LOCK HAVEN, Pa. (Jan. 3) – The California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team allowed just 18 points in the second half on Saturday afternoon while posting a 78-56 win at Lock Haven in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover action.

With the victory, the Vulcans improve to 9-4 overall after winning three of their last four games, all against PSAC East opponents. Cal U also now stands at 5-3 in league play, as crossover games are reflected in the conference standings this season. Meanwhile, the Bald Eagles fall to 3-8 this season behind a 3-4 mark in league action.

Junior forward Richard Smith (Cleveland, Ohio/Lutheran East) registered his fifth double-double of the season, finishing with 12 points and 16 rebounds. He is the first player to total at least 16 rebounds in a game since Ryan Boles accomplished the feat twice during the 2003-04 season. Smith leads the team and ranks second in the PSAC with 9.4 rebounds per game after posting double-digit rebounds seven times this year.

Fellow junior Jake Jacubec (Struthers, Ohio/Struthers) led the team with 13 points despite playing only two minutes in the first half due to foul trouble. He finished the game shooting four-of-seven from the floor and four-of-four from the free-throw line. Freshman Tony Richardson (Sterling, Va./Dominion) added 10 points and four rebounds off the bench, while junior Khalil Jabbie (Alexandria, Va./Edison) posted eight points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Cal U mounted a 9-4 run early in the game to take a 13-11 lead on a layup by senior Arman Marks (Louisville, Ky./Eastern) with 13:16 left before halftime. The Bald Eagles quickly reclaimed the lead with a 9-2 rally over three-plus minutes to take a 20-15 lead at the 10:04-mark. Cal U then scored seven-straight points to take a 22-20 lead before later totaling eight-unanswered points to take a 32-25 lead with 3:26 left in the first half. The Vulcans stretched their first-half lead to as many as nine points, 43-34, before taking a 43-38 lead into the break despite four players being whistled for two fouls in the first half.

After each team scored a basket in the opening minutes of the second half, the Vulcans mounted a sizeable 15-3 run over nearly six minutes to take a 60-43 lead on a pair of free-throws by Jacubec with 12:11 remaining. Lock Haven snapped a five-minute scoreless drought by scoring four-straight points before Cal U scored 10-unanswered points, including eight by freshman Nick Miller (Industry, Pa./Western Beaver), to take a 70-47 lead at the 7:13-mark. The Bald Eagles then scored five-consecutive points, while the Vulcans were held scoreless for three-plus minutes. Cal U then mounted an 8-2 run to stretch its lead to as many as 23 points, 78-54, on a jumper by freshman guard Daniel Sapp (Streetsboro, Ohio/Streetsboro), who collected nine rebounds off the bench, with 16 seconds left.

Cal U finished the game shooting 45.6 percent (26-of-57) from the floor and 74.1 percent (20-of-27) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Lock Haven shot at a 32.3 clip (20-for-62) after making just 1-of-21 (4.8 percent) from three-point territory. The Vulcans out-rebounded the Bald Eagles by a 50-31 margin and scored 36 points from inside the paint.

Senior Wali Hepburn, the reigning PSAC East Athlete of the Year, scored a game-high 17 points after entering play as the league's only player to average at least 20 points per game. Redshirt freshman Ra'eese Hunt added 13 points off the bench in the loss.

Cal U continues its weekend road trip tomorrow, Sunday, Jan. 4, when it travels to face Bloomsburg at 3 p.m.