SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. (Feb. 8) – Senior
Talia Gilliard scored 15 of her career-high 30 points in the fourth quarter on Saturday afternoon, as the California (PA) women's basketball team posted a 79-56 victory at Slippery Rock in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action.
NOTES
• The Vulcans (13-10, 9-7) were playing their first road game in two weeks and earned their first road victory since Jan. 18.
• Cal remains fifth in the league standings with four games over the next three weeks to close the regular season.
• The Rock (7-14, 4-11) has lost six-consecutive games and has not won a divisional game since Jan. 6.
• Gilliard registered the team's first 30-point game in over a calendar year.
• She shot 12-of-18 from the floor behind 6-of-12 from beyond the arc.
• Gilliard also added six rebounds, one block and three steals while playing 31 minutes.
• Fellow senior
Iyahnna Williams tallied 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the win.
• Sophomore
Kimaya Williams finished with 12 points, five rebounds and two assists while making her first start in over a month.
• Senior
Sierra Bermudez collected 11 points, five rebounds and four assists on Saturday.
• Classmate
Allycia Harris led the team with eight rebounds (five offensive) in 22 minutes.
• Cal maintained the lead for the majority of the first quarter yet the score remained within five points the entire quarter.
• The Vulcans and The Rock combined for seven ties and six lead changes in the second quarter on Saturday with Cal taking a 36-35 lead at the break.
• Cal scored the initial six points of the third quarter to take a 42-35 advantage within the opening 75 seconds.
• The Vulcans started the fourth quarter on a 16-5 run behind a trio of three-pointers by Gilliard to extend the lead to 17 points, 69-52, with 4:36 left to play.
• Cal later held Slippery Rock scoreless for nearly four minutes while tallying 10-straight points, 79-54.
• The Vulcans finished the game shooting 46.4 percent (32-of-69), including a staggering 71.4 clip (10-of-14) in the fourth quarter.
• Slippery Rock was held to just 1-of-14 attempts (7.1 percent) from long range and converted only 20.6 percent (7-of-34) from the field in the second half.
• Cal scored 22 points off turnovers and collected 19 fast-break points on Saturday.
NEXT
• Cal returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 12, when it travels to face Clarion in PSAC West play with tip-off at 5:30 p.m.
• The Golden Eagles sit sixth in the divisional standings, two games back of the Vulcans.