ERIE, Pa. (Jan. 22) – Behind 50-plus points from senior Brent Pegram (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.) and sophomore Philip Alston (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville North), the Vulcans claimed an 85-71 victory at No. 11 Mercyhurst in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play on Saturday afternoon.

With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team improves to 11-4 overall behind a 6-3 record in league action. The Vulcans snapped a nine-game road losing streak in the series, as they previously only won once (Feb. 18, 2012) at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center since the Lakers joined the league in the 2008-09 campaign. Additionally, Cal U improves to 2-2 this year against nationally-ranked opponents with both wins on the road. Meanwhile, the Lakers fall to 15-3 this season with a 9-3 mark in conference play.

Alston registered his fourth 30-point game of the season on Saturday, scoring 30 points on 13-of-15 from the floor. He added six rebounds and two blocks while playing only 27 minutes. Alston is averaging 30.7 points over the last three games while shooting 64.4 percent (38-of-59) from the floor and 78.9 percent (15-of-19) from the free-throw line.

Pegram finished with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including five-of-seven from beyond the arc. He also collected eight assists, three rebounds and three steals in the victory. Pegram has made at least five three-pointers in a game 12 times over his three seasons with the program.

Junior Zyan Collins (South Riding, Va./Freedom) posted 15 points, six rebounds and six assists at Mercyhurst. Freshman Keith Palek III (Woodbine, N.J./St. Augustine Prep) added eight points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in the win.

The Vulcans opened the game on a 14-3 run with Alston and Collins accounting for all 14 points. The Lakers converted just one of their initial nine shots before scoring back-to-back baskets to cut the deficit to 14-8 with 12:17 left in the first half. Cal U countered with a 9-2 rally to stretch the lead to 23-10 at the 9:15-mark behind three-straight baskets by Alston. The Lakers responded with 10-consecutive points to trim the deficit to 23-20 before the Vulcans answered with a 17-2 run to stretch the lead to 40-22 with 3:12 remaining before the break. Cal U converted five three-pointers during the run, including three by Pegram, and Mercyhurst was limited to just one-of-eight shooting. Alston was forced to the bench due to foul trouble at the 2:27-mark, as the Lakers closed the first half on a 9-5 run. Cal U held a 45-31 lead the break while limiting Mercyhurst to just 3-of-18 (16.7 percent) from beyond the arc in the first half. The Lakers entered the weekend ranked second in the PSAC in both three-pointers made and three-point percentage.

Cal U started the second half on a 6-2 run with a breakaway dunk by Alston to stretch the lead to 51-33 with 17:33 left to play. The Vulcans expanded the lead back to 18 points, 58-40, before the Lakers made a trio of three-pointers to trim the deficit to 60-49 at the 12:50-mark. Cal U responded midway through the second half with an 14-2 rally over two minutes to take a 76-53 lead on a three-pointer by Palek with 8:20 remaining. Mercyhurst later answered with a 16-5 run to work the deficit to 12 points, 83-71, at the 1:34-mark before Collins made a pair of baskets in the final 90 seconds, 87-71.

The Vulcans finished the game shooting a season-high 64.2 percent (34-of-53) from the floor and went 10-of-21 (47.6 percent) from long range. The 87 points scored by Cal U are the most allowed by Mercyhurst since Jan. 5, 2019, which was a double-overtime contest, as the Lakers entered play with the top-ranked scoring defense in the league this year. Meanwhile, Mercyhurst shot at a 41.3 clip (26-of-63) from the field and went 10-of-33 (30.3 percent) from three-point territory. The Lakers held a 33-27 rebounding advantage, while the Vulcans scored 42 points in the paint.

Mercyhurst sophomore Jeff Planutis scored a team-high 28 points on 11-of-14 shooting, including six-of-eight from beyond the arc. Senior Nicholas Lang tallied 12 points, five rebounds and three steals, while classmate Miykah McIntosh finished with 11 points, three rebounds and five assists.

Cal U returns to action on Monday, Jan. 24, when it hosts Gannon in PSAC West play at the Convocation Center with tip-off at 7:30 p.m.