LEMONT FURNACE, Pa. (Feb. 16) – The No. 21 Vulcans featured four players scoring in double-digits on Saturday afternoon while claiming a 61-41 victory over Pitt-Johnstown in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action.
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team improves to 20-3 this season behind a 14-3 record in conference play. The Vulcans maintain a two-game lead for second place in the PSAC West standings with four games left in the regular season while also clinching their fifth-consecutive, 20-win season. Meanwhile, the Mountain Cats fall to 12-13 overall and are tied for fifth in the divisional standings with an 8-10 mark.
Sophomore
Bianca Jasper (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) led the team and set a career high with 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting, including three-of-nine from beyond the arc. She also collected five rebounds, three assists and three steals while playing 38 minutes. Jasper leads the team and ranks among the top 10 in the PSAC this season with 3.8 assists per game.
Senior
Jiahna Flood-Francis (Pittsburgh, Pa./West Mifflin) tallied 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and four steals, while classmate
Abbey Sporio (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) added 12 points, four assists and two steals in the victory. Redshirt senior
Seairra Barrett (Center Twp., Pa./Central Valley) finished with 14 points, three rebounds and three steals after battling first-half foul trouble.
UPJ scored the initial three points of the game before Cal U mounted an 11-2 run to take an 11-5 lead with 5:48 left in the first quarter. The Vulcans held a 14-10 lead at the end of the quarter before the Mountain Cats tied the score at 14-14 with 8:28 remaining before halftime. Jasper and Sporio then combined for eight-consecutive points to give Cal U a 22-14 lead at the 5:25-mark. The Vulcans later closed the second quarter on a 9-2 run to take a 31-19 lead at the break.
The Vulcans stretched the lead to 39-23 on a three-pointer by Jasper midway through the third quarter before the Mountain Cats answered with a 10-3 run to trim the deficit to 42-33 at the 2:24-mark. The teams traded baskets in the final 90 seconds of the quarter before Cal U started the fourth quarter on a 10-2 rally to extend the lead to 55-37 on a pair of free-throws by Flood-Francis with 5:45 left to play. The Mountain Cats snapped a five-minute scoreless drought at the 3:52-mark before the Vulcans took their largest lead of the game at 22 points, 61-39, on a jumper by Barrett with 2:18 left to play.
Cal U finished the game shooting 35.9 percent (23-of-64) from the floor and converted 83.3 percent (10-of-12) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, UPJ shot at a 37.2 clip (16-of-43) from the field and made 69.2 percent (9-of-13) from the charity stripe. The Mountain Cats held a 37-32 rebounding advantage, while the Vulcans forced 31 turnovers in the victory.
UPJ junior Gabrielle Smith led the team with 13 points and eight rebounds while also committing eight turnovers. Sophomore Maddie Shanahan posted 10 points, seven rebounds and three blocks off the bench, while junior transfer Alli McGrath finished with eight points and six rebounds in the loss.
The Vulcans return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 20, when they travel to face Mercyhurst in Erie, Pennsylvania, at 5:30 p.m.
