GLENVILLE, W.Va. (Nov. 11) – Senior transfer
Isaiah Lewis (Brooklyn, N.Y./Christ of King) led the team with 29 points and fellow senior transfer
Terry Davis, Jr. (South Bend, Ind./John Adams) posted a double-double on Saturday evening, as the Vulcans captured an 88-83 overtime victory against West Virginia Wesleyan in the opening game of the Jakobi's Journey Basketball Classic.
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team begins the season at 1-0 for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign. Meanwhile, the Bobcats fall to 0-1 under second-year head coach Jack Meriwether, who enters his first full year at the helm.
Lewis tallied 29 points after shooting 11-of-14 from the free-throw line and collected three rebounds, five assists and one steal while playing a team-high 41 minutes in his first game with the Vulcans. He was a reserve player last year while at Temple.
Davis registered a double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds on 10-of-19 from the floor and added two steals in 41 minutes in his first start with the program. He played for host Glenville State last season, recording five double-doubles and ranking second on the team in points and rebounds.
Senior
Cordell Smith (Cleveland, Ohio/Shaw) totaled 11 points, four rebounds and two assists against the Bobcats. He now has posted eight-straight games in double-figures dating back to last season. Senior
Jay Tucker (Philadelphia, Pa./Academy at Palumbo) finished with eight points and eight rebounds while playing 20 minutes off the bench on Saturday.
Junior transfer
Jahmere Howze (Cleveland, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) registered seven points and 11 rebounds (five offensive) and set a team-high with three steals. He played the last two seasons at Urbana (Ohio), receiving All-Mountain East Conference (MEC) Honorable Mention as a sophomore while leading the team in scoring and rebounds.
Cal U tied the game at 9-9 following a three-pointer from senior
Robel Teckle (Washington, D.C./Friendship) in the opening five-plus minutes of the game. The Vulcans would capitalize by scoring nine-consecutive points to establish an 18-9 lead, highlighted by six-points in the paint. The Bobcats countered with a 13-0 run to reclaim the lead at 22-18 before the Vulcans snapped the run with a layup by Davis. Cal U made a pair of free-throws in the final three minutes of the first half to tie the game at 24-24. West Virginia Wesleyan responded with eight-unanswered points following a pair of turnovers by Cal U. The Vulcans headed into the break on a 6-0 run, trailing the Bobcats by a 32-30 margin.
West Virginia Wesleyan stretched its lead at the beginning of the second half to 39-32 before Davis posted back-to-back layups to cut the deficit. The Bobcats later countered with a 9-4 run to gain their largest lead of the second half at 48-40 before the Vulcans rallied off a 10-2 run to take the lead at 52-50 with Lewis tallying seven points during that span. Cal U would stretch its lead to as many as eight points, 60-52, before West Virginia Wesleyan trimmed the deficit with six-straight points. The Bobcats would tie the game at 65-65 following a three-pointer with just over a minute remaining. Cal U reclaimed the lead on a jumper by Lewis with 43 seconds left before a pair of free-throws would knot the game at 67-67. The Vulcans had three shots miss the mark in the closing seconds, as the game would head into overtime.
In overtime, West Virginia Wesleyan would take the early lead at 71-70 before Cal U responded with an 11-3 run which featured Smith going three-for-three from long range. The Vulcans extended their lead to 83-75 following a pair of free-throws by Lewis before the Bobcats would cut the deficit with five-unanswered points. Cal U made five-of-eight free throws in the final 10 seconds of the game to seal the victory, 88-83.
Cal U finished the game shooting 40.3 percent (31-of-77) from the field while converting 21-of-31 free throws (67.7 percent). Meanwhile, West Virginia Wesleyan made 32-of-78 shots (41 percent) from the floor and shot 25 percent (8-of-32) from beyond the arc. The Vulcans out-rebounded the Bobcats by a 52-50 margin which led to 14 second-chance points and 44 points in the paint.
Junior Kevin Kangni led West Virginia Wesleyan with 20 points and 13 rebounds in the losing effort, while sophomore Luka Petrovic totaled 15 points on 6-of-13 from the floor and added seven assists.
The Vulcans continue play at the Jakobi's Journey Basketball Classic tomorrow, Sunday, Nov.12, when they face the host Pioneers at 4 p.m.
