Game Notes (PDF) I Live Stats I Live Audio I California (Pa.) Statistics I West Chester Statistics

CALIFORNIA (March 7) – The California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team will face West Chester in the finals of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, March 8, at 1 p.m.
 
TICKETS
All students from PSAC institutions will be admitted free with a valid student ID. Host Bloomsburg is selling tickets for the title game on Sunday at the cost of $8 for adults and $3 for students. Tickets can be purchased at the gate beginning at 11:30 a.m.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
The Cal U sports information office will provide live statistics for the game at the link above. Live updates will also be available throughout the game on the official Twitter feed for Cal U athletics (@calvulcans).

STORYLINES
• Last time out: Cal U posted a 63-48 victory at Bloomsburg in the PSAC Semifinals on Saturday. Senior Kaitlynn Fratz scored 32 points on 10-of-19 shooting.
• The Vulcans are making their 22nd all-time appearance in the PSAC Tournament. Cal U holds a 30-17 overall record in the league tournament (4-8 in finals).
• Cal U is making its 13th appearance in the PSAC Championships and has won 11 of its last 12 games, including an eight-game winning streak from Jan. 24-Feb. 18.  

ABOUT THE VULCANS
• In her fourth season as head coach, Jess Strom enters play with a 79-29 career record (.731), including a 57-21 mark (.731) in PSAC play.     
• Cal U features a balanced scoring attack with four players averaging at least 10.0 points/game with a team-high 15.2 points/game from sophomore Miki Glenn.
• The Vulcans rank in the top five of the PSAC in both scoring offense (72.6) and scoring defense (58.7). Cal U has held opponents to 60 points or fewer 14 times.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN RAMS
• In her first year at West Chester, Kiera Wooden has compiled a 24-4 overall record after spending the last 10 seasons as an assistant with the Golden Rams.
• Junior guard Dallas Ely leads the team with 14.9 points/game, while junior forward Chikisha Steele-Hook leads the Golden Rams with 8.0 rebounds/game.
• The Golden Rams recorded a 63-59 victory versus IUP in the semifinals of the PSAC Tournament on Saturday to extend their winning streak to eight games.

ABOUT THE SERIES
• Cal U leads the all-time series 19-2 and last beat West Chester at home, 85-79, on Dec. 17, 2013. The Vulcans have won 17-straight in the series which dates to 1998.
• Cal U and West Chester are meeting for the sixth time in the postseason with Cal U winning each of the previous meetings, including all four in the PSAC Tournament.

ROAD WARRIORS
With its victory at Slippery Rock on Feb. 25, the Vulcans won 11 road games for the first time since 2009-10 when they finished with an 11-4 mark. With its win at Bloomsburg on March 7, the Vulcans matched the 2002-03 team with 12 road wins. Cal U has totaled at least 10 road victories in five of the past eight seasons and seven of the last 13 years.

DOUBLE THE FUN
Cal U features four players who average at least 10.0 points per game. Sophomore Miki Glenn (15.2) and seniors Kaitlynn Fratz (13.9), Emma Mahady (13.8) and Irina Kukolj (10.0) are the first quartet to accomplish this feat since the 2008 Elite Eight team boasted four players averaging double-digits in scoring.  

PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
With its semifinal win over Bloomsburg, Cal U advanced to the finals of the PSAC Tournament for the first time since 2011. In 12 championship game appearances, the Vulcans hold a 4-8 record with its last league title coming in 2006. Cal U advanced to the finals in 11-consecutive seasons from 2001-2011 and defeated West Chester in the 2003 PSAC Championship, 58-54. With a victory, Cal U would become the second team in league history to win five or more PSAC titles (Shippensburg, six).

IRON VULCANS
The starting lineup of Glenn, Mahady, Fratz, Kukolj, and junior Lana Doran have provided remarkable durability, as the quintet has started together in 28 of 29 games this season. The lone starting lineup change occurred on Feb. 18 when Kukolj did not play due to illness. In comparison, a total of 10 different players started at least one game last season.

STROM IN THE POSTSEASON
In her fourth year as head coach, Jess Strom has guided the Vulcans to a 79-29 record and a berth to their 22nd appearance in the PSAC Tournament, including the program's 15th-straight appearance. Strom holds a 4-3 record in the PSAC Tournament and faces West Chester for the first time in the post-season. Strom was an assistant coach at Cal U when the Vulcans beat the Golden Rams in the semifinals of the 2010 PSAC Tournament. In addition, she has led the Vulcans to one NCAA Tournament appearance, advancing to the regional championship in 2013.

ALL-PSAC HONORS
Three Cal U players were named to the All-PSAC West Teams on Thursday afternoon. Glenn was named to the All-PSAC West First-Team after being the 2014 PSAC West Freshman of the Year. Mahady earned All-PSAC West First-Team status for the first time in her career, while Fratz received All-PSAC Second-Team laurels. In addition, forward Seairra Barrett was selected the PSAC West Freshman of the Year and Strom was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year for the first time in her career.

AROUND THE STATE
West Chester, earned a 63-59 win over No. 7 IUP, the top seed from the West, in the semifinals on Saturday and advanced to the program's second-ever PSAC Championship. Cal U returns to the PSAC Championship for the first time since 2011 with a 63-48 at No. 12 Bloomsburg, the top seed from the East. The PSAC Championship on Sunday will broadcast live across the state on PCN with the game scheduled for 1 p.m. The winner of the league tournament will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with the entire field being revealed late Sunday night.

FIRST TICKET PUNCHED
Virginia State earned its first CIAA Championship since 2002 with a 73-49 victory over Lincoln on Feb. 28. With the win, the Trojans received the automatic qualifier from the CIAA into the NCAA Tournament.