INDIANA, Pa. (Feb. 9) – Despite a 30-point game from sophomore Philip Alston (Columbus, Ohio/Westerville North) and a double-double by senior Brent Pegram (Upper Marlboro, Md./Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.), the Vulcans suffered an 87-79 loss at No. 7 IUP on Wednesday night in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.

With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team falls to 15-6 overall with a 10-5 mark in league action. The Vulcans have now lost the last eight road meetings in the series with the Crimson Hawks. Meanwhile, IUP improves to 21-2 this season behind a 15-2 record in conference play.

Alston registered his fifth 30-point game of the season on Wednesday. He scored a game-high 30 points on 12-of-22 shooting, including three-of-five from beyond the arc, while playing 38 minutes. Alston also paced all players with 13 rebounds for his league-leading 12th double-double of the year. The Ohio native added two assists, one block and two steals against the Crimson Hawks.

Pegram collected 19 points and 10 assists in the losing effort for his fourth career double-double. He shot 7-of-15 from the floor and four-of-five from the free-throw line while also tallying five rebounds. Pegram tied his career high of 10 assists on Wednesday.

Senior Preston Boswell (New Martinsville, W.Va./Magnolia) added 11 points on four-of-six shooting, while junior Zyan Collins (South Riding, Va./Freedom) finished with six rebounds and two steals while battling foul trouble.

Cal U started the game on a 14-4 run after making six of its initial eight shot attempts. The Vulcans later scored seven-unanswered points to take a 24-8 lead on a layup by Alston with 13:17 left in the first half. IUP responded with a 10-2 rally to trim the deficit to 26-18 at the 11:00-mark. The Crimson Hawks trimmed the deficit to 33-31 with 5:18 remaining before the Vulcans stretched the lead to seven points on a three-pointer at the 1:05-mark. Cal U later held a 43-39 lead at halftime after holding IUP to just 4-of-19 shooting from long range.

The Crimson Hawks raced out to a 14-2 rally in the opening five minutes of the second half to take a 53-45 lead. Cal U later tied the score at 62-62 with three-pointers by Alston and Pegram before IUP held a 69-64 lead with 6:08 left to play. Pegram then converted a three-point play before the Crimson Hawks rallied off eight of the next nine points to seize a 77-68 lead at the 1:35-mark. Cal U eventually cut the deficit to within five points twice in the final minute, however IUP converted all eight of its free-throw attempts in the final 40-plus seconds.

Cal U shot over 56 percent in the first half before finishing the game with a .508 field-goal percentage (30-of-59). Meanwhile, IUP made 37.9 percent (25-of-66) from the floor and converted 80.0 percent (28-of-35) from the free-throw line. The Vulcans held a 37-34 rebounding advantage, while the Crimson Hawks committed just six turnovers and scored 27 points off turnovers.

IUP freshman Tomiwa Sulaiman scored a season-high 26 points on 10-15 shooting, plus added eight rebounds and three steals. Sophomore Ethan Porterfield posted 23 points behind 12-of-13 from the free-throw line, six rebounds and three steals, while junior Armoni Foster finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

The Vulcans return to action on Saturday, Feb. 12, when they host Edinboro in divisional play at 3 p.m.