JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (Feb. 11) – Behind six players scoring in double-digits, the No. 20 Vulcans extended their winning streak to six games with a 79-64 victory at Pitt-Johnstown on Wednesday evening in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team improves to 20-3 overall and remains in first place in the divisional standings with a 17-2 record in league action. Meanwhile, UPJ falls to 9-13 this season after losing eight-straight games and stands at 6-12 in conference play.
Senior
Irina Kukolj (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) matched her season high and led the team with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting and added nine rebounds (four offensive) and three steals. Junior
Lana Doran (Northamptonshire, England/Barking Abbey) also tied her season high of 15 points after making six-of-nine from the floor, while senior
Kaitlynn Fratz (Accident, Md./Northern Garrett) posted 14 points and five steals in the victory.
Sophomore
Miki Glenn (Bridgeport, W.Va./Bridgeport) totaled 12 points, three rebounds, eight assists and three steals, while senior
Emma Mahady (Albury, Australia/Xavier) finished with 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Freshman
Seairra Barrett (Center Twp., Pa./Central Valley) added 10 points, eight rebounds and two steals off the bench on Wednesday.
The teams traded baskets for the opening four-plus minutes before the Lady Cats mounted a 13-4 run to take a 22-15 lead with 10:45 left in the first half. During the rally, Cal U committed only one turnover but made just 2-of-12 attempts from the floor. The Vulcans answered by scoring 13-unanswered points, including nine from Barrett and Fratz, to take a 28-22 lead at the 7:10-mark. Following a layup by UPJ, Cal U registered a 14-1 run to take its largest lead of the first half at 42-25 following a layup by Barrett with 3:26 left before the break. The Vulcans built a 45-29 halftime lead after scoring 12 points off turnovers.
UPJ posted an 11-3 rally early in the second half to cut the deficit to 54-44 before Cal U answered with eight-straight points to stretch the lead to 62-44 on a layup by Fratz with 9:13 remaining. After a basket by the Lady Cats, the Vulcans mounted a 13-3 run over four-plus minutes to take their largest lead of the game at 75-49 on a jumper by Fratz with 4:49 left to play. UPJ eventually worked the deficit down to 79-64 after scoring the final eight points of the game.
The Vulcans finished the game shooting 42.9 percent (30-of-70) from the field and 84.2 percent (16-of-19) from the free-throw line. In comparison, the Lady Cats shot at a 37.7 clip (23-of-61) from the floor and 72.2 percent (13-of-18) from the charity stripe. UPJ held a 42-39 rebounding advantage, while Cal U scored 21 points after forcing 23 turnovers.
Junior Jasmine Harper led all players with 22 points after shooting 9-of-14 from the floor and added eight rebounds. Senior Nicole Carman registered a double-double with 16 points behind four three-pointers and 10 rebounds.
Cal U returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 14, with a non-conference game at Davis & Elkins with tip at 2 p.m.
