CALIFORNIA (Feb. 1) – Sophomore Jermaine Hall, Jr. (Baltimore, Md./Severn School) and junior Brent Pegram (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.) combined for 44 points on Saturday afternoon, as the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team clinched a berth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament with a 98-70 victory over Slippery Rock in divisional play at Hamer Hall.
 
With the win, the Vulcans claimed their fourth-straight win to improve to 15-6 overall behind an 11-4 record in conference action. Cal U will be making its first appearance in the PSAC Tournament since the 2013-14 season and also swept the season series with Slippery Rock for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign. Meanwhile, The Rock falls to 10-11 this season with a 6-9 mark in league play.
 
Hall scored a career-high 23 points on 8-of-14 attempts and converted five-of-seven from beyond the arc. He also tallied six rebounds and one steal in 26 minutes of action on Saturday. Hall is averaging 11.8 points and 8.0 rebounds over the last five games, including a pair of games with at least 15 points.
 
Pegram finished with 21 points on 10-of-21 shooting, plus four rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes. The Maryland native now has totaled eight games with at least 20 points, while continuing to pace the team in scoring with 19.7 points per game.
 
Freshman Luke House (Norristown, Pa./Archbishop John Carroll) registered 15 points on four-of-eight shooting, including three-of-six from three-point range. He also added five rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes against The Rock. Classmate Tim Smith, Jr. (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) totaled 10 points, six rebounds and one block in 26 minutes, while fellow freshman Philip Alston (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville North) recorded nine points and five rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench. Redshirt sophomore Philip Alexander (Laurel, Md./Mt. Zion Prep) notched eight points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 19 minutes off the bench.
 
Slippery Rock established an early 10-7 advantage in the initial five minutes of the first half before Cal U responded with a 13-1 rally to take a 20-11 lead at the 9:01-mark. During the run, the Vulcans shot 6-of-10 from the field behind five different players scoring. Cal U held a 25-17 advantage with 7:35 left in the half before The Rock tallied 10 of the next 15 points to close the gap to 30-25. In the final three minutes of the half, the Vulcans went on a 10-3 run, including nine points from Pegram, to take a 42-30 lead in the break.
 
Cal U scored seven of the initial nine points in the second half to take a 49-32 advantage at the 18:19-mark before both teams traded points over the next four-plus minutes. The Vulcans then went on an 11-1 run behind six points from Hall to build a 72-49 lead with 10:46 remaining in the game. The sides exchanged buckets over the next four minutes before Cal U scored six-unanswered points to hold an 86-58 advantage. Slippery Rock countered with a 10-3 rally in the final four-plus minutes, but the Vulcans closed the contest by scoring seven of the final nine points to seal a 98-70 win.
 
Cal U finished the game shooting 52.1 percent (37-of-71) from the floor while converting 13-of-27 (48.1 percent) from beyond the arc. In comparison, Slippery Rock shot 33.3 percent (20-of-60) from the field and made just 4-of-25 (16.0 percent) from three-point range. The Vulcans finished with a 43-37 rebounding advantage, while scoring 42 points in the paint and 20 second-chance points.
 
Senior Will Robinson, Jr. registered a team-high 15 points on 4-of-10 shots and grabbed seven rebounds in 29 minutes. Redshirt senior Micah Till totaled 14 points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench, while freshman Revelinio Tholel finished with 14 points and five rebounds in 32 minutes.
 
The Vulcans return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 5, when they travel to face Pitt-Johnstown in PSAC West action at 7:30 p.m.