CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Nov. 13) – Senior guards Brent Pegram (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.) and Preston Boswell (New Martinsville, W.Va./Magnolia) combined for 45 points, as the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team earned a 93-89 win over Glenville State on Saturday afternoon at the Mountain East Conference (MEC)/Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tip-Off Challenge.

With the victory, the Vulcans improve to 2-0 overall with both wins being by four points. Meanwhile, the Pioneers drop to 1-1 this year after advancing to the semifinals of the 2021 MEC Tournament.

Pegram led the team with 23 points after going three-of-eight from beyond the arc and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line. He also collected four rebounds, two assists and two steals while playing 39 minutes. Boswell scored 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting and eight-of-nine from the charity stripe, plus added five rebounds and three assists.

Freshman Keith Palek III (Woodbine, N.J./St. Augustine Prep) recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the victory. He made four-of-eight from the field and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line on Saturday. Junior Zyan Collins (South Riding, Va./Freedom) finished with 12 points, two rebounds and two steals, while sophomore Philip Alston (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville North) posted 10 points and five rebounds before fouling out in 20 minutes.

The Vulcans opened the game on a 10-2 run before the Pioneers countered with an 11-4 rally to trim the deficit to 14-13 with 13:12 left in the first half. Cal U responded with a 7-3 run over 90-plus seconds to stretch the lead to 21-16 on a layup by Palek. The Vulcans later held a 37-32 lead before the Pioneers mounted a 16-5 run to claim a 48-42 lead with 1:23 left before halftime. Pegram then made a three-pointer on the ensuing possession before Cal U trailed 50-46 at the break.

Glenville State score the initial points of the second half before Cal U posted a 12-1 run to claim a 58-54 victory on a pair of free-throws by Palek at the 15:56-mark. The Vulcans later mounted a 10-2 rally to stretch the lead to 68-58 on free-throws by freshman Bryson Lucas (Clarksburg, W.Va./Robert C. Byrd) with 11:39 left to play. Midway through the half, Cal U scored six of eight points to take an 81-70 lead before Glenville State worked the deficit to 85-79 at the 3:27-mark. Collins scored back-to-back baskets to stretch the lead back to double-digits, 89-79, with 2:10 remaining. Glenville State scored eight-unanswered points to trim the deficit to 91-89 with four second left to play. Palek then converted a pair of free-throws in the final seconds to seal the victory.

The Vulcans shot over 50 percent in the second half and finished the game shooting 46.0 percent (29-of-63) from the field. Cal U also converted 32-of-37 (86.5 percent) from the free-throw line in the victory. In comparison, the Pioneers made 51.5 percent (34-of-66) from the floor and went 11-of-27 (40.7 percent) from beyond the arc. Glenville State held a 40-36 rebounding advantage, while Cal U forced 15 turnovers that led to 23 fastbreak points on Saturday.

Senior John Williams, Jr., who was a D2CCA Third-Team All-American last year, scored a game-high 32 points after shooting 11-of-16 from the floor, including 7-of-10 from long range. Classmate Adrian Scarborough recorded a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds in the losing effort.

Cal U plays its first home game since March 2020 on Tuesday, Nov. 16, when it hosts Franklin Pierce (N.H.) at the Convocation Center with tip-off set for 5 p.m.