ERIE, Pa. (Jan. 3) – The California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team rallied from a 17-point deficit in the second half to force overtime on Tuesday night before suffering a 93-88 loss to Gannon at the Hammermill Center in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action.

With the loss, the Vulcans move to 3-10 this season with a 0-7 record in league play. Cal U has already played six games this year decided by five points or less (four all of last season). Meanwhile, the Golden Knights improve to 5-5 overall behind a 3-3 mark in conference action.

Junior transfer Robel Teckle (Washington, D.C./Friendship Collegiate Academy) scored a season-high 31 points (23 second half) on 11-of-15 shooting after entering play averaging 6.6 points per game. He made 7-of-11 attempts from beyond the arc to become the first player since Travis Eisentrout in the 2005-06 season to record seven three-pointers in a game. Teckle is the second Cal U player to score at least 30 points in a game this season after the feat hadn't been accomplished since March 2008.

Fellow junior Luka Andjusic (Belgrade, Serbia/Borislav Petrov Braca) finished with 18 points after going 7-of-14 from the floor, including 4-of-10 from long range. He also collected seven rebounds and three assists on Tuesday. Junior Jay Tucker (Philadelphia, Pa./Academy at Palumbo) posted 17 points and six rebounds, while sophomore Rashawn Browne (Toronto, Ontario/Bill Crothers) tallied seven points and seven assists in his first start since Dec. 3.

Gannon scored the initial six points of the game before Cal U later rallied off eight-consecutive points to take a 15-13 lead on a pair of free-throws by Tucker with 14:21 left in the first half. The Golden Knights then responded with a 9-3 run to reclaim the lead at 22-18 at the 10:41-mark. Cal U was able to tie the score at 24-24 on a layup by Andjusic with 8:48 remaining before halftime. Gannon then seized control of the half, closing the first half on a 25-9 run to take a 49-33 lead at the break. During the run, the Golden Knights made 8-of-11 attempts from the floor with four three-pointers.

The Golden Knights stretched their lead to as many as 17 points, 56-39, with just under 14 minutes left in regulation. Cal U mounted a 9-4 run to cut the deficit to 60-48 on a three-point play by Browne with 8:47 remaining in the second half. The Golden Knights answered with a traditional three-point play before the Vulcans posted a 13-3 rally over almost three minutes to trim the deficit to 66-61 on a layup at the 5:27-mark. Following a layup by Gannon, Cal U rallied for a 13-5 run behind 11 points from Teckle to take a 74-73 lead with 1:13 left to play. The Golden Knights then made three free-throws to reclaim the lead at 76-74 and later held a 77-75 lead before Browne tied the game at 77-77 on a layup with 12 seconds remaining in regulation. However, Browne was injured and fouled on the play and was forced from the court due to the Vulcans having no timeouts left. Gannon then chose a player to attempt the ensuing free-throw attempt, which was missed, and the Golden Knights were unsuccessful on a last second three-pointer and tip-in.

In overtime, Gannon started on a 7-2 run to take an 84-79 lead before Teckle cut the deficit to 84-82 with a three-pointer at the 2:18-mark. The Golden Knights answered with a three-pointer nearly a minute later and the Vulcans eventually cut the deficit to 88-85 on a layup by Tucker with 31 seconds left. However, Gannon made five free-throws in the closing seconds to seal the victory.

The Vulcans made over 60 percent in the second half and finished the game shooting a season-high 53.2 percent (33-of-62) from the floor. Cal U also posted a .371 three-point percentage while attempting 35 shots from long range. Meanwhile, Gannon shot 50.0 percent (32-of-64) from the field and converted just 54.3 percent (19-of-35) from the free-throw line. The Golden Knights out-rebounded the Vulcans by a 39-33 margin with teams combining for 70 points in the paint.

Gannon junior Zay Jackson scored a team-high 28 points after going 7-of-12 from the floor, including five-of-eight from beyond the arc, and 9-of-12 from the free-throw line. He also registered 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals while playing 44 minutes. Freshman Jimmy Berger finished with seven points and 14 assists in the victory.

Cal U returns to action on Friday, Jan. 6, when it travels to face West Chester in PSAC Crossover play at 7:30 p.m.