CALIFORNIA (Feb. 29) – Despite featuring four players in double-figures on Saturday afternoon, the Vulcans suffered an 82-71 loss against Gannon on Senior Day at the Convocation Center in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.
 
With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team finishes the regular season with an 18-10 record behind a 14-8 mark in conference action. The Vulcans will now host fifth-seeded Gannon in the first round of the PSAC Tournament on Monday, March 2, at 7:30 p.m. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights improve to 14-12 this season with a 13-9 record in league play.
 
Freshman Tim Smith, Jr. (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood) scored a team-high 18 points on 6-of-12 attempts and added six rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes of action. The Ohio native is averaging 8.9 points per game, including 13 contests with double-digit points this season.
 
Junior Brent Pegram (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.) tallied 17 points on 5-of-14 shooting and converted six-of-eight from the free-throw line against the Golden Knights. He also posted three rebounds, four assists and three steals in 39 minutes. Sophomore Jermaine Hall, Jr. (Baltimore, Md./Severn School) finished with 12 points and seven rebounds in 33 minutes, while classmate Zyan Collins (South Riding, Va./Freedom) notched 12 points and three rebounds in 27 minutes after battling foul trouble. Freshman Luke House (Norristown, Pa./Archbishop John Carroll) posted eight points, four rebounds and five assists while playing all 40 minutes. 
 
Cal U converted five-of-nine from the floor to open the contest, including six points from Collins, to take a 12-8 lead with 12:34 left in the first half. The Golden Knights then responded with nine-unanswered points over the next two-plus minutes to grab a 17-12 advantage at the 10:12-mark. The teams exchanged points over the next two minutes before Gannon scored eight of 12 points to extend the lead to 31-24 with 3:38 remaining in the half. Cal U would make four of its next five shots, led by Smith with five points, to head into the break trailing 40-35.
 
The Golden Knights started the second half with a 10-3 run in the initial three-plus minutes to build the advantage to 50-38. Gannon maintained a double-digit lead over a majority of the next six minutes, but the Vulcans countered with a 12-4 rally to trim the deficit to 66-63 with 5:18 left. The Golden Knights then went on a 9-3 run to stretch the lead to 75-66 before shooting five-of-seven from the charity stripe to claim an 82-71 win.
 
The Vulcans finished the game with a .386 field-goal percentage (22-of-57) and made 11-of-36 (30.6 percent) from long range. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights shot 51.9 percent (28-of-54) from the floor and converted 20-of-26 (76.9 percent) from the free-throw line. Gannon finished with a 38-29 rebounding advantage and totaled 14 second-chance points, while Cal U scored 17 points off turnovers.
 
Junior Frank Webb, Jr. finished with a game-high 25 points on 7-of-10 shooting and 9-of-11 from the charity stripe. He also added five rebounds, two assists and three steals in 29 minutes. Senior Matt Johnson posted 17 points on 7-of-13 attempts, plus three rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes. Fellow senior DeAnte Cisero tallied 15 points and four rebounds in 31 minutes, while sophomore Victor Olawoye notched 11 points, seven rebounds and three steals in 27 minutes off the bench.
 
Cal U opens play in the PSAC Tournament on Monday when it hosts Gannon in the Convocation Center at 7:30 p.m.