CALIFORNIA (Jan. 8) – Senior Terry Davis, Jr. (South Bend, Ind./John Adams) tied the score with three free-throws with 1.8 seconds left in regulation after erasing a 23-point deficit in the second half before classmate Isaiah Lewis (Brooklyn, N.Y./Christ the King) hit the game-winning, three-pointer with 2.7 seconds left in overtime, as the Vulcans defeated Lock Haven 97-94 on Monday night in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action. 

With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team snaps a three-game losing streak to improve to 7-8 overall with a 3-6 record in league play. The 23-point comeback victory is the largest in recent program history (dating back to the 2002-03 season). Meanwhile, the Bald Eagles drop to 5-6 this season behind a 3-6 mark in conference play. The contest featured 12 lead changes, including six in final four-plus minutes of regulation.

Davis registered his third double-double of the season after scoring season-high 30 points and adding 10 rebounds (four offensive). He shot 10-of-17 from the field and converted 10-of-14 from the free-throw line in 32 minutes. In the second half and overtime, Davis scored 28 points on 9-of-12 attempts and made 9-of-13 from the charity stripe, while collecting eight rebounds against the Bald Eagles. 

Lewis tallied 22 points on 8-of-20 shooting and added five rebounds and five assists while playing all 45 minutes. He recorded seven points in the final 45 seconds of the game, including two three-pointers to lead the team to victory on Monday night. Lewis has totaled at least 20-points in four of the last five games and continues to lead the team in scoring with 18.9 points per game. 

Senior Robel Teckle (Washington, D.C./Friendship Collegiate Academy) finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals in 39 minutes. Junior Jahmere Howze (Cleveland, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) recorded 12 points on 5-of-10 from the floor and collected seven rebounds (four offensive) before fouling out in the final second of the second half. Senior Luka Andjusic (Belgrade, Serbia/Borislav Petrov Braca) tallied 10 points and three rebounds while playing 26 minutes off the bench. 

In overtime, Davis scored two layups to give Cal U the early advantage during the five-minute period. The Bald Eagles countered with two buckets in the paint to tie the score before taking the lead on a free-throw. The Vulcans mounted an 8-2 run over a three-minute stretch, including a three-pointer by Lewis, to take a commanding 92-87 lead with 45 seconds left. Lock Haven's leading scorer quickly responded with four points before making a three-pointer to tie the game at 94-94. Cal U called a timeout with 13 seconds remaining and on the in-bound pass, Lewis made the game-winner from long range with 2.7 left. The Bald Eagles drove the court for one final shot that missed the mark as the Vulcans secured the 97-94 overtime victory. 

Cal U opened the contest with a jumper by Lewis to take the early advantage, but Lock Haven countered with an 18-6 rally after converting 8-of-16 to hold an 18-8 lead. The Bald Eagles rapidly extended the lead to as many as 21 points, while the Vulcans made just six field goals and turned it over five times in the final 13 minutes of the first half. Lock Haven took a 45-24 lead in the break after shooting 54.1 percent in the initial 20 minutes of the game, while Cal U made just 9-of-32 from the field. 

In the second half, the Vulcans responded with 12-unanswered points to trim the deficit to 52-43 with 13:48 remaining. During the run, Cal U featured four different scorers while making four-of-seven from the floor and holding Lock Haven without a field goal for three-plus minutes. The Bald Eagles extended the lead back to 14-points with a short run before the Vulcans mounted a 20-8 run after converting six-of-seven from the floor and five-of-five from the charity stripe to trail 65-63 with 8:05 left. Cal U claimed the lead for the first time since with 19:43-mark of the first half on a jumper by Davis before Lock Haven tied the game at 69-69. The Vulcans recaptured the lead after two trips to the line to hold a 73-70 advantage until the Bald Eagles took a one-point lead with 1:12 remaining. Lock Haven held an 80-77 lead with seven seconds left before Davis converted three-straight free-throws to tie the game at 80-80 after being fouled beyond the arc. 

The Vulcans finished the contest with a .427 shooting percentage (32-of-75) and converted a season-high 25-of-35 (71.4 percent) from the charity stripe. Cal U finished the final 25 minutes of the game with a .534 field goal percentage. Meanwhile, the Bald Eagles shot 46.6 percent (34-of-73) from the floor and made 22-of-28 (78.6 percent) from the line. Both teams collected 43 rebounds in the contest, while the Vulcans managed 21 bench points and 16 points off turnovers. 

Redshirt sophomore Amir Hinton finished with a double-double of 47 points and 12 rebounds. He made 15-of-20 attempts and shot 16-of-20 from the free-throw line while playing 43 minutes. Hinton set a Lock Haven record for points in a game and scored the most points in the history of the Convocation Center. Freshman Matt Cerruti scored 13 points, five rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes off the bench, while classmate Tarojae Brake posted 10 points and three assists. 

Cal U returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 10, when it hosts Pitt-Johnstown in PSAC West action at 7:30 p.m.