ERIE, Pa. (Feb. 5) – Behind three players scoring in double-figures, the Vulcans rallied at Mercyhurst to earn a 68-60 victory on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action.

With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team improves to 14-3 this season behind a 9-3 record in conference action. The Vulcans also extended their winning streak to five games, which is currently the longest in the league. Meanwhile, the Lakers fall to 7-13 overall with a 5-9 mark in league play.

Junior Dejah Terrell (Reading, Pa./Berks Catholic) paced the Vulcans with 22 points while shooting 7-of-19 from the floor and eight-of-nine from the free-throw line. She also tallied eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks while playing 32 minutes. Terrell posted her fifth 20-point game of the year while raising her scoring average to 18.1 points per game.

Classmate Ciaira Loyd (Scranton, Pa./Scranton) finished with 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Fellow junior Lauren Bennett (Buckhannon, W.Va./Buckhannon-Upshur) tallied 10 points, a team-high nine rebounds and one block, while sophomore Halle Herrington (Pittsburgh, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) registered eight points behind a pair of three-pointers off the bench.

Mercyhurst opened the contest by scoring the initial four points before the Vulcans posted a 7-2 run to hold a 7-6 lead. The Lakers countered with a 9-4 run to take a 15-11 lead with just under three minutes remaining in the first quarter. Mercyhurst went on to score five of the next nine points to hold a 20-15 advantage at the end of the quarter. The teams opened the second quarter by trading the initial eight points before Cal U scored four of the next seven to trail 27-23 with 3:16 remaining in the half. The two teams traded the next 10 points with Mercyhurst holding a 32-28 advantage at the break.

The Vulcans opened the third quarter on a 7-2 run, led by Terrell and Bennett, to regain the lead at 35-34. The Lakers responded by scoring six of the next 10 points to hold a 40-39 advantage with 5:05 remaining. Cal U rallied with five-straight points before the teams traded the next eight points with the Vulcans holding a 48-44 lead. The teams traded baskets, as Cal U led 52-46 heading into the fourth quarter. The Vulcans began the quarter by scoring six of the opening nine points before Mercyhurst countered with a 4-2 run to cut the deficit to 60-53 with 3:36 remaining. After a jumper by Loyd, Cal U converted six-of-seven free-throws to end the game.

The Vulcans finished the game shooting 37.3 percent (22-of-59) and converted 20-of-23 (87.0 percent) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, Mercyhurst shot at a 34.5 clip (20-of-58) and converted 15-of-18 (83.3 percent) from the charity stripe. The Lakers held a 43-34 rebound advantage, while Cal U forced 14 turnovers and score 32 points in the paint.

Redshirt freshman Grace Centrulla led the Lakers with 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the floor and tallied 10 rebounds. Junior Jayde Boyd finished with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists, while redshirt senior Emily Shopene recorded seven points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

The Vulcans are back in action on Monday, Feb. 7, when they travel to Shepherd in PSAC Crossover action at 5:30 p.m.