SALEM, W.Va. (Dec. 8) – Despite shooting nearly 65 percent from the field in the second half, the Vulcans suffered an 80-63 loss versus Concord in non-conference play on Saturday evening during the opening day of the Joe Manchin Classic hosted by Salem.
With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team falls to 1-6 overall after facing three opponents from the Mountain East Conference (MEC) in non-conference action this season. Meanwhile, the Mountain Lions extend their winning streak to five-straight games and hold a 7-2 record this year, while posting a 2-1 mark against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opponents.
Freshman
Jermaine Hall, Jr. (Baltimore, Md./Severn School) posted a consecutive double-double with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting and 11 rebounds in 38 minutes of action. He has scored in double figures in the last three contests and ranks second on the team in scoring at 12.8 points per game.
Fellow freshman
Zyan Collins (South Riding, Va./Freedom) tallied 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks in 38 minutes of play. Redshirt junior
Donte' Williams (Buffalo, N.Y./Bishop Timon) earned his first start with program and finished with 13 points on 6-of-11 attempts and added two rebounds in 23 minutes.
Both teams knocked down shots over the initial five minutes of the contest with the Mountain Loins making 5-of-10 attempts. During the stretch, Williams led the way with eight points, as the Vulcans trailed by an 11-10 margin. Concord extended its advantage with four-straight points before Williams answered with a layup at the 12:28-mark. The Mountain Lions tallied eight-unanswered points over a nearly four-minute span to take a 23-12 lead, while Cal U failed to notch a field goal over that stretch. Following the 7:10-mark, the Mountain Lions made five-of-seven shots, including a pair from long range, to hold a 35-18 advantage. Hall closed the half with a three-pointer in the final minute, as Concord held a 35-21 lead at the break.
In the second half, the Vulcans made three-of-four shots in the opening two minutes to close the gap to 38-28. The Mountain Lions responded with a 12-2 run to take a 50-30 advantage before both teams exchanged the next seven buckets over three minutes. During that span, Hall made seven-consecutive points for the Vulcans, as Concord held a 58-39 lead at the 11:08-mark. The Mountain Loins went on to make four-of-six from beyond the arc before Cal U countered with 10-unanswered points to trim the deficit to 70-58 with 4:09 left in the second half. Concord put together a 10-1 rally in the closing minutes to secure the victory.
The Vulcans shot 43.1 percent (25-of-58) from the floor while converting just 7-of-22 (31.8 percent) from three-point range. Meanwhile, Concord finished the game with a .500 field-goal percentage (30-of-60) and made 14-of-31 (45.2 percent) from long range. Concord held a 34-27 rebounding advantage, while tallying 30 points in the paint and 16 points off turnovers.
Senior Tommy Bolte, the 2018 NCAA Division II scoring champion, led all players with 22 points and totaled seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 38 minutes. Junior Jair Rodgers posted 19 points, five rebounds and three assists, while teammate Simun Kovac scored 12 points and added nine assists in 20 minutes.
The Vulcans continue play at the Joe Manchin Classic tomorrow, Sunday, Dec. 9, when they face Kentucky State in Salem, West Virginia, starting at 5 p.m.
