INDIANA, Pa. (Jan. 21) – Despite a staggering 21 rebounds by senior
Rajah Fink (Dover, Pa./Dover), the California (PA) women's basketball team suffered a 71-65 loss at IUP on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play.
With the loss, the Vulcans fall to 10-7 overall behind a 6-5 record in league action. Cal swept the three-game series with IUP last year yet has lost three of the last four meetings at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks improve to 13-3 this season with an 8-3 mark in conference play under interim head coach Craig Carey, son of former longtime West Virginia head coach Mike Carey.
Fink registered her 11th double-double of the year, as she also scored a team-high 17 points on 7-of-17 shooting on Saturday. Her 21 rebounds are the most by a player in the PSAC this season and are tied for the seventh-most in NCAA Division II this year. Fink became the first Cal player with at least 20 rebounds in a game since Kayla Smith collected 20 rebounds in the 2007-08 campaign, while the 21 rebounds rank as the highest single-game total since Sameera Philyaw tallied 23 rebounds against Cheyney during the 2003-04 season.
Junior
Halle Herrington (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) finished with 15 points behind 3-of-10 from beyond the arc, two rebounds and two assists. Senior
Ciaira Loyd (Scranton, Pa./Scranton) added 11 points and eight assists, while junior
Jordan Smith (Manassas, Va./Colgan) also scored 11 points behind three-of-eight from long range. Sophomore
Allycia Harris (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Elmer L. Meyers) collected nine points, five rebounds and four steals against the Crimson Hawks.
The Vulcans started the third quarter on an 11-2 run behind a trio of three-pointers to take their largest lead of the game at 41-31 at the 7:31-mark. IUP later countered with a trio of three-pointers in a span of nearly three minutes to trim the deficit to 46-43 with 2:54 left in the third quarter. Smith answered with a three-pointer on the ensuing possession, as the Vulcans later held a 53-47 lead at the end of the quarter. IUP scored the opening seven points of the fourth quarter to take a 54-53 lead before Fink and Herrington scored on back-to-back possessions, as Cal reclaimed the lead by a 57-54 margin with 7:26 remaining. The Vulcans were then held scoreless for nearly five minutes, as the Crimson Hawks scored 10-unanswered points to take a 66-59 lead with 52 seconds left to play. Herrington then made a pair of free-throws before IUP sealed the victory with four-straight points to take a 70-61 lead and 25 seconds remaining.
Cal made a pair of three-pointers in the opening minutes of the first quarter before IUP went on an 8-2 run to take a 10-8 lead at the 5:06-mark. The Vulcans later closed the quarter on a 7-2 rally to take a 17-14 lead. The Crimson Hawks made a three-pointer in the initial minute of the second quarter and later scored five of seven points to take a 22-21 lead with 5:43 left before halftime. Cal responded with a 7-2 run to take a 28-24 lead on a jumper by Fink at the 1:33-mark. The Crimson Hawks then scored five-straight points before a layup by Herrington in the final seconds gave the Vulcans a 30-29 lead at the break.
The Vulcans finished the game shooting 35.7 percent (25-of-70) from the floor, including 8-of-25 (32.0 percent) from three-point territory. Meanwhile, the Crimson Hawks shot at a 48.0 clip (24-of-50) and converted 15-of-20 (75.0 percent) from the free-throw line. IUP finished with a 40-35 rebounding advantage despite 13 offensive rebounds by Cal, which forced 17 turnovers in the loss.
Junior Maria Cerro and sophomore Gina Adams tied for the team lead with 19 points in the victory. Cerro was a perfect five-of-five from long range and added four rebounds and five assists. Senior Alana Cardona registered a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, plus three assists and two steals, while classmate Teirra Preston also added a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Cal returns to action on Monday, Jan. 23, when it travels to face Seton Hill in nearby Greensburg, Pennsylvania, at 5:30 p.m. The Griffins and Vulcans are currently in a three-way tie for fifth in the PSAC West standings.
