JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (Jan. 18) – Despite a career-high 28 points by junior
Donald Whitehead, Jr., the California (PA) men's basketball team dropped a 105-93 contest at Pitt-Johnstown in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action on Saturday afternoon.
NOTES
• The Vulcans (10-9, 5-6) lost on the road to the Mountain Cats for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
• Whitehead scored 28 points behind 6-of-11 attempts from beyond the arc.
• He leads the team in scoring this year with a career-high 18.9 points per game behind nine 20-point games.
• Freshman
Jordyn Buchanan added 18 points on five-of-eight from long range, plus four rebounds, while battling foul trouble.
• Redshirt junior
Cam Polak tallied 20 points behind four three-pointers and eight-of-eight from the charity stripe with seven rebounds and three assists.
• Freshman
Keondre DeShields added 12 points, three rebounds and four assists off the bench.
• Sophomore
Dalman Alexander tied Polak for the team lead with seven rebounds (three offensive), plus collected six points, three assists and two blocks in the loss.
• UPJ opened the game with seven-straight points and led by as many as nine points, 35-26, in the first half at the 7:17-mark.
• The Vulcans cut the deficit to 50-47 at the break on a last-second trey by Whitehead.
• Cal and UPJ then combined for eight lead changes and six ties in the second half on Saturday.
• The Vulcans held a 70-68 lead with 11:37 left to play before the Mountain Cats mounted a 16-2 run to claim a 98-82 advantage at the 2:03-mark.
• Cal shot at a 42.0 clip (29-of-69) from the floor while setting season highs with 15 three-pointers made and 39 three-point attempts.
• The Vulcans also converted 83.3 percent (20-of-24) from the free-throw line.
• Cal committed just five turnovers in the contest.
• UPJ finished the game with a .561 field-goal percentage (37-of-66) and a 40-29 rebounding advantage.
NEXT
• Cal is idle for a week before traveling to face Edinboro in PSAC West play on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 3 p.m.
