CALIFORNIA (Jan.10) – The California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team forced a turnover and converted three free-throws in the final seconds of the game to secure an 81-80 victory against Pitt-Johnstown on Wednesday night in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play at the Convocation Center.
 
With the win, the Vulcans improve to 8-8 this season behind a 4-6 mark in league action. Cal U has now won back-to-back games for the first time in over a month. Meanwhile, the Mountain Cats extend their losing streak to four-straight games and fall to 6-8 overall behind a 4-6 record in conference action.
 
Junior forward Jahmere Howze (Cleveland, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) led the team with 20 points on seven-of-nine shots and converted five-of-six from the free-throw line. He added six rebounds and two steals while playing 31 minutes on Wednesday. Howze scored in double-figures for the fourth-consecutive game and notched his sixth 20-point performance of the year.
 
Senior Cordell Smith (Cleveland, Ohio/Shaw) finished with 19 points on 6-of-11 attempts, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc. He collected six rebounds, three assists and four steals in a team-high 35 minutes. Classmate Isaiah Lewis (Brooklyn, N.Y./Christ the King) tallied 16 points on 7-of-15 from the field and added three rebounds and three assists before fouling out in the final minutes against the Mountain Cats. Fellow senior Luka Andjusic (Belgrade, Serbia/Borislav Petrov Braca) totaled 11 points, three rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes off the bench on Wednesday night.
 
Cal U opened the contest with a three-pointer by Smith and sprinted out to an early 11-4 lead in the opening five minutes of the game. The Mountain Cats responded with six-unanswered points to trim the deficit to one possession before both teams traded baskets over a two-plus minutes stretch. Halfway through the first half, the Vulcans built an 11-point lead following a jumper by senior Robel Teckle (Washington, D.C./Friendship Collegiate Academy), who finished with six points and matched a season-high with nine rebounds. UPJ stuck around after an 11-2 run cut the deficit to 29-27 with 8:06 remaining in the first half. Cal U lead by as many as 15 points after converting six-of-seven from the floor, including three-of-four from long range, while holding UPJ to one field goal over five-plus minutes. The Mountain Cats rallied to close the half with eight-unanswered points to head into the break trailing 44-37.
 
UPJ carried the momentum into the second half with an 11-2 rally in the opening two minutes to tie the game at 48-48. Cal U came out of the break cold, shooting just two-of-nine from the field before being held without a basket for nearly six minutes. The Mountain Cats jumped ahead 57-52 before the Vulcans reclaimed the lead after Lewis made a jumper. Pitt-Johnstown countered with another 6-0 run to retake the lead until a three-pointer by Andjusic put Cal U ahead 69-68 with 4:20 left. The Mountain Cats remained within striking distance after three made free-throws before a steal by Smith sealed the 81-80 win.
 
Cal U finished the game shooting 29-of-61 (47.5 percent) from the floor and made 86.7 percent (13-of-15) from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, UPJ shot 31-of-66 (47.0 percent) from the field and converted 43.5 percent (10-of-23) from beyond the arc. The Vulcans held a slight 36-34 rebounding advantage and registered 15 points off the bench.
 
Senior guard Dale Clancy scored a career-high 32 points after converting 11-of-21 attempts, including 5-of-11 from long range. He added seven rebounds and made five-of-seven from the line while playing all 40 minutes. Teammate Isaac Vescovi recorded 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting and collected nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks, while freshman Drew Magestro totaled 11 points, five assists and two steals.
 
The Vulcans return PSAC West play on Saturday, Jan. 13, when they travel to Greensburg, Pennsylvania, to take on Seton Hill at 3 p.m.