CALIFORNIA (Nov. 15) – Despite nearly a combined 50 points from sophomores
Keith Palek III (Woodbine, N.J./St. Augustine Prep) and
Cam Polak (West Homestead, Pa./Steel Valley), the Vulcans suffered an 81-76 defeat in their home-opener against Lincoln (Pa.) in non-league play on Tuesday night in the Convocation Center.
With the loss, the California (PA) men's basketball team falls to 1-2 this season. Meanwhile, the Lions improve to 2-1 overall after being picked sixth in the preseason Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) poll.
Palek lead the team and set a career high with 28 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, including three-of-five from beyond the arc, and 11-of-14 from the free-throw line. He also added 10 rebounds for his sixth career double-double. Polak registered 20 points after going 7-of-14 from the floor with four three-pointers.
Redshirt junior
Jermaine Hall, Jr. (Baltimore, Md./Severn School) notched 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals, while freshman
KJ McClurg (Morgantown, W.Va./University) tallied nine points, seven rebounds, and three steals.
Cal rolled to an 8-1 lead with 18:40 remaining in the first half, however, the Lions answered with five-straight points. The Vulcans went on to execute a 9-0 run that started with a three-pointer by Polak and finished on a trey from Palek to grasp their first double-digit lead with a 17-6 advantage. Lincoln trimmed the deficit to two possessions until Cal rallied off five-consecutive points to gain a double-figure edge. Over the next three minutes, the Lions mounted an 18-9 run and tied the game at 35-35 with 3:49 remaining in the half. The teams traded the next eight points as the contest remained tied at 39-39. The Vulcans conducted a 4-2 run to hold a 43-41 lead at the break.
Lincoln started the second half on a 9-0 run to claim a 50-43 advantage with less than 18 minutes to play. Cal orchestrated a 14-5 run that was ignited by a mid-range jumper from Polak and completed with a layup from Slaughter, as the Vulcans reclaimed the lead by a 57-55 margin. The Vulcans extended their lead to 66-57 edge with less than seven minutes left to play. The Lions went on a 6-0 run to pull within three points as they trailed 66-63. With less than two minutes to play, Lincoln tied the game at 75-75 after going on a 12-9 run. On the next possession for the Lions, they would take a 77-75 lead following a jumper from Reggie Hudson with 57 seconds remaining in regulation. In the closing seconds, a game-tying three-point attempt by Cal did not fall.
Cal finished the game a .511 field-goal percentage (24-for-47) while hitting on a .435 clip (10-of-23) from three-point territory. Meanwhile, Lincoln shot 48.4 percent (30-of-62) from the floor and went 42.4 percent (11-of-26) from behind the arc.
The Vulcans return to action on Thursday, Nov. 17, as they host West Virginia Wesleyan in non-conference action at 6 p.m.
