CALIFORNIA (Nov. 13) – Behind five players scoring in double-figures on Wednesday night, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team registered an 88-73 victory over Salem at the Convocation Center in non-conference play.
 
With the win, the Vulcans secured their first win of the season and improve to 1-2 overall. Cal U has now won the last three meetings between the programs and holds a 7-1 record against Salem dating back to the 2007 campaign. Meanwhile, the Tigers fall to 1-1 this season after playing two road games in the span of just three days.
 
Junior Brent Pegram (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.) paced the team in scoring for a third-consecutive game with 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 6-of-12 from beyond the arc. He also added a career-high seven rebounds and tallied three assists and two steals in 40 minutes of action. Pegram continues to lead the team in scoring this season with 21.3 points per game behind a pair of 24-point performances.
 
Sophomore Zyan Collins (South Riding, Va./Freedom) scored a season-high 16 points and totaled four rebounds and three assists in 37 minutes, while redshirt sophomore Philip Alexander (Laurel, Md./Mt. Zion Prep) and freshman Luke House (Norristown, Pa./Archbishop John Carroll) each recorded 12 points against the Tigers. Alexander finished four-of-eight from the floor with three from long range and added three rebounds in 20 minutes. House converted four-of-seven shots and collected two rebounds and four assists while playing 37 minutes. Sophomore Jermaine Hall, Jr. (Baltimore, Md./Severn School) registered 10 points, two rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes, while freshman Babatunde Ajike (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) scored seven points and grabbed a team-leading 10 rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench.
 
The game featured three ties in the opening five minutes of the contest, as Alexander led the Vulcans with six points with the score tied at 11-11 at the 14:15-mark. The Tigers responded with a 13-6 run after making a perfect five-of-five from the field, including a pair of three-pointers, to take a 24-17 lead with 10:57 left in the first half. Pegram then would take over the game by scoring 15 points on five three-pointers in the span of five-plus minutes to give Cal U a 32-31 advantage with 5:25 remaining in the half. The Vulcans continued to extend the lead with an 11-3 run to take a 43-34 lead with Ajike collecting five points. Salem would close the half with a three-pointer, as Cal U held a 43-37 advantage at the break.
 
The Vulcans started the second half with a 13-4 run over the initial three-plus minutes with Collins and House each scoring five points to stretch the lead to 56-41 at the 16:10-mark. The Tigers countered with a 15-4 rally after converting 7-of-10 from the field to cut the deficit to 60-56 with 10:47 left. Cal U then executed from the free-throw line by making seven-of-eight to extend the lead to 67-56 at the 8:16-mark. Salem managed to trim the deficit to 70-63 before the Vulcans made six-of-nine from the floor and went on a 15-6 run to take an 85-69 lead with 2:01 remaining in the game. The teams would trade baskets in the closing minutes, as Cal U secured the 88-73 win on Wednesday.
 
Cal U finished the game shooting 44.6 percent (29-of-65) from the floor while converting 14-of-31 (45.2 percent) from three-point range. Meanwhile, Salem shot 45.0 percent (27-of-60) from the field and made just 6-of-23 (26.1 percent) from beyond the arc. The Tigers held a 39-34 rebounding advantage, while the Vulcans scored 26 points off turnovers in the win.
 
Junior Jordan Forbes finished with a game-high 35 points on 14-of-24 shooting and added nine rebounds and three assists in 40 minutes. Senior Marko Tutunovic posted 10 points in 21 minutes off the bench, while classmate Malique Ross scored eight points and totaled three rebounds in 20 minutes.
 
The Vulcans are idle over the weekend before returning to action on Monday, Nov. 18, when they travel to face Davis & Elkins, starting at 6:30 p.m.