MILLERSVILLE, Pa. (Dec. 1) – Behind a double-double from redshirt senior
Seairra Barrett (Center Twp., Pa./Central Valley) and a season-high 39 bench points, the No. 20 California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team earned a 69-55 win at Millersville on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover action.
With the victory, the Vulcans improve to 6-0 overall and open league play with a 1-0 mark. Meanwhile, the Marauders fall to 2-4 this season with a 0-1 record in conference action after playing in the 2018 PSAC Championship.
Barrett registered her second double-double of the season, leading the team with both 15 points and 12 rebounds. She made 7-of-14 attempts from the floor and added two assists, two blocks and three steals in a season-low 31 minutes on Saturday. Barrett is now averaging 26.3 points per game while shooting 51.9 percent (67-of-129) from the field this season.
Freshman
Brionna Allen (Pittsburgh, Pa./Bishop Canevin) added 14 points off the bench after entering play with eight total points this season. She also collected three rebounds and four steals while matching her season high of 20 minutes. Sophomore
Bianca Jasper (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) posted six points, four rebounds, five assists and three steals in the victory.
Cal U scored the opening eight points of the game before Millersville made its initial basket at the 7:09-mark in the first quarter. The score remained within two possessions for the duration of the quarter with the Vulcans holding a 17-14 lead at the close of the first quarter. The Vulcans stretched the lead to 22-16 at 7:00-mark of the second quarter before the Marauders countered with five-unanswered points to trim the deficit to 22-21 with 4:03 left before halftime. Cal U responded with a 12-2 run behind 10 points from junior
DJ Hahn (Warren, Pa./Warren) and freshman
Shauna Harrison (Sheffield, England/Myerscough) to take a 34-23 lead with 1:43 left in the second quarter. Following a pair of free-throws by the Marauders, the Vulcans made the final two baskets of the quarter to take a 38-25 lead at the break.
Millersville cut the deficit to single-digits in the opening 90 seconds of the third quarter before Cal U countered with an 11-2 rally over four minutes to take a 49-31 lead on a layup by Barrett at the 4:28-mark. The Vulcans were then held scoreless for three minutes before a three-pointer by Allen with 1:18 left in the quarter, as Cal U held a 52-35 lead at the end of the third quarter. The Vulcans opened the fourth quarter on a 7-2 run to extend their lead to as many as 22 points, 59-37, following a three-pointer by Harrison with 7:37 left to play. Millersville worked the deficit down to 65-53 at the 1:44-mark before Cal U made jumpers on back-to-back possessions to maintain the double-digit victory.
Cal U finished the game shooting 41.2 percent (28-of-68) from the floor and made 7-of-21 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Marauders posted a .340 field-goal percentage (17-of-50) and converted 90.5 percent (19-of-21) from the free-throw line. The Vulcans posted a 42-35 rebounding advantage and forced 29 turnovers that were converted into 28 points.
Millersville sophomore Lauren Lister scored a game-high 18 points on 8-of-17 shooting and added eight rebounds on Saturday. Freshman Kennedy Middleton also collected eight rebounds in the loss.
The Vulcans continue their weekend road trip tomorrow, Sunday, Dec. 2, when they face West Chester at 1 p.m.
