SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. (Jan. 6) – Junior Brent Pegram (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.) finished with a game-high 30 points and converted the game-winning shot at the buzzer, as the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team secured a 94-93 victory at Slippery Rock on Monday night in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.
 
With the win, the Vulcans improve to 8-5 overall with a 4-3 record in conference action. Cal U snaps a 10-game road losing streak in the series with Slippery Rock and claims its first victory at Morrow Field House since Feb. 24, 2010. Meanwhile, The Rock drops to 6-7 this season behind a 2-5 mark in league play.
 
Pegram finished with 30 points (21 second half) on 10-of-18 attempts, including 8-of-13 from three-point range. He added two assists and two steals in 29 minutes of action after battling early foul trouble. The Maryland native has scored at least 30 points in three of his last five games. Pegram paces the team with 20.5 points per game and has made 41 three-pointers this year.
 
Freshman Luke House (Norristown, Pa./Archbishop John Carroll) totaled 18 points on six-of-nine shooting, six rebounds, five assists and one block in 40 minutes. Sophomore Zyan Collins (South Riding, Va./Freedom) scored 13 points on 6-of-10 from the floor and added five rebounds while playing all 40 minutes. Freshman Tim Smith, Jr. (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) registered 11 points, three rebounds and two assists in his first career start, while classmate Philip Alston (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville North) also posted 11 points with three rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 17 minutes off the bench.
 
With just under four minutes remaining in the second half, Slippery Rock held an 89-76 lead before Cal U responded with a 13-0 rally on a perfect five-of-five shooting, including three treys, to tie the score at 89-89 at the 1:14-mark. The Rock would reclaim the lead at the free-throw line, but Collins answered with a traditional three-point play to take a 92-91 advantage with 23 seconds left. A foul with four seconds remaining allowed Slippery Rock to take the lead with a pair of free-throws, 93-92. Pegram then drove the length of the floor before taking an unbalanced runner at the buzzer that banked off the glass to seal the victory, 94-93.
 
In the first half, both teams traded baskets in the opening five minutes with the game tied at 12-12 before the Vulcans used an 8-4 run to grab a 20-16 lead at the 12:59-mark. Cal U would continue to hold a slight advantage over the next two-plus minutes until The Rock converted a three-pointer to take a 25-24 lead with 10:01 left in the half. House responded with five-straight points to reclaim the lead, but Slippery Rock countered with another trey to hold a one-point advantage. The Vulcans answered by scoring six of the next eight points to take a 35-30 lead with 6:14 remaining. Cal U would build the lead to 47-39 with an 8-3 run, but The Rock tallied five of the next seven points to close out the first half, 49-44
 
The Vulcans held a slight 59-53 lead in the second half after both teams exchanged buckets in the initial three minutes. The Rock then went on an 18-9 rally to take a 71-68 lead with 9:19 left after knocking down five-of-seven from the field, including four three-pointers. Alston trimmed the deficit to one-point with a layup, but Slippery Rock countered with an 11-3 run to extend the lead to 82-73 with 5:44 remaining.
 
Cal U finished the game with a .521 field-goal percentage (37-of-71) and converted 13-of-30 (43.3 percent) from three-point range. In comparison, Slippery Rock made 58.5 percent (31-of-53) from the floor after shooting a blistering 70.0 percent in the second half. The Rock also finished 14-of-22 (63.6 percent) from beyond the arc and 85.0 percent (17-of-20) from the free-throw line. Slippery Rock finished with a slight 30-28 rebounding advantage, while the Vulcans scored 36 points in the paint and tallied 18 second-chance points.
 
Senior Jared Armstrong scored 26 points on 9-of-11 from the field, including six-of-seven from long range, plus four rebounds and four assists. Junior Deontae Robertson finished with 20 points on seven-of-nine shots, including four treys, and added six rebounds, three blocks and two steals, while senior Will Robinson, Jr. tallied 17 points and four rebounds. Two-time, all-region selection redshirt senior Micah Till was limited to just 12 points, four rebounds and two assists in the loss.
 
The Vulcans return to PSAC Crossover play on Wednesday, Jan. 8, when they host Shepherd in the Convocation Center at 7:30 p.m.