EDINBORO, Pa. (March 2) – The California (PA) women's basketball team was eliminated from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament with an 85-64 loss at Edinboro in the first round on Monday evening.
With the loss, the Vulcans finish the season with a 13-18 overall record after placing fifth in the PSAC West standings for a consecutive year. Cal had its streak of 26-consecutive winning seasons snapped this winter, as it last posted a sub-.500 record in the 1997-98 campaign. Meanwhile, Edinboro improves to 18-12 overall advances to face Lock Haven in the quarterfinals of the PSAC Tournament.
Sophomore
Hope Hawkins led the team with 17 points while shooting 6-of-17 from the floor. She also registered seven rebounds (four offensive) and two blocks in the loss.
Junior
Kimaya Williams posted 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in the loss. Classmate
Kennedy Bankett added 11 points while closing the year as the team's leading scorer at 15.7 points per game.
Edinboro made a stunning 10-of-11 attempts from the floor in the first quarter and closed the quarter on a 13-4 run to take a 22-10 lead. The Vulcans scored the initial basket of the second quarter and held the Fighting Scots scoreless for nearly the opening four minutes before Edinboro mounted a 10-1 rally to extend the lead to 19 points, 32-13, with 2:25 left in the first half. The Fighting Scots held a 38-22 lead at the break after scoring 32 points inside the paint.
Cal cut the deficit to 44-34 midway through the third quarter before Edinboro responded with a 14-7 run over the final few minutes to take a 68-47 lead. The Fighting Scots maintained a lead of at least 20 points for the majority of the fourth quarter and extended the margin to as many as 27 points, 83-56, with 2:46 left to play.
The Vulcans finished the game shooting 24-of-59 (40.7 percent) from the floor, while the Fighting Scots converted at a 57.9 clip (33-of-57) from the field. Edinboro out-rebounded Cal by a 41-25 margin and scored 56 points in the paint.
Edinboro sophomore Rachel Manfredo scored a career-high 31 points on 14-of-20 shooting. She averaged 25.0 points per game in the three games against the Vulcans this season. Senior Taylor Blunt finished with 16 points and six rebounds, while sophomore Carmen Vasquez registered a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds (five offensive).
Three of the top-four seeds advanced in the opening round of the PSAC Tournament on Monday. The PSAC Championship will be held on Sunday, March 8, at the highest remaining Eastern Division seed (flipping to a Western Division host if no Eastern teams advance to the semifinals).
