CALIFORNIA (Nov. 19) – The California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team led by as many as 13 points in the first half on Wednesday night before suffering a 60-55 loss against Mercyhurst in its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West opener at the Convocation Center.

With the loss, the Vulcans fall to 2-2 this season with the losses by only a combined six points. Meanwhile the Lakers earn their first win of the year and improve to 1-2 overall with a 1-0 mark in conference play.

Cal U featured three different players with a team-high 10 points. Junior forward Richard Smith (Cleveland, Ohio/Lutheran East) finished with 10 points and also led the team with eight rebounds (three offensive) and three blocks while playing a game-high 38 minutes. Senior Arman Marks (Louisville, Ky./Eastern) and freshman Tony Richardson (Sterling, Va./Dominion) both added 10 points off the bench with Richardson collecting seven rebounds (three offensive).

Sophomore guard Drew Cook (Beaver Falls, Pa./Beaver Falls) finished with nine points and junior guard Khalil Jabbie (Alexandria, Va./Edison) registered four assists in the loss.

The Vulcans opened the game with a 9-2 run on a jumper by Richardson with 14:24 left in the first half. After Mercyhurst scored five-straight points, Cal U went on 15-4 rally over six-plus minutes to take its largest lead of the game at 24-11. The Lakers countered with a 10-2 run to trim the deficit to 28-23 before the Vulcans took a 31-23 lead at halftime.

Mercyhurst began the second half on a 9-2 rally to take its first lead of the game at 33-32 with 16:20 left to play. The Vulcans later scored six-straight points to reclaim the lead before the Lakers mounted a 17-3 run over nearly six minutes to take its largest lead of the game, 51-44, with 6:33 remaining. Cal U snapped a seven-plus minute stretch without a field goal when freshman Nick Miller (Industry, Pa./Western Beaver) made a jumper at the 5:37-mark to cut the deficit to 51-48. The teams traded free-throws for the next four-plus minutes before Miller converted a three-pointer to trim the deficit to 56-55 with 50 seconds remaining. The Vulcans forced a turnover on the ensuing possession with 31 seconds left before missing a three-pointer with five seconds remaining and the Lakers sealed the win by collecting the rebound and converting last-second free-throws.

The Vulcans finished the game shooting 44.4 percent (16-of-36) from the field, making only field goals in the second half, and converted 70.4 percent (19-of-27) from the free-throw line. In comparison, the Lakers shot a 40.4 clip (21-of-52) from the floor and 73.7 percent (14-of-19) from the charity stripe. Both teams finished with 29 rebounds and Mercyhurst scored 25 points after forcing 18 turnovers.

Junior guards Damon Jones and Gerrae Willimas both finished with 18 points in the victory, scoring a combined 23 points in the second half. Williams shot four-of-nine from beyond the arc and Jones converted 10-of-13 attempts from the free-throw line.

Cal U returns to PSAC West play on Saturday, Nov. 22, when it travels to face Edinboro at 3 p.m.