CALIFORNIA (Dec. 3) – The Vulcans led by as many as 17 points in the first half on Wednesday night before posting a 74-65 victory against Pitt-Johnstown in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action at the Convocation Center.
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team improves to 6-2 overall with a 2-1 mark in league play. The Vulcans have now four-straight games for the first time since opening the 2011-12 season with five-consecutive victories. Meanwhile, Pitt-Johnstown falls to 3-3 this season with three losses in the last four games and 1-2 in conference action.
Junior forward
Richard Smith (Cleveland, Ohio/Lutheran East) scored a game-high 19 points on 8-of-14 attempts from the field and three-of-five from the free-throw line. He also added five rebounds, three blocks and two steals while playing 36 minutes. Smith has scored in double-digits five times in eight games this season and is tied for second in the PSAC in total blocks.
Junior guards
Jake Jacubec (Struthers, Ohio/Struthers) and
Khalil Jabbie (Alexandria, Va./Edison) finished with 14 and 10 points, respectively. Jacubec made four-of-five attempts from beyond the arc and added five rebounds, while Jabbie collected seven assists. Sophomore forward
Avery Allmond (Manassas, Va./Long Reach (Md.)) led the team with eight rebounds (three offensive) and added seven points in 21 minutes off the bench.
The Vulcans raced out to a 20-6 lead with 13:25 left in the first half after making eight of their opening 12 shot attempts. Cal U later scored eight-unanswered points to increase its lead to 32-15 on a jumper by senior
Arman Marks (Louisville, Ky./Eastern), who finished with nine points and five rebounds, with 6:12 left before the break. After both teams were held scoreless for two-plus minutes, the Mountain Cats mounted a 12-4 run to close the first half and trailed 36-28 at the break.
Pitt-Johnstown opened the second half on a 9-1 rally to take its first lead of the game at 38-37 before Cal U made its first field goal after halftime with 16:02 remaining. The Vulcans regained control of the game with a 17-6 run over nearly seven minutes to take a 58-47 lead on a jumper by Smith with 8:02 left to play. Pitt-Johnstown countered with a 13-5 rally to make it a one-possession game at 63-60 with 3:05 remaining before Smith made a jumper on the ensuing possession to take a 65-60 lead with 2:30 left to play. The Vulcans made three free-throws before the Mountain Cats made their next field goal with 46 seconds left to cut the deficit to 68-62. Cal U then sealed the victory by making six free-throws in the closing seconds.
The Vulcans finished the game shooting 50.0 percent (27-of-54) from the field and 72.7 percent (16-of-22) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, the Mountain Cats shot at a 34.3 clip (23-of-67) from floor despite converting just 17.9 percent (5-of-28) from long range. Cal U held a 40-36 rebounding advantage while both teams scored 32 points from inside the paint. Pitt-Johnstown scored 26 points off turnovers in the loss.
Senior Ian Vescovi, the reigning PSAC West Athlete of the Week, led the Mountain Cats with 15 points on 6-of-13 attempts. Freshman Dale Clancy and junior Rich Audu both added 14 points and Audu led the team with eight rebounds.
Cal U continues PSAC West play on Saturday, Dec. 6, when it travels to face Clarion at 7:30 p.m.
