 27-17 with 1:26 left to play. Neither team was able to score for the remainder of the first half, as the Crimson Hawks were held without a field goal for the final 5:34 before the break.
After back-to-back baskets by Cal U in the second half, IUP mounted a 10-2 run to stretch the lead to 37-23 with 16:51 left to play. The Vulcans countered with a 7-2 rally to cut the deficit to single-digits, 39-30, with 11:53 remaining. IUP then went on a 10-5 run to take a 51-37 lead before Williams scored seven-straight points for Cal U to make it a 56-47 contest with 5:39 left to play. The Crimson Hawks then sealed the win with a 9-4 run over three-plus minutes to take a 65-51 lead.
After making over 57 percent in the second half, the Vulcans finished the game shooting 36.5 percent (19-of-52) from the field and 35.3 percent (6-of-17) from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks made 47.3 percent (26-of-55) from the floor and 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from long range. IUP held a 34-29 advantage on the glass behind 11 offensive rebounds.
Senior guard Anthony Wells led the Crimson Hawks with 21 points and added five assists, while Marcel Souberbielle finished with 15 points and five rebounds.
Cal U returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 16, when they travel to face Lock Haven at 3 p.m.
