CALIFORNIA (Dec. 19) – Despite scoring just three points in the first quarter and trailing by as many as 17 points, the No. 11 California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team rallied for a 57-51 victory against West Virginia State in non-conference play at the Convocation Center on Tuesday afternoon.

With the win, the Vulcans improve to 10-1 overall while extending their winning streak to five games. Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets fall to 3-8 this season after losing four of their last five contests.

Senior Shatara Parsons (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) recorded her third double-double of the season after finishing with 26 points and 12 rebounds (four offensive). She shot 9-of-17 from the floor and converted 8-of-11 from the free-throw line while adding two blocks and two steals in 39 minutes on Tuesday. Parsons has scored at least 20 points in eight games this season and is averaging a career-high 23.3 points per game, which is nearly a 10-point increase from last year.

Sophomore Abbey Sporio (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) added six points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals off the bench in the victory. Freshman Bianca Jasper (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) tallied five points, six rebounds, six assists and two blocks in a season-high 32 minutes off the bench. Junior Mia Cushon (Raytown, Mo./Raytown South) finished with eight points and six rebounds against the Yellow Jackets.

WVSU scored the opening six points of the game before Parsons made the first basket of the game for Cal U with 5:05 left in the first quarter. The Yellow Jackets then tallied 11-unanswered points to stretch the lead to 17-2 at the 1:59-mark before the Vulcans finished the quarter trailing 17-3 after shooting just 1-of-15 from the floor. WVSU stretched its lead to as many as 17 points, 25-8, before Cal U responded with 11-consecutive points to cut the deficit to 25-19 on a layup by sophomore Gina Vallecorsa (Pittsburgh, Pa./Bishop Canevin), who set season highs with nine points and 21 minutes on Tuesday, with 1:58 left before halftime. The Yellow Jackets entered the break with a 27-22 lead behind 14 points from senior Jasmine Davis, who made four three-pointers despite battling foul trouble.

The Yellow Jackets mounted an 8-2 run early in the third quarter to stretch the lead to 35-26 with 6:48 left in the quarter. Cal U countered with 11-straight points to take its first lead of the game at 37-35 on a jumper by Cushon at the 3:12-mark. WVSU responded with an 11-5 run to reclaim the lead at 46-42 with 7:32 remaining in the contest before Cal U rallied off six-unanswered points to take a 48-46 lead on a layup by Parsons with 5:11 left to play. The Yellow Jackets later held a 51-49 lead at the 2:55-mark before the Vulcans tied the score at 51-51 on the ensuing possession with a layup by Vallecorsa. Jasper then made the a jumper with 1:58 remaining to give Cal U the final lead change of the game, as WVSU was held scoreless for nearly the last three minutes.

Cal U shot 50 percent in the second half to finish the game with a season-low .367 field-goal percentage (22-of-60). Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets shot at a .328 clip (20-of-61) from the floor after going 8-of-26 (30.8 percent) from three-point territory. The Vulcans held a 47-36 rebounding advantage while both teams committed 21 turnovers.

Davis led WVSU with 19 points on 7-of-17 shooting, including 5-of-12 from beyond the arc. Fellow senior Aurreshae Hines finished with 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and five steals, while redshirt freshman Denisha Bowman paced the team with seven rebounds and three blocks.

The Vulcans are idle for over a week until they open PSAC West play on Dec. 30 when they host No. 13 Edinboro at 1 p.m.