• Box Score

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. (Jan. 3) – Trailing by 23 points in the second half, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team nearly trimmed the deficit to single digits before dropping a 72-61 contest at Shippensburg on Friday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover action.

With the loss, the Vulcans fall to 4-8 overall and remains winless at 0-5 on the road this year. Meanwhile, the Raiders improve to 2-9 this season and earned the initial home victory under first-year head coach Chris Fite.

Junior guard Tynell Fortune (Harlem, N.Y./Pocono Mountain West (Pa.)) established a career high with 25 points against Shippensburg. He shot 9-of-20 from the field, including just one-of-seven from beyond the arc, and six-of-seven from the free-throw line. Fortune, who was coming off the bench for the first time since Nov. 23, leads the team in scoring this year with a career-high 13.6 points per game.

Classmate Alonzo Murphy (Pittsburgh, Pa./Imani Christian Academy) nearly posted a double-double, finishing with 15 points and nine rebounds (four offensive). He made 6-of-14 from the floor and tallied three blocks and three assists before fouling out on Friday. Sophomore Jake Jacubec (Struthers, Ohio/Struthers) added 12 points, four rebounds and four assists in the losing effort.

With the score tied, the Raiders mounted a 15-4 run to take a 22-14 lead with 6:07 left before halftime. After a basket by Cal U, Shippensburg closed the half on a 13-2 run over nearly five minutes to take a 35-18 lead into the break.

Shippensburg stretched its lead to 55-34 midway through the second half with an 11-4 run over almost four minutes. After the teams traded baskets, the Vulcans answered with a 12-2 rally to trim the deficit to 67-54 on a dunk by Murphy with 3:06 remaining. Cal U prevented Shippensburg from making a field-goal in the final six-plus minutes of the game, but was unable cut the deficit to single digits.

Cal U finished the game making 33.3 percent (24-of-72) from the field and shot a season-low 17.4 percent (4-of-23) from beyond the arc. In comparison, Shippensburg shot at a 38.5 clip (20-of-52) from the floor and 50.0 percent (5-of-10) from long range. The Raiders held a sizeable 52-37 rebounding advantage, while the Vulcans committed only six turnovers in the loss.

Sophomore guard Joe Lococo scored a game-high 27 points and collected nine rebounds on Friday. Freshman Abe Massaley added 13 points, while a pair of Raiders finished with 11 rebounds.

The Vulcans continue their weekend road trip tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 4, when they travel to face Kutztown at 3 p.m.