ERIE, Pa. (Feb. 20) – The No. 18 California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team used a balanced scoring effort on Wednesday evening to earn a 76-56 win at Mercyhurst in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.

With the victory, the Vulcans improve to 21-3 overall and 15-3 in league action with three games left in the regular season. Cal U was slotted fourth in the initial NCAA Atlantic regional rankings, which were released prior to the game on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Lakers drop to 9-16 this season behind a 6-12 record in conference play.

Redshirt senior Seairra Barrett (Center Twp., Pa./Central Valley) and senior Abbey Sporio (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth Forward) tied for the team lead with 15 points in the win, as seven different players finished with at least seven points. Sporio shot 7-of-13 from the floor and collected six rebounds, two assists and five steals versus Mercyhurst. Barrett made 6-of-12 from the field and three-of-four from the free-throw line while also pacing the team with eight rebounds (three offensive).

Sophomore Bianca Jasper (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) scored 13 points behind three-of-six from beyond the arc and added six rebounds and four assists in the victory. Junior Gina Vallecorsa (Pittsburgh, Pa./Bishop Canevin) finished with seven points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals, while three other players scored eight points on Wednesday.

Cal U scored 15-unanswered points, including a combined 10 by Jasper and Vallecorsa, midway through the first quarter to take a 17-4 lead at the 3:26-mark. The Lakers snapped a five-plus minute scoreless drought with 3:04 left in the first quarter before the Vulcans took a 26-11 lead at the end of the quarter. In the second quarter, Cal U mounted a 14-3 run after making six-of-eight from the floor to stretch the lead to 46-18 with 3:34 left before the break. The Vulcans later took a 51-24 lead at halftime after going 8-for-13 from beyond the arc in the first half.

The Lakers started the third quarter on a 9-4 run and later scored the last eight points of the quarter to cut the deficit to 61-46. The teams traded a pair of free-throws in the opening two minutes of the fourth quarter before Sporio made a layup with 7:53 remaining, the first field goal by Cal U in over four minutes. The Vulcans eventually stretched the fourth-quarter lead to as many as 21 points, 74-53, with 1:50 left to play.

Cal U shot over 50 percent in the first half before finishing the game with a .463 field-goal percentage (31-of-67). Meanwhile, Mercyhurst made 37.7 percent (20-of-53) from the floor in the contest. The Lakers held a 41-31 rebounding advantage and both teams scored 15 second-chance points, while the Vulcans tallied 23 points off turnovers.

Mercyhurst junior Nicolete Newman led the team with 13 points while shooting 4-of-13 from the floor on Wednesday. Classmate Kori Sidwell finished with nine points, 12 rebounds (six offensive), four assists and three steals in the losing effort.

The Vulcans return to action on Saturday, Feb. 23, when they host No. 3 IUP on Senior Day and Alumni Day at 1 p.m.