CALIFORNIA (Feb. 3) – The California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team cut a 15-point deficit in the first half down to two points in the closing minutes before suffering a 71-65 loss to Pitt-Johnstown on Wednesday night at the Convocation Center in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.

With the loss, the Vulcans fall to 7-16 overall and 4-13 in league action after dropping their fifth-straight contest. Meanwhile, the Mountain Cats improve to 14-7 this season behind a 9-6 mark in conference play and a current four-game winning streak.

Senior Nate Bellhy (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) scored a season-high 17 points after shooting 6-of-14 from the floor, including four-of-eight from beyond the arc. He also collected six rebounds while playing 21 minutes off the bench. Bellhy scored in double-digits for the first time since Dec. 12 and after being held scoreless on Saturday for the first time this season.

Sophomore Nick Miller (Industry, Pa./Western Beaver) posted 11 points on 5-of-10 attempts off the bench, while classmate Luka Andjusic (Belgrade, Serbia/Borislav Petrov Braca) finished with nine points and four steals. Fellow sophomore Daniel Sapp (Streetsboro, Ohio/Streetsboro) registered seven points, nine rebounds and three assists off the bench and senior Khalil Jabbie (Alexandria, Va./Edison) totaled six points, six rebounds and four assists.

UPJ mounted a 14-0 rally early in the game to take a 16-4 lead with 14:13 left in the first half. The Vulcans then snapped a nearly six-minute scoreless drought at the 13:19-mark on a three-point play by sophomore Tony Richardson (Sterling, Va./Dominion). The Mountain Cats responded with a 7-3 run over three-plus minutes to stretch their lead to 23-10 with 10:14 left before the break. Cal U later tallied 10-unsanwered points to trim the deficit to 28-25 on a three-pointer by Bellhy at the 6:21-mark. UPJ then countered with a 14-2 rally over four-plus minutes to stretch the lead to 42-27 with 2:08 remaining in the first half. The Vulcans scored the final basket before the break to enter halftime trailing 42-30.

The Vulcans made a pair of three-pointers early in the second half to work the deficit down to 44-36 with 18:18 left to play. UPJ stretched the lead back to 12 points, 52-40, before Cal U answered with a 12-6 run, including seven points by Sapp, to cut the deficit to 58-52 at the 8:34-mark. The Vulcans later scored seven-consecutive points – all by Bellhy and Andjuic – to trim the lead down to 63-61. The Mountain Cats made a three-pointer on the next possession and prevented the Vulcans from making a field goal until just 13 seconds left, 67-65, before UPJ converted four free-throws to seal the victory.

Cal U shot 50 percent in the second half and finished the game making 41.0 percent (25-of-61) from the floor. The Vulcans also converted 30.8 percent (8-of-26) from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Mountain Cats shot at a 47.5 clip (28-of-59) from the field. Both teams finished with 38 rebounds, while Cal U received a combined 36 points off the bench.

Junior A.J. Leahey scored a team-high 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting and added five rebounds. Sophomore Isaac Vescovi registered a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while classmate Dale Clancy finished with nine points, six rebounds and nine assists.

The Vulcans are idle this weekend before returning to action on Wednesday, Feb. 10, by hosting Slippery Rock at 7:30 p.m.