CALIFORNIA (Feb. 13) – Redshirt senior
Seairra Barrett (Center Twp., Pa./Central Valley) posted her sixth 30-point game of the season on Wednesday evening, as the No. 21 California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team clinched a berth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament with a 79-45 win over Gannon in divisional play at the Convocation Center.
With the victory, the Vulcans improve to 19-3 overall while securing a spot in the league tournament for the 19th-consecutive season. Cal U sits second in the PSAC West standings with a 13-3 mark in league play and five games left in the regular season. Meanwhile, the Lady Knights fall to 11-14 this season behind a 7-10 record in conference action.
Barrett scored 33 points on 13-of-21 shooting and 7-of-11 from the free-throw line while barely playing in the fourth quarter. She recorded her eighth double-double of the season in the win, finishing with 13 rebounds (five offensive), while also collecting two assists, two blocks and three steals. Barrett eclipsed 500 points in a single-season for the second time in her career against Gannon, as she is averaging 23.1 points per game – the highest by a Cal U player since the 1993-94 campaign.
Fellow senior
Abbey Sporio (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) finished with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting and added two rebounds, two assists and two steals on Wednesday. Freshman
Ahmya Woodyard (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg) posted seven points, three rebounds, three assists and four steals in 25 minutes off the bench, while sophomore
Bianca Jasper (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) collected four assists and four steals in the victory.
The Vulcans opened the game on a 16-0 run with Barrett accounting for eight points, as the Lady Knights attempted just one shot and committed 10 turnovers in nearly the initial six minutes of the contest. Gannon then scored on back-to-back possessions before Cal U closed the quarter with 10-consecutive points to take a sizable 26-5 lead. The teams traded points in the early minutes of the second quarter before the Vulcans posted an 11-5 rally over three minutes to take a 47-16 lead into halftime.
Gannon scored six-straight points midway through the third quarter before Cal U countered with seven-consecutive points, including five by Barrett, to take a 60-26 lead at the 3:47-mark of the third quarter. The Lady Knights scored at the buzzer at the end of the quarter before Barrett scored six-straight points in the opening minute of the fourth quarter and was subsequently subbed out. The Vulcans stretched the lead to as many as 41 points, 76-35, with 4:14 left to play before cruising to their third 30-point win of the season.
The Vulcans finished the game shooting 44.9 percent (31-of-69) from the floor after making nearly 65 percent in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the Lady Knights posted a .333 field-goal percentage (13-of-39) after making just 13 shots in the game. Gannon finished with a 38-32 rebounding advantage, but Cal U forced 33 turnovers that led to 41 points.
Gannon senior Nicole LaCava led the team with 11 points in the losing effort, while freshman Tori Obenrader tallied eight points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
Cal U returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 16, when it hosts Pitt-Johnstown at Hamer Hall, starting at 1 p.m.
