ERIE, Pa. (Jan. 5) – The Vulcans featured four players in double-figures and shot 55.0 percent in both halves on Saturday afternoon in a 72-57 victory over Gannon at the Hammermill Center in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.
 
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team improves to 5-7 this season behind a 3-3 record in league action. The Vulcans posted their first win on the road against Gannon since the 2014-15 season. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights fall to 3-10 overall after losing their sixth-straight contest with a 1-6 mark in conference action.
 
Sophomore Brent Pegram (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.) led all scorers with 23 points on 7-of-11 attempts, including four from beyond the arc. He also made five-of-six from the free-throw line, while totaling five rebounds, five assists and three steals in 39 minutes. Pegram has averaged 27.3 points per game over the last four contests.
 
Freshman Zyan Collins (South Riding, Va./Freedom) finished with 16 points on five-of-eight shooting and made four-of-five from the charity stripe. He added six rebounds, two assists and one block while playing 35 minutes. Classmate Collin MacAdams (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) tallied 12 points and made a perfect six-of-six from the free-throw line. He also grabbed six rebounds in 39 minutes of action.
 
Redshirt junior Donte' Williams (Buffalo, N.Y./Bishop Timon) notched 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 36 minutes.
 
Gannon established a 16-6 lead in the initial four-plus minutes of the contest after making 5-of-10 attempts, while the Vulcans were forced into four turnovers. Pegram stopped the run at the free-throw line before knocking down consecutive three-pointers to trim the deficit to 22-13 at the 12:06-mark. Freshman Jermaine Hall, Jr. (Baltimore, Md./Severn School) followed with a three-point play before a jumper from Collins, but the Golden Knights countered with five-straight points. Cal U responded with a 7-0 rally, including five-consecutive points from Collins, to close the gap to 30-25 with 5:54 remaining in the half. Gannon answered with a three-pointer to halt the run before the Vulcans scored nine-unanswered points to take a 34-33 advantage into the break.
 
In the second half, the Golden Knights quickly reclaimed the lead with a three-pointer and a pair of free-throws before Cal U scored five-unanswered points to hold a 42-38 lead at the 16:55-mark. Gannon tied the game at 42-42 with 15:14 remaining until Collins countered with a three-pointer. Both teams remained scoreless over the next three-plus minutes before the drought was ended with a layup from Williams to maintain a 47-42 lead with 11:43 left. Cal U pulled away over the next six-plus minutes with a 17-5 run after making five-of-seven from the floor and five-of-six from the charity stripe to take a 64-51 advantage at the 3:42-mark. The teams traded the next four baskets before the Vulcans sealed the victory with six-straight points over the final two minutes.
 
Cal U finished the game with a .550 field-goal percentage (22-of-40) and made a staggering 19-of-21 (90.5 percent) from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, Gannon shot 33.9 percent (19-of-56) from the floor while converting 11-of-12 (91.7 percent) from the free-throw line. The Vulcans held a 30-29 rebounding advantage, while tallying 21 points off of 15 turnovers.
 
Gannon senior Daryl Porter posted 15 points and three rebounds in 28 minutes, while teammate Joe Fustine notched 14 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals. Junior Matt Johnson tallied 13 points and three rebounds in 22 minutes.
 
Cal U returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 9, when it hosts Slippery Rock at the Convocation Center in PSAC West play with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m.