CALIFORNIA (Jan. 6) – In a rematch of last year's league championship, the Vulcans narrowly fell by a 62-61 margin to No. 3 Gannon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action on Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center.
RECORDS/SERIES
• The California (PA) women's basketball team falls to 9-4 overall with a 4-3 record in league play.
• The Golden Knights extend their winning streak to 12 games while improving to 15-1 this season behind a 7-0 mark in conference action.
• Gannon has won seven of the last nine meetings in the series, including four-straight at the Convocation Center.
STATS
• Redshirt senior
Dejah Terrell scored a team-high 15 points on 6-of-12 from the floor.
• She also posted four rebounds, one block and two steals while playing 34 minutes on Saturday.
• Junior
Allycia Harris registered eight points, 11 rebounds (six offensive) and four steals in the loss.
• Classmate
Iyahnna Williams finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes off the bench.
• Fellow junior
Sierra Bermudez added 12 points and four steals in 18 minutes against Gannon.
GAME ACTION
• Cal and Gannon both shot at least 50 percent from the floor in the first quarter, which featured five lead changes and four ties.
• The Vulcans posted an 11-3 run over a six-minute span covering the first and second quarters.
• Cal held its largest lead of the game at 24-18 with 6:46 left before halftime.
• The Golden Knights then rallied off eight-consecutive points to reclaim the lead at 26-24 with 2:51 remaining in the second quarter.
• Gannon took a 29-28 lead at the break after the teams combined for only seven field goals in the second quarter.
• The Golden Knights posted a 10-2 run midway in the third quarter to build a 43-34 lead at the 4:51-mark.
• Gannon held a 50-43 lead at the end of the quarter and led by as many as eight points, 56-48, with 5:56 left in the fourth quarter.
• The Vulcans cut the deficit to 60-57 with 57 seconds remaining before forcing a turnover and collecting a defensive rebound.
• Cal then converted a pair of free-throws with six seconds left in regulation before Gannon countered with two free-throws with three seconds remaining.
• The Vulcans converted two-of-three free-throws with 0.3 seconds left, missing the potential game-tying third attempt.
• Cal finished the game shooting 30.5 percent from the floor (18-of-59) and converted 22-of-32 free-throw attempts (68.8 percent).
• The Vulcans forced 20 turnovers and scored 16 second-chance points on Saturday.
• Gannon sophomore Bri Claxon, the 2023 PSAC West Freshman of the Year, scored a game-high 20 points in her first career start.
• Senior Samantha Pirosko, the 2023 PSAC West Athlete of the Year, finished with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists.
NEXT
• Cal returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 10, when it hosts Seton Hill in PSAC West play at 5:30 p.m.
