CALIFORNIA (Dec. 30) – The California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team conceded a season-high 55.0 percent from beyond the arc on Saturday afternoon in an 87-63 loss against Edinboro to open Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action at the Convocation Center.
With the loss, the Vulcans fall to 6-6 this season behind a 2-4 mark in league play. Cal U came into the contest ranked second in the PSAC in scoring offense at 88.3 points per game and were held to under 70 points for just the third time this year. Meanwhile, the Fighting Scots improve to 8-2 overall with a 5-1 record in conference action. Edinboro matches its win total from last season and sits atop the Western Division standings after being picked eighth in the preseason poll.
Senior
Isaiah Lewis (Brooklyn, N.Y./Christ the King) led the team with 20 points and added six rebounds in a game-high 34 minutes. He has registered at least 20 points in six contests this year. Senior
Luka Andjusic (Belgrade, Serbia/Borislav Petrov Braca) tallied 14 points on five-of-six attempts, including four-of-five from long range, and collected three rebounds and two assists while making his season debut. Senior
Terry Davis, Jr. (South Bend, Ind./John Adams) finished with 13 points after converting 6-of-12 from the field and added eight rebounds and two assists in 28 minutes on Saturday.
The Fighting Scots scored the initial basket of the contest on a tip-in at the 17:34-mark of the first half before senior
Cordell Smith (Cleveland, Ohio/Shaw) made a three-pointer to give the Vulcans the early lead. Edinboro responded with a 16-2 rally by converting 6-of-11 from the floor, including a perfect four-of-four from beyond the arc. During the run, Cal U shot just one-of-eight from the field over a four-plus minute stretch. The Vulcans cut the deficit to single-digits following back-to-back three-pointers from Andjusic, as the Fighting Scots held a 28-20 lead with 8:49 remaining in the half. Cal U registered a short 6-0 run late in the first half to trim the deficit to two possessions after Lewis made a pair of jumpers. Edinboro went into the break with a 47-33 lead following a 15-7 run to close out the first half.
The Vulcans made the opening basket of the second half before the Fighting Scots extended their lead after shooting 8-of-12 from the floor over a six-minute stretch to take a commanding 69-43 lead with 12:06 left. Edinboro lead by as many as 30 points, as Cal U converted just 36.4 percent from the field in the second half. The Vulcans mounted a 9-2 run in the closing minutes of the game before Edinboro claimed an 87-63 victory.
Cal U finished the game shooting 25-of-65 (38.5 percent) from the floor and tallied 10 points off turnovers in the contest. Meanwhile, Edinboro shot 46.6 percent (34-of-73) from the field behind 11-of-20 (55.0 percent) from three-point range. The Fighting Scots held a sizeable 53-39 advantage in rebounds and scored 42 points in the paint.
Senior Keshawn Liggins, a transfer from Idaho State, posted a double-double with 32 points and 15 rebounds in 33 minutes. He made 12-of-23 attempts, including three-of-four from long range. Classmate Jaymon Mason recorded 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting and added eight rebounds and six assists, while teammate Anthony Coleman tallied 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals in the contest.
The Vulcans open the New Year on Wednesday, Jan. 3, when they host Gannon in the Convocation Center at 7:30 p.m.
