CALIFORNIA (Nov. 24) – Sophomore Philip Alexander (Laurel, Md./Mt. Zion Prep) scored a career-high 20 points, as the Vulcans posted an 89-69 victory over Mansfield on Sunday afternoon at the Convocation Center in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover play.
 
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team improves to 4-2 this season behind a 2-0 record in league action. The Vulcans open the year with back-to-back PSAC victories for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign. Meanwhile, Mansfield drops to 2-4 overall with a 1-1 mark in conference play.
 
Alexander led the team in scoring after shooting 8-of-10 from the floor, including three treys. He also added five rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes of action. The Maryland native is averaging 10.5 points per game while boasting a .500 field-goal percentage after sitting out all of last season.
 
Freshman Luke House (Norristown, Pa./Archbishop John Carroll) posted his first career double-double with 14 points on 5-of-10 attempts with four three-pointers and a career-high 12 rebounds. He also tallied two assists and two steals in 33 minutes of play. House ranks third on the team with 13.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in six starts.
 
Sophomore Zyan Collins (South Riding, Va./Freedom) finished with 13 points on four-of-eight shooting, including three treys, and added six rebounds and seven assists in 34 minutes. Junior Brent Pegram (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.) totaled 11 points, three rebounds and seven assists in 38 minutes, while freshman Philip Alston (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville North) registered 10 points, four rebounds and three blocks in 11 minutes off the bench. Fellow freshman Tim Smith, Jr. (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) also recorded 10 points and three rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench on Sunday.
 
The Mountaineers took a 5-4 advantage in the opening three-plus minutes of the contest, as both teams struggled from the field early in the first half. Cal U then responded with a 17-2 run after converting six-of-seven from the floor and forcing four turnovers to take a 21-7 lead at the 11:40-mark. Both teams exchanged points over the next two-plus minutes before Mansfield made back-to-back three-pointers to cut the deficit to 30-21 with 7:22 left in the first half. The Vulcans would eventually stretch the advantage to 45-28 with 3:06 remaining after an 11-3 run behind five points from Alexander. The Mountaineers closed the half with a four-point play, as Cal U took a 45-32 lead into the break.
 
Cal U started the second half on a 12-2 run with freshman Babatunde Ajike (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) accounting for seven points to extend the advantage to 57-34 at the 16:28-mark. Mansfield answered with an 11-4 rally in a nearly three-minute stretch before House and Alston combined for 13 points to give Cal U a 74-49 lead with 8:25 left. The Vulcans continued to maintain the advantage before the Mountaineers closed the gap with a 10-2 run in the final two minutes of the game.
 
The Vulcans finished the game with a .478 field-goal percentage (33-of-69) and made 13-of-29 (44.8 percent) from three-point range. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers shot 39.4 percent (26-of-66) from the floor while converting just 6-of-19 (31.6 percent) from beyond the arc. Cal U held a 42-40 rebounding advantage and totaled 22 bench points, while Mansfield scored 17 second-chance points.
 
Junior Christian Simmons scored 20 points on 6-of-11 attempts, including 7-of-10 from the free-throw line, plus added eight rebounds in 25 minutes of play. Senior Trevor English posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds (five offensive) in only 19 minutes, while senior Tyler Moffe and junior Garrett Cook each scored nine points, respectively.
 
Cal U returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 1, when it travels to face Glenville State in non-conference play, starting at 4 p.m.