• Box Score

CLARION, Pa. (Feb. 27) – Behind 17 points from both Quentin Harding (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) and Keith Lowe (Columbus, Ohio/Centennial), the Vulcans closed the regular season with an 82-58 win at Clarion on Wednesday night in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action.

With the victory, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team finishes the regular season with a 12-14 overall record and an 11-11 league play. As the sixth seed, the Vulcans will play at Slippery Rock in the first round of the PSAC Tournament on Saturday, March 3. Meanwhile, Clarion finishes the year at 6-20 overall behind a 4-18 mark in conference action.

Harding finished with 17 points after shooting 6-of-10 from the floor, including four-of-six from beyond the arc. He tied his career high with four three-pointers, reaching the mark the first time since February 2011. Harding has scored at least 15 five times in the last 10 games, including a career-high 26 points on Feb. 16.

Playing off the bench for the first time this season, Lowe posted 17 points on 6-of-11 attempts from the field and four-of-five from the free-throw line. He also added eight rebounds (five offensive) and three assists in 28 minutes.

Junior Chris Williams (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) totaled 12 points and seven rebounds, while freshman Jake Jacubec (Struthers, Ohio/Struthers) finished with 11 points, six rebounds and three assists. Sophomore guard Tynell Fortune (Harlem, N.Y./Pocono Mountain West (Pa.)) collected six points, five rebounds and six assists while making his first start since Jan. 23.

Cal U opened the game with a 17-5 lead in the first six minutes with Clarion making only its second field goal of the game at the 13:17-mark.Midway through the first half, the Vulcans mounted a 13-2 run over five-plus minutes to take a 41-22 with 2:52 left before the break. The Golden Eagles then scored three baskets in the final two minutes to cut the deficit to 44-28 at halftime.

The two teams traded baskets until midway through the second half when the Vulcans made three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to take a 59-40 lead with 12:24 remaining. Cal U later posted a 6-1 run in just over a minute to stretch its lead to 72-48 with 7:10 left to play. The Vulcans maintained a 20-plus point lead for the remainder of the game, leading by as many as 26 points, 82-56, with 1:18 remaining.

Cal U finished the game shooting 48.4 percent (30-of-62) from the floor and tied its season high with 11 three-pointers, making 52.4 percent (11-of-21) from beyond the arc. In comparison, Clarion shot at a 31.1 clip (19-of-61) from the field and just 14.8 percent (4-of-27) from long range. The Vulcans out-rebounded the Golden Eagles by a 48-31 margin after totaling 17 offensive rebounds.

Clarion junior Mike Kroma scored a team-high 14 points and added eight rebounds off the bench, while senior Calvin Edwards finished with 10 points in the losing effort.

The Vulcans open play in the PSAC Tournament on Saturday, March 2, when they travel to face Slippery Rock at 7 p.m. Slippery Rock has won five of the last six meetings against Cal U, including three-straight at Morrow Field House.