ERIE, Pa. (Feb. 3) – In a meeting of top-15 teams tied atop the league standings, the No. 14 California (PA) men's basketball team fell by a 107-98 count at No. 9 Gannon on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action.
RECORDS/SERIES
• The Vulcans fall to 18-3 this season behind a 12-3 record in league play, snapping a five-game winning streak.
• Gannon improves to 19-2 overall with a 13-2 mark in conference action after winning just three games last year.
• Cal had won five of the previous six meetings against Gannon, which boasts the top-ranked scoring offense in the country this season.
STATS
• Sophomore
KJ McClurg scored a game-high 28 points on 8-of-15 from the floor and 9-of-11 from the free-throw line.
• He also tallied three rebounds, three assists and one block while playing 39 minutes.
• Senior
Jermaine Hall, Jr. finished with 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting, seven rebounds and four assists.
• Redshirt sophomore
Bryson Lucas collected 11 points, seven rebounds (four offensive), and two assists on Saturday.
• Junior
Keith Palek III registered 14 points and seven rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.
• Redshirt freshman
Antoine Arnett totaled eight points and eight rebounds (six offensive) against the Golden Knights.
• Redshirt senior
Zyan Collins scored 11 points to become only the ninth player in program history to score 1,600 career points.
• He also surpassed
Ray Greene (1968-71), who was selected in the 1971 NBA Draft, for eighth place all-time in scoring with 1,609 points.
GAME ACTION
• The Vulcans and Golden Knights traded baskets for the opening 10-plus minutes of the game with Cal holding a 29-27 lead at the 9:36-mark.
• Gannon then rallied off nine-straight points to take a 38-27 lead with 6:40 left before halftime.
• The Vulcans later made back-to-back three-pointers in just under 30 seconds to cut the deficit to 45-41 at the 3:57-mark.
• Gannon then mounted a 13-5 run to extend the lead to 58-46 with 57 seconds remaining in the first half.
• The Golden Knights took a 60-50 lead into the break after both teams shot over 55 percent from the field.
• Gannon posted a 12-4 run early in the second half to take its largest lead of the game at 18 points, 78-61, with 13:21 left to play.
• The Vulcans responded with an impressive 26-5 rally over seven minutes to claim an 87-84 lead at the 5:28-mark.
• The Golden Knights were held without a field goal for over eight minutes.
• Gannon countered with a 12-1 run over three minutes to seize a 96-88 lead with 2:33 remaining.
• The Vulcans made a pair of free-throws to make it a two-possession game before an 11-4 run by the Golden Knights sealed the win, 107-94.
• The teams combined to 60 free-throws with both teams shooting over 80 percent from the charity stripe in the game.
• Gannon sophomore Josh Omojafo scored 27 points on 7-of-14 shooting and 13-of-14 from the free-throw line.
NEXT
• California continues its road trip on Wednesday, Feb. 7, when they face Seton Hill in nearby Greensburg, Pennsylvania, at 7:30 p.m.
