ERIE, Pa. (March 4) – Led by a strong start to the fourth quarter and all five starters scoring in double-digits, the Vulcans earned a 62-59 victory over West Chester on Saturday afternoon in the semifinals of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament hosted by Gannon at the Highmark Events Center.

With the win, the California (PA) women's basketball team improves to 20-10 this year – its eighth-straight season with at least 20 victories. The Vulcans advance to the PSAC Championship for the fifth time since 2015 and will face Gannon for the league title tomorrow, Sunday, March 5, at 3 p.m. Meanwhile, West Chester falls to 22-8 overall while suffering its first loss since Jan. 11, snapping a 15-game winning streak. The Golden Rams were slotted third in the latest NCAA Atlantic regional rankings and remain in position to still receive an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Junior Jordan Smith (Manassas, Va./Colgan) finished with 11 points on four-of-six shooting, including a pair of three-pointers, five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Sophomore Allycia Harris (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Elmer L. Meyers) posted 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks while playing just 27 minutes due to foul trouble. Senior Rajah Fink (Dover, Pa./Dover) tallied 12 points, four rebounds and three assists while also battling foul trouble on Saturday.

Junior Halle Herrington (Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola) scored 13 points behind three-of-six from beyond the arc, while senior Ciaira Loyd (Scranton, Pa./Scranton) registered a team-high 14 points and added two rebounds, three assists and two steals. Freshman Alicia Young (McKees Rocks, Pa./Sto-Rox) tied her season high with seven rebounds while playing 20 minutes off the bench in the win.

The Golden Rams opened the game on a 7-0 run, as the Vulcans were held scoreless until a three-pointer by Herrington at the 6:40-mark. Smith then scored a fastbreak layup just 19 seconds later before hitting a three-pointer with 5:23 left in the quarter to give California an 8-7 lead. The Golden Rams later mounted a 7-2 run to reclaim the lead at 14-12 at the 2:03-mark, as Harris was forced to the bench with 2:36 remaining due to foul trouble. The Vulcans then scored the final four points of the first quarter to take a 16-14 lead after shooting 7-of-13 from the floor in the quarter.

Cal scored the initial points of the second quarter before West Chester snapped a four-plus minute scoreless drought with free-throws by junior guard Leah Johnson, the initial points of the game for the two-time All-PSAC East First-Team selection. The Golden Rams used a 9-0 run to take a 23-18 lead at the 3:25-mark on a corner three-pointer by Johnson as the shot clock expired. The Vulcans scored their first points in over six minutes when Herrington made a driving layup with 2:58 left in the second quarter, 23-20. Harris then converted a traditional three-point play 30 seconds later before being forced to the bench again with her third foul at the 2:12-mark. Cal reclaimed the lead on a three-pointer by Smith with 1:55 left before West Chester scored a layup in the closing seconds of the quarter to take a 27-26 lead into the break.

The Vulcans again scored the opening basket in the third quarter before the Golden Rams countered with seven-straight points to take a 34-28 lead at the 7:11-mark. Fink halted the scoreless drought by Cal on a jumper with 6:57 left in the quarter; however, she was whistled for a pair of fouls in a span of 26 seconds and forced the bench with four fouls at the 6:45-mark. The Vulcans cut the deficit to a single possession before the Golden Rams responded with a 9-3 run to take a 44-36 lead with 3:01 remaining in the third quarter. Cal then scored back-to-back layups within a span of 22 seconds to cut the deficit to 44-40 and force a timeout by West Chester at the 2:04-mark. The teams traded baskets before Herrington collected a loose ball in the closing seconds and beat the quarter buzzer with a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 46-45.

The teams traded baskets in the opening minute of the fourth quarter before Cal mounted a 10-2 run over two-plus minutes to take a 57-50 lead on a pair of free-throws by Fink with 6:28 left to play. The Golden Rams countered with a 7-2 rally to cut the deficit to 59-57 at the 3:49-mark before Loyd hit a step-back three-pointer on the ensuing possession. Both teams were then held scoreless for over two minutes before West Chester cut the deficit to 62-59 with 55 seconds left to play. The Vulcans then missed a jumper and the Golden Rams received possession before calling timeout to advance the ball to the frontcourt. With fouls to give, Cal quickly was whistled for two fouls before West Chester missed a contested layup with nine seconds remaining. Harris scrambled for the ball and tossed it over midcourt to preserve the victory.

The Vulcans finished the game shooting 43.9 percent (25-of-57) from the floor, including 6-of-14 attempts (42.9 percent) from long range. Meanwhile, West Chester posted a .451 field-goal percentage (23-of-51) and converted 10-of-13 (76.9 percent) from the free-throw line. The Golden Rams held a 33-29 rebounding advantage and were credited with 18 assists. However, Cal forced 17 turnovers in the victory.

West Chester junior Emily McAteer, an All-PSAC East First-Team selection, scored a career-high 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting and added six rebounds. Johnson finished with 12 points on just 4-of-14 shooting and five assists, while sophomore Michelle Kozicki – the 2023 PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Year – posted nine points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals.

Cal returns to action tomorrow when it faces host Gannon at 3 p.m. The Lady Knights, which hold a 17-1 mark at home this season, swept the regular-season series against the Vulcans.