ERIE, Pa. (Jan. 22) – The No. 24 Vulcans used sizeable runs in the second half to cut a 13-point halftime deficit to one point in the second half before suffering a 71-63 loss at Gannon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action on Thursday evening.
With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team falls to 14-3 overall. The Vulcans and Lady Knights are now tied for second place in the divisional standings with an 11-2 mark. Meanwhile, Gannon improves to 12-4 this season behind a current five-game winning streak.
Senior
Emma Mahady (Albury, Australia/Xavier) scored 15 of her team-leading 17 points in the second half. She made 8-of-19 from the floor, including 7-of-14 shots after halftime, and collected four rebounds and three assists in the loss. Mahady is averaging 19.3 points over the last four games after being held scoreless on Jan. 4.
Sophomore guard
Miki Glenn (Bridgeport, W.Va./Bridgeport) finished with 14 points behind 12-of-13 attempts from the free-throw line and also totaled two rebounds, five assists and three steals. Freshman
Seairra Barrett (Center Twp., Pa./Central Valley) added 13 points, nine rebounds (three offensive) and three steals off the bench, while junior
Lana Doran (Northamptonshire, England/Barking Abbey) registered six points, five rebounds, three assists and four steals.
The Lady Knights opened the game on a 7-1 run before the teams traded points for nearly 10 minutes. Gannon later scored eight-straight points to take a 25-14 lead with 4:59 left in the first half. The Vulcans responded with an 8-3 rally, including six points by Barrett, to cut the deficit to 28-22 at the 2:21-mark. Gannon then scored six-consecutive points and closed the first half on an 8-1 run to take a 36-23 lead at halftime.
The teams traded baskets in the opening two minutes of the second half before the Vulcans scored 11-unanswerd points to trim the deficit to 43-38 on a jumper by Mahady with 13:45 remaining. Gannon later posted eight-straight points to stretch the lead to 56-42 before Cal U countered with 13-consecutive points to cut the deficit to 56-55 with 4:31 left to play. During the four-minute span, the Lady Knights committed four turnovers and missed all three field-goal attempts. Gannon answered with an 11-2 rally over nearly four minutes to take a 67-57 lead with 47 seconds remaining. The Vulcans then scored six-straight points in the next 24 seconds to trim the deficit to 67-64 on a three-pointer by Mahady with 23 seconds left. However, Gannon sealed the victory by making four free-throws in the closing seconds.
Cal U finished the game shooting 35.0 percent (21-of-60) from the floor despite making just 1-of-16 from beyond the arc. The Vulcans also converted 80.0 percent (20-of-25) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Gannon finished at a 52.4 clip (22-of-42) from the field and 67.7 percent (21-of-31) from the charity stripe. The Lady Knights out-rebounded the Vulcans by a 36-31 margin, while Cal U scored 25 points off turnovers.
Senior Nettie Blake, a two-time All-PSAC West selection, nearly posted a double-double in the victory, finishing with 19 points and nine rebounds. Classmate Mollie Sebald totaled 14 points, five rebounds and three assists, while junior Morgan Neighbors added 14 points in 14 minutes off the bench.
The Vulcans return to action on Saturday, Jan. 24, when they host Slippery Rock at 3 p.m.
