CALIFORNIA (Jan. 8) – Sophomore Zyan Collins (South Riding, Va./Freedom) scored a game-high 23 points on Wednesday night, as the Vulcans collected a 74-61 victory over Shepherd at the Convocation Center in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover action.
 
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team improves 9-5 this season behind a 5-3 mark in league action. The Vulcans surpassed their win total from last season with the victory and move to 4-1 at home. Meanwhile, Shepherd falls to 6-8 overall with a 2-6 record in conference play after making its first trip to Cal U since 2010.
 
Collins scored 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting and added four rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals in 37 minutes of action. The Virginia native is averaging 19.0 points per game over the last five contests and has tallied three 20-point performances this season.
 
Junior Brent Pegram (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.) finished with 16 points, including four three-pointers, plus two rebounds, three assists and one block in the win. He continues to lead the team in scoring with 20.1 points per game while averaging 37.6 minutes per game.
 
Freshman Luke House (Norristown, Pa./Archbishop John Carroll) tallied 15 points on 6-of-10 attempts with three treys, plus seven rebounds in 39 minutes, while classmate Tim Smith, Jr. (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and scored nine points in 36 minutes. Sophomore Jermaine Hall, Jr. (Baltimore, Md./Severn School) posted five points, nine rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes of action.
 
Shepherd opened the game with five-unanswered points to take an early advantage before Cal U responded with a 19-0 rally over eight-plus minutes to take a 19-5 lead at the 9:12-mark. During that span, the Vulcans converted 8-of-18 from the field with three treys, while the Rams missed 12-straight shots and committed four turnovers. Shepherd snapped the run with a layup, but Cal U continued the pressure with eight-consecutive points to hold a 27-7 advantage with 7:33 left in the first half. Both teams would trade baskets over the final six-plus minutes of half, as the Vulcans held a 42-24 lead at the break.
 
Cal U would make the initial five points of the second half and converted five of the next eight shots to hold a 58-33 advantage at the 13:30-mark. The Rams then battled back with a 20-3 rally to close the gap to 61-53 after knocking down eight-of-nine shots, including four three-pointers. House halted the run with a trey before Shepherd cut the deficit to 64-58 with 4:33 left after five-straight points. The Vulcans would use a 10-3 run over the last four minutes of the game, led by Collins with six points, to secure a 74-61 win.
 
The Vulcans finished the game with a .468 field-goal percentage (29-of-62) and made 10-of-25 (40.0 percent) from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Rams shot 40.0 percent (24-of-60) from the floor and converted 11-of-32 (34.4 percent) from long range. Cal U held a 39-32 rebounding advantage and scored 30 points in the paint, while Shepherd tallied 10 points off turnovers.
 
Senior Thomas Lang posted a double-double with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including five treys, plus 10 rebounds in 35 minutes. Freshman Daniel McClain-Corley also tallied 17 points on 7-of-14 attempts with two rebounds, two assists and two steals in 36 minutes, while sophomore Jon Preston totaled 10 points, two rebounds and two assists in the loss.
 
Cal U returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 11, when it hosts Edinboro in PSAC West play, starting at 3 p.m.