EDINBORO, Pa. (Feb. 15) – Behind a 30-point performance from junior
Brent Pegram (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.), the Vulcans swept the season series with the Fighting Scots following a 93-67 victory at Edinboro on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.
With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team improves to 16-8 this season with a 12-6 mark in league action. The Vulcans remain fourth in the divisional standings and complete the season sweep over the Fighting Scots for the first time since the 2012-13 season. Meanwhile, Edinboro suffers its 13th-straight loss and falls to 5-17 overall with a 2-16 record in conference play.
Pegram filled the stat sheet on Saturday after tallying 30 points on 11-of-22 attempts, including 5-of-10 from three-point range. The Maryland native also finished with eight rebounds, eight assists and matched a career high with six steals in 38 minutes against the Fighting Scots. Pegram remains among the top-five in the PSAC in scoring with 20.4 points per game after recording his fifth game with at least 30 points this year.
Freshman
Tim Smith, Jr. (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) registered 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting, plus six rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes. Sophomore
Zyan Collins (South Riding, Va./Freedom) totaled 15 points on 5-of-12 from the floor and added three rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 22 minutes after being forced from the game due to injury. Freshman
Babatunde Ajike (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) notched 10 points on five-of-seven attempts with nine rebounds, two assists and two steals in 21 minutes off the bench. Classmate
Luke House (Norristown, Pa./Archbishop John Carroll) collected a game-high 12 rebounds and added three assists in 38 minutes of action.
The Vulcans converted four-of-five shots, including three treys, to start the contest and build a 12-5 lead at the 16:26-mark. Collins and Pegram then combined for 15 points over a six-minute span, as both sides traded baskets and Cal U continued to hold a 27-22 advantage. After a two-minute scoreless stretch, the Vulcans mounted a 13-2 run on five-of-nine shooting to extend the lead to 40-24 with 4:35 left in the first half. Edinboro answered with a three-pointer before Cal U scored 10 of the next 12 points to take a 50-30 lead into the break.
The Fighting Scots scored six-consecutive points to begin the second half and closed the gap to 50-36. The Vulcans sustained a 65-47 advantage with 12:40 remaining after the teams traded points over a nearly six-minute span. Cal U then scored eight of the next 10 points to extend the lead to 73-49 before Edinboro responded with back-to-back three-pointers. The Vulcans held an 81-61 lead with 4:06 left in the game before going on a 9-2 run, led by Pegram with five points, to hold a 90-63 advantage with 1:30 remaining.
The Vulcans finished the game with a .407 field-goal percentage (35-of-86) and made 13-of-34 (38.2 percent) from three-point range. Meanwhile, the Fighting Scots shot 36.1 percent (26-of-72) from the floor and converted just 7-of-32 (21.9 percent) from beyond the arc. Cal U finished with a 57-43 rebounding advantage and scored 40 points in the paint and 26 second-chance points.
Graduate student Trey Staunch posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in 29 minutes, while junior Jaryn Simpson registered 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting, plus six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 36 minutes. Redshirt senior Anthony Coleman totaled 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals in 24 minutes, while senior Steven Freeman and junior Alex Jay scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, in the loss.
Cal U returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 19, when it hosts Seton Hill at the Convocation Center, starting at 7:30 p.m.
