INDIANA, Pa. (Feb. 17) – Facing a regionally-ranked opponent, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team suffered an 82-75 loss at IUP on Saturday night, which officially eliminated the Vulcans from Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament contention.
With the loss, the Vulcans fall to 10-16 this season with a 6-14 record in league play. Cal U has now missed the PSAC Tournament for the fourth-consecutive season with its last appearance coming during the 2013-14 campaign. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks improved to 20-7 overall behind a 16-4 mark in conference play and remain in first place in the divisional standings.
Senior
Isaiah Lewis (Brooklyn, N.Y./Christ the King) scored 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting in the second half and finished with 25 points in 28 minutes. He made 11-of-21 attempts for the game and added two rebounds against the Crimson Hawks. Lewis currently leads the team with both 16.8 points and 3.7 assists per game.
Junior
Jahmere Howze (Cleveland, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) tallied 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting and collected five rebounds and two steals in 29 minutes. Senior
Robel Teckle (Washington, D.C./Friendship Collegiate Academy) posted 13 points behind 5-of-12 from the field and added a team-high seven rebounds and two assists in 38 minutes, while classmate
Terry Davis, Jr. (South Bend, Ind./John Adams) registered 12 points on 6-of-14 shots and collected six rebounds on Saturday night.
Cal U converted the opening basket of the contest before both teams exchanged the next four buckets, as the Vulcans held an early 6-4 lead. IUP responded with a 6-0 run to reclaim the lead, while Cal U missed four field goals and turned the ball over twice in that span. The Vulcans ended a three-minute scoring drought on a three-pointer by Howze, but the Crimson Hawks countered with 13-unanswered points to take a 23-9 lead with 8:08 left in the first half. Cal U managed to trim the deficit to 28-18 with a 14-7 rally, which included three-consecutive shots from long range. The Vulcans managed to get within seven points of the lead after a three-pointer by senior
Cordell Smith (Cleveland, Ohio/Shaw) before IUP took a 34-25 advantage into halftime.
The Vulcans mounted an 18-7 run out the break to trim the deficit to 46-43 with 13:27 remaining the game. During the rally, Cal U shot 9-of-12 from the field, including scoring 14-straight points during a three-plus minute stretch. Both teams exchanged the next four baskets before Lewis scored five-unanswered points to tie the game at 52-52 with 8:29 remaining. The Crimson Hawks countered with 14-unanswered points from the floor, while the Vulcans failed to make a field goal during that span. Cal U ended the run on a layup by Lewis before IUP recorded its largest lead at 17 points with 2:34 left. The Vulcans mounted a 10-0 run to trail 76-69 with 1:17 remaining, but the Crimson Hawks secured the victory after shooting four-of-four from the charity stripe.
The Vulcans shot 55.3 percent in the second half before finishing the game with a .456 field-goal percentage (31-of-68). Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks converted 28-of-56 (50.0 percent) from the field and 85.7 percent (18-of-21) from the free-throw line. Cal U held a 33-28 rebounding advantage and scored 42 points in the paint, while IUP scored 22 points on 15 forced turnovers.
Senior Jacobo Diaz finished with a team-high 20-points on 7-of-14 shooting and converted six-of-seven from the line and added four assists in 38 minutes. Classmate Anthony Glover, Jr. and junior Dante Lombardi both scored 19 points in the contest. Glover shot 6-of-13 from the floor and collected six rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes, while Lombardi made 6-of-11 from the field and added four rebounds and two assists in the contest.
The Vulcans return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 21, when they face Seton Hill at the Convocation Center in PSAC West action at 7:30 p.m.
