SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio (Nov. 12) – Behind a career-high 32 points by senior forward
Shatara Parsons (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin), the No. 10 Vulcans posted an 85-76 victory at Notre Dame (Ohio) at the Mountain East Conference (MEC)/Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover Challenge on Sunday evening.
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team opens the year with a 2-0 mark. Meanwhile, the host Falcons fall to 1-1 this season under first-year head coach Lauren Macer, who played at NDC from 2009-13.
Parsons led all players with 32 points after shooting 12-of-25 from the field and 8-of-11 from the free-throw line. She also collected nine rebounds (six offensive), two assists, two blocks and two steals while playing 39 minutes. Parsons scored at least 15 points in both halves against the Falcons and finished the season-opening event with 60 points in two games.
Junior transfer
Mia Cushon (Raytown, Mo./Raytown South) recorded a double-double for a consecutive game, finishing with 21 points and 12 rebounds (six offensive). She made 8-of-16 from the floor and also posted two assists and three steals in the victory. Sophomore
DJ Hahn (Warren, Pa./Warren) also tallied 12 points and 11 rebounds for her first career double-double.
The Vulcans made the opening basket of the game before the Falcons answered with a 7-2 run to take a 7-4 lead with 7:18 left in the first quarter. Cal U countered with a 10-4 rally over nearly three minutes to take a 14-11 lead on a layup by Cushon at the 4:22-mark of the quarter. The Falcons then made a pair of three-pointers, tying the score each time, before the Vulcans took a 22-17 lead on a three-point play by Parsons with 1:43 remaining in the quarter. NDC managed to tie the score at 26-26 with 8:43 left before halftime before Cal U responded with a 9-2 run of its own over almost two minutes to take a 35-28 lead on a layup by Parsons. The Falcons responded with another 9-2 rally to again tie the contest at 37-37 with 3:36 remaining in the second quarter. Cal U held NDC to only one field goal for the remainder of the first half and built a seven-point advantage before taking a 47-42 lead into the break.
Early in the third quarter, Cal U went on a 13-5 run to stretch its lead to 62-50 on a three-pointer by Hahn with 1:42 left to play. The Falcons made just two-of-six from the floor and committed eight turnovers during that span. NDC worked the deficit down to 67-63 with 7:23 left in the fourth quarter after mounting a 13-5 rally over four-plus minutes. The Vulcans answered with nine-unanswered points, including seven by Cushon, to retake a double-digit lead at 76-63 with 4:15 remaining. The Falcons held the Vulcans to just one field goal over the next two-plus minutes, as they trimmed the deficit to 79-73 with 1:39 left to play. Parsons answered with a layup less than 10 seconds later before NDC converted a three-point play to make it an 81-76 contest with 1:18 remaining. The Vulcans sealed the victory by making four free-throws in the final minute.
The Vulcans finished the game shooting 47.1 percent (32-of-68) from the floor and converted at a 69.2 clip (18-of-26) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, the Falcons made 42.9 percent (27-of-63) from the field and 83.3 percent (15-of-18) from the charity stripe. Cal U out-rebounded NDC by a 42-37 margin and scored 48 points in the paint, while also collecting 24 points off turnovers.
Senior Kim Cook posted 19 points and 14 rebounds in the losing effort after earning All-MEC honors last year. Sophomore Mackenzie Meckes finished with 13 points and four rebounds, while classmate Marisa Finazzo posted eight points, five rebounds and six assists.
Cal U returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 18, when it hosts Kutztown in the Convocation Center at 1 p.m.
