CALIFORNIA (Jan. 3) – Despite having an opportunity to tie the score in the final seconds of the contest, the Vulcans suffered a 69-66 loss versus Gannon on Wednesday night in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play at the Convocation Center.
With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team drops to 6-7 overall with a 2-5 record in league action. Cal U was held under 70 points in back-to-back games for the first time this year. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights improve to 7-5 this season behind a 3-3 mark in conference play. Gannon ranked seventh in scoring defense among all NCAA Division II programs heading into the contest.
Senior
Isaiah Lewis (Brooklyn, N.Y./Christ the King) finished with 20 points on 8-of-16 attempts from the field and added four rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes. He has registered three-consecutive 20-point performances and seven 20-point games this season. Senior
Robel Teckle (Washington, D.C./Friendship Collegiate Academy) scored a season-high 18 points after converting five-of-nine from the floor, including four-of-seven from beyond the arc, against the Golden Knights. Junior
Jahmere Howze (Cleveland, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) totaled 13 points on four-of-seven shooting and five-of-five from the free-throw line. He also collected three rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench on Wednesday.
Gannon started the game with six-unanswered points after forcing Cal U into three early turnovers in the opening minutes. The Vulcans countered with a three-pointer by Teckle and followed it up with a tip-in by Lewis to trail 6-5 with 15:51 left in the half. Both teams exchanged baskets over the next three-plus minutes, as Cal U remained down by a possession. The Vulcans claimed the lead on a three-pointer by Lewis with 11:57 left until halftime before the Golden Knights quickly tied the contest on a long-range shot of their own. Cal U mounted an 8-0 run after converting two-of-three from the field and three-of-three from the charity stripe to take a 25-17 lead. Gannon responded with an 11-2 rally to close out the first half to retake the lead at 35-32 heading into the break.
The Vulcans tied the game to begin the second half on a three-pointer by senior
Cordell Smith (Cleveland, Ohio/Shaw), who finished with eight points while playing a game-high 36 minutes. The Golden Knights countered with a 16-4 run over a seven-minute stretch to take a commanding 12-point lead with 12:06 remaining. Cal U trimmed the deficit to 57-50 after converting six-of-six from the line before another run by Gannon extended the lead back to double-digits. The Vulcans answered with a 9-1 rally after forcing the Golden Knights into three turnovers in just over two minutes. During the run, Cal U made three-of-four from the floor and trailed 64-61 with 1:44 left. Gannon extended the lead on a three-point play with about a minute left before Teckle knocked down a shot from long range to bring Cal U within a possession of tying the contest. The Vulcans had control of the ball with 11 seconds left when a potential game-tying three-pointer by Smith missed the mark and the Golden Knights secured the victory, 69-66.
The Vulcans finished the contest with a .407 shooting percentage (22-of-54) and converted a perfect 13-of-13 (100.0 percent) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights shot 24-of-51 (47.1 percent) from the field and made 78.3 percent (18-of-23) from the charity stripe. Gannon held a 34-26 rebounding advantage and scored 34 points in the paint, while Cal U scored 17 points off turnovers.
Gannon senior Zay Jackson, an All-PSAC West Second Team selection, led five players in double-figures with 15 points and collected two rebounds and three steals in 35 minutes. Classmate Jair Green finished with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting and added three rebounds, two assists and two steals, while seniors Damon Miraud and Gerrell Williams both tallied 11 points in the win.
Cal U returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 6, when it travels to face Slippery Rock at 3 p.m.
