CALIFORNIA (March 4) – Led by double-doubles from redshirt junior
Bryson Lucas and sophomore
Jordyn Buchanan, the Vulcans claimed an 81-56 victory over Shepherd in the quarterfinals of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament on Wednesday night at the Convocation Center.
With the win, the California (PA) men's basketball team improves to 20-8 overall and advances to face Seton Hill in the semifinals of the PSAC Tournament on Saturday, March 7, in Erie, Pennsylvania. The Vulcans reached the 20-win mark for the third time in the last five years while advancing to the semifinals of the tournament for a third-consecutive season. Meanwhile, the Rams finish the year with a 20-10 record after playing in the 2025 PSAC Championship.
Lucas recorded his 11th double-double of the season, as he tallied 15 points and 13 rebounds versus the Rams. He also added four assists, three blocks and three steals while playing 38 minutes. Lucas also joined Eric Watson and Derrick Scott as the only players in program history with 1,000 points and 100 blocks in a career.
Buchanan finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the year. Junior
Dalman Alexander collected 15 points on seven-of-seven shooting and five rebounds, while senior
Brayden Reynolds posted 13 points, five rebounds, eight assists and three steals.
Cal started the game on a 9-3 run and later used a 14-4 rally over three minutes to take a 23-11 lead with 11:04 left in the first half. The Vulcans extended the lead to 17 points, 36-19, at the 6:27-mark behind an 11-4 run. Cal entered halftime with a 50-35 lead after scoring 28 fastbreak points behind nine steals.
The Vulcans mounted an 18-6 run early in the second half to build a commanding 70-46 lead with 11:35 left to play. Cal extended its lead to as many as 28 points, 81-53, at the 2:11 mark.
Cal finished the game shooting at a 49.3 clip (33-of-67) from the floor while holding Shepherd to a .328 field-goal percentage (19-of-58). The Vulcans held a 47-35 rebounding advantage and scored 48 points in the paint. Cal also posted 22 points off turnovers in the victory.
Shepherd junior Marcus Banks scored a career-high 32 points on 9-of-18 from the floor and 12-of-14 from the free-throw line. Sophomore Favor Okigweh led all players with 14 rebounds (four offensive) while playing 33 minutes.
The Vulcans face Seton Hill in the semifinals on Saturday for the third meeting between the programs in the PSAC Tournament in the last four years. The Griffins, which finished fourth in the PSAC West standings, advanced to the semifinals with a 77-75 win at Millersville on Wednesday.
