CLARION, Pa. (Dec. 6) – Senior
Emma Mahady (Albury, Australia/Xavier) scored 14 of her team-high 19 points in the second half on Saturday evening, as the Vulcans posted a 72-61 victory at Clarion in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action.
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team improves to 7-1 overall behind a 4-0 mark in league play. The Vulcans are off to their best overall start since the 2009-10 season and remain one of only two PSAC West teams to still be unbeaten in conference action. Meanwhile, Clarion falls to 1-6 this season with a 0-3 record in divisional play under first-year head coach Jana Ashley.
Mahady finished with 19 points after making 6-of-10 attempts from the floor, including three-of-six from beyond the arc. She played just 28 minutes in the victory after being limited to 11 minutes in the first half due to foul trouble. Mahady has scored at least 15 points in every game this season and ranks fourth in the PSAC with a career-high 17.9 points per game.
Fellow senior
Kaitlynn Fratz (Accident, Md./Northern Garrett), who also battled foul trouble in the first half, tied her season high with 13 points and tallied a game-high eight assists. Sophomore
Miki Glenn (Bridgeport, W.Va./Bridgeport) finished with 10 points and five assists, while freshman
Seairra Barrett (Center Twp., Pa./Central Valley) added seven points and a team-high 10 rebounds (five offensive) off the bench.
The Golden Eagles scored the opening two baskets of the game before the Vulcans mounted a 14-4 run to take a 14-8 lead on a three-pointer by Glenn with 14:43 left in the first half. Cal U later increased the lead to 20-12 before Clarion scored 10-unanswered points to take a 22-20 lead with 8:38 remaining before halftime. The Vulcans were held scoreless for four-plus minutes before a layup by sophomore
Precious Martin (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) at the 7:18-mark tied the game at 22-22. Cal U posted a 7-3 run late in the first half to take a 37-32 lead on another layup by Martin before entering halftime with a 37-34 lead.
Both teams were held scoreless for the initial two minutes of the second half before the Golden Eagles mounted a 9-2 run to take their largest lead of the game at 43-40 with 14:45 left to play. Cal U responded with a 17-6 rally over seven-plus minutes to reclaim the lead at 56-49 on back-to-back three-pointers from Mahady with 7:41 remaining. Following a basket by the Golden Eagles, the Vulcans sealed the victory with a 13-5 run to take their largest lead of the game at 69-56 on a trey by Fratz at the 3:06-mark.
Cal U finished the game shooting 41.7 percent (25-of-60) from the field, including 36.0 percent from beyond the arc after making a season-high nine three-pointers. Meanwhile, Clarion shot at 43.8 clip (21-of-48) and made its only attempt from long range. The Golden Eagles held a slim 35-34 rebounding advantage, while the Vulcans scored 21 points after forcing 20 turnovers.
In the losing effort, junior Tania Holmes scored a game-high 22 points primarily from the free-throw line, as she converted 11-of-12 attempts. Senior Hannah Heeter recorded a double-double on Saturday with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while also adding five assists and three steals. The Golden Eagles utilized only two bench players in the contest.
The Vulcans are idle next week before returning to action with home games on back-to-back days, starting Dec. 16 against Shippensburg at 5:30 p.m.
