GREENSBURG, Pa. (Jan. 23) – Senior Ciaira Loyd (Scranton, Pa./Scranton) tallied the second-highest single-game assist total in league history with 18 on Monday evening, as the Vulcans earned an 87-80 win at Seton Hill in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action.

With the victory, the California (PA) women's basketball team snaps a three-game losing streak and improves to 11-7 this season with a 7-5 mark in conference play. The Vulcans, which have won five-straight meetings in the series with the Griffins, now sit alone for fifth place in the PSAC West standings after entering play in a three-way tie. Meanwhile, Seton Hill falls to 13-8 overall behind a 6-6 record in league action.

Loyd registered her second point/assist double-double of the year, as she collected 11 points and 18 assists on Monday. She is the first Cal player to be credited with at least 15 assists in a game since Megan Storck finished with 15 assists against Augusta State in the 2004-05 season. Loyd is tied for the second-most assists in a game in PSAC history, as the all-time school and league record of 21 was set by Lori Richelderfer in 1994. Additionally, the 18 assists by Loyd rank as the most by any player in the NCAA this year regardless of division.

Junior Halle Herrington (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) scored a career-high 23 points (17 first half) on 8-of-11 shooting, including seven-of-nine from beyond the arc, and added two rebounds and two assists while playing all 40 minutes. She set a career high with seven three-pointers after previously making five treys earlier this season at Central State. Herrington is averaging a career-high 12.1 points per game and ranks among the top 10 in the PSAC with both a .342 three-point percentage and 38 three-pointers made.

Sophomore Allycia Harris (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Elmer L. Meyers) set a season high with 19 points (17 first half) on 8-of-12 from the floor while also posting seven rebounds (four offensive) and two steals. Senior Rajah Fink (Dover, Pa./Dover) finished with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, nine rebounds and three assists, while junior Jordan Smith (Manassas, Va./Colgan) collected 11 points, three rebounds and two assists in the win.

Seton Hill scored the opening basket of the game before Cal mounted a 12-3 run to take a 12-6 on a jumper by Fink at the 2:31-mark of the first quarter. The Vulcans later claimed a 19-12 lead at the end of the quarter before holding a 29-21 lead with 7:15 left in the second quarter after the teams traded four three-pointers in a span of nearly 90 seconds. Seton Hill followed with an 8-2 run to trim the deficit to 31-29 before Herrington answered with a three-pointer on the ensuing possession at the 4:24-mark. The Griffins tied the score at 34-34 with 3:17 remaining before the break before Herrington made another trey on the next possession. Cal took a 47-39 lead at halftime after closing the second quarter on a 9-3 run. Harris and Herrington combined for 34 points over the opening two quarters and Loyd distributed 13 assists.

The Vulcans scored seven-straight points midway through the third quarter to take a 54-41 lead on a layup by Smith at the 6:33-mark. Cal later posted a 10-5 run behind a trio of three-pointers to take its largest lead of the game at 70-54 with 1:46 left. The Griffins closed the quarter on an 8-2 rally to trim the deficit to 72-62. In the fourth quarter, Seton Hill mounted an 11-4 run to cut the deficit to 80-76 with 3:01 remaining. Loyd made a pair of jumpers within a minute to stretch the lead to 84-78 at the 1:51-mark before the Griffins made a layup with 39 seconds left to play, 84-80. Cal then sealed the road win with three free-throws in the final 20 seconds.

Cal shot a blistering 60.3 percent (35-of-58) from the floor, its first game over 50 percent this season and best mark since the 2015-16 campaign. The Vulcans also matched their season-high with nine three-pointers while going 9-of-14 (64.3 percent) from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Griffins made 50.0 percent (27-of-54) from the field after converting 10-of-22 (45.5 percent) from long range. Cal finished with a 31-28 rebounding advantage and scored 42 points in the paint on Monday.

Seton Hill graduate student Alie Seto, a transfer from Washington & Jefferson, led the team with 20 points behind three-of-five from long range and seven-of-seven from the free-throw line. She also collected seven rebounds and three assists in the losing effort. Freshman Hallie Cowan finished with 16 points behind five-of-nine from beyond the arc, four rebounds, two assists and two steals, while junior Christiane Frye registered 17 points, three rebounds, four assists and three steals.

The Vulcans close out a stretch of four games in a week on Wednesday, Jan. 25, when they host Mansfield at the Convocation Center in PSAC Crossover play, starting at 5:30 p.m.