JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (Feb. 14) – The California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team yielded just 14 points in the first half on Wednesday evening before earning a 61-40 win at Pitt-Johnstown in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.
With the victory, the Vulcans improve to 17-4 overall after winning eight of their last nine games. Cal U now holds a 12-4 record in league action and its .750 winning percentage against conference opponents ranks second-best in the division. Meanwhile, the Mountain Cats fall to 11-14 this season behind a 9-10 mark in league play.
Junior
Dejah Terrell (Reading, Pa./Berks Catholic) scored a game-high 21 points on 10-of-16 shooting in the victory. She also added six rebounds, two blocks and two steals while playing 29 minutes on Monday. Terrell, who was chosen PSAC West Athlete of the Week earlier in the day, has registered seven games with at least 20 points this season.
Junior
Shauna Harrison (Sheffield, England/Myerscough) finished with 13 points on five-of-eight from the floor, including three-of-five from long range. Classmate
Ciaira Loyd (Scranton, Pa./Scranton) collected nine assists, four rebounds and four steals at UPJ, while fellow junior
Lauren Bennett (Buckhannon, W.Va./Buckhannon-Upshur) tallied six rebounds and two steals. Junior
Brionna Allen (Pittsburgh, Pa./Bishop Canevin) tied her career high with four assists in the victory.
Cal U started the game on a 7-2 run before later scoring six-straight points to extend its lead to 13-5 with 1:11 remaining in the first quarter. The Vulcans held a 15-7 lead at the end of the quarter behind a combined 13 points from Terrell and Allen. UPJ scored on a free-throw in the opening 30 seconds of the second quarter before being held scoreless for over seven minutes. The Vulcans mounted a 12-0 run to stretch the lead to 29-8 on a three-pointer by sophomore
Halle Herrington (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) at the 3:20-mark. Herrington later scored four points in the final 25 seconds of the second quarter to give Cal U a 35-14 lead at halftime.
The Vulcans scored eight of the initial 10 points of the third quarter to take a 43-16 lead on a trey by Harrison at the 4:25-mark. Cal U matched its largest of the lead of the game at 48-21 when Harrison made another three-pointer with 1:34 left. The Mountain Cats then posted an 8-2 run to work the deficit to 50-29 with 7:57 remaining in the fourth quarter. UPJ later trimmed the lead to 18 points, 54-36, at the 3:44-mark before Cal U extended the lead back to 23 points, 61-38, with 1:04 left to play.
Cal U finished the game shooting 51.0 percent (25-of-49) from the floor, including 5-of-12 (41.7 percent) from long range. Meanwhile, UPJ shot at a 33.3 clip (14-of-42) from the field while going just 2-of-11 (18.2 percent) from beyond the arc. The Vulcans held a 31-27 rebounding advantage and recorded 18 assists on 25 field-goals made.
Sophomore Olivia Fasick was the lone UPJ player to score in double-digits, as she finished with 11 points in the loss. Freshman Cassidy Crawford collected seven points and two steals off the bench.
The Vulcans return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 16, when they travel to face PSAC West-leading Seton Hill in nearby Greensburg, Pennsylvania, at 5:30 p.m.
