CALIFORNIA (Jan. 8) – Led by a double-double from senior
DJ Hahn (Warren, Pa./Warren) off the bench, the No. 15 California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team posted a 66-60 win over Shepherd on Wednesday evening at the Convocation Center in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover action.
With the victory, the Vulcans improve to 12-2 overall and are now tied for third in the divisional standings with a 6-2 record in league play. Meanwhile, the Rams fall to 10-4 this season behind a 4-4 mark in their first year as members of the PSAC.
Hahn led the team with 16 points and 10 rebounds to mark her second career double-double. She shot 6-of-11 from the floor, including two-of-six from beyond the arc, while playing 24 minutes off the bench on Wednesday. Hahn is averaging 12.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 23.3 minutes over the last three games.
Fellow senior
Monica Burns (New Stanton, Pa./Hempfield) finished with 13 points and three rebounds after being limited to six minutes in the first half due to foul trouble. Junior
Bianca Jasper (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) posted 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting, five rebounds, six assists and two steals while playing all 40 minutes in the win. Sophomore
Shauna Harrison (Sheffield, England/Myerscough) added six rebounds, two assists and three steals in the victory.
Cal U scored the opening five points of the contest before Shepherd countered with back-to-back baskets to tie the score at the 6:28-mark. Sophomore
Brionna Allen (Pittsburgh, Pa./Bishop Canevin) followed with field-goals on consecutive possessions to give the Vulcans an 11-7 lead before eventually holding a 15-12 lead at the end of the quarter. Cal U stretched the lead to 19-12 early in the second quarter while holding Shepherd without a field goal until the 5:23-mark. The Vulcans boasted a 25-17 lead with 4:02 left in the quarter before being held scoreless for nearly three minutes. Hahn snapped the drought with a jumper with 1:05 remaining and Cal U later took a 29-24 lead at halftime.
The teams traded points in the opening three minutes of the third quarter before a three-pointer by both Burns and Jasper gave the Vulcans a 40-31 lead at the 5:49-mark. The Rams later scored seven-straight points to trim the deficit to 45-41 with 2:32 remaining in the quarter. Hahn made a pair of treys in the closing minutes before Jasper hit a runner at the buzzer to give Cal U a 53-47 lead. Shepherd posted a 7-2 run early in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 57-54 with 7:41 left to play. The teams were then held scoreless for over three minutes before later trading three-pointers with just over two minutes remaining. Cal U held a 64-60 lead at the 1:58-mark before holding Shepherd scoreless for the remainder of the game.
Cal U finished the game shooting 37.9 percent (25-of-66) from the floor despite going just 1-of-18 from three-point territory in the first half. Meanwhile, Shepherd made 42.6 percent (23-of-54) from the field and converted 37.5 percent (6-of-16) from long range. The Vulcans held a 39-34 rebounding advantage behind 15 offensive rebounds that were converted into 17 second-chance points.
Junior Sydney Clayton registered a double-double with 21 points on 10-of-16 shooting and 12 rebounds. Classmate Marley McLaughlin also scored 21 points behind five-of-six from beyond the arc, while freshman Abby Beeman totaled 13 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and two blocks in the loss.
The Vulcans continue their homestand on Saturday, Jan. 11, when they play Edinboro at the Convocation Center with tip-off at 1 p.m.
