Cal women race into PSAC semifinals
CALIFORNIA – The California University women’s basketball team started fast and didn’t slow down in their 72-48 win over Edinboro Wednesday in a PSAC tournament quarterfinal game at the Convocation Center.
“I am happy to get a win,” Cal head coach Jess Strom said. “Edinboro beat us once (in the regular season) and we beat them once.
“Everyone is coming together now and playing their role.”
Four Vulcans scored in double figures as Dejah Terrell (20 points), Ciaira Loyd (16), Halla Herrington (14) and Brionna Allen (12) led the way.
“Hopefully, we can keep that going in the playoffs,” said Terrell, who became the 25th player in program history with 500 points in a season. “We aren’t a team that one player contributes.”
Loyd and Terrell carried Cal (23-4) in the first quarter as the duo combined to score all 20 of the Vulcans’ points, with each scoring 10. Cal shot a blistering 62 percent (8-for-13) in the quarter.
“They are two of the best players in our conference,” Strom said of Terrell and Loyd. “When they are playing well, we are usually playing well, and there really is a connection between them right now.”
Monica Brown scored nine points for Edinboro (14-12) in the quarter to keep the Fighting Scots within striking distance going into the second as the Vulcans led 20-11.
The Vulcans stayed hot and opened a 38-16 lead with 5:10 to go in the first half before Edinboro closed on a 13-3 run to trim the Cal lead to 41-29 heading into the break.
“I think we turned it over too much,” Strom said of the team’s 20 turnovers. “We made an adjustment at the half.”
Cal put the game away in the third quarter as it outscored Edinboro 16-7 in the quarter to take a 57-36 lead into the fourth.
The Vulcans limited Edinboro to one made basket and 8 percent shooting in the pivotal quarter.
Cal shot 51 percent (26-for-51) for the game while Edinboro shot only 28.3 percent (15-for-53). The Fighting Scots were held to only 19 points in the second half.
The Vulcans head to Kutztown as they move on to the PSAC semifinals for the fifth time in seven years. The Vulcans will play Saturday against Shepherd (24-6), a 76-53 winner over Bloomsburg. Shepherd is the third seed from the East Division.
Cal will be looking for payback after Shepherd defeated the Vulcans on Feb. 7, 76-66. That was the last game Cal lost. The Vulcans have won nine in a row.
“We definitely want to get (this) win,” said Terrell, who finished with a game-high nine rebounds. “That loss makes us want to go harder. We are going to come to play.”
“It was a good game, and going into the fourth quarter, the game was tied,” said Strom. “It is a neutral court, we know them, they know us.”
Kutztown, the top seed out of the East, faces Gannon, the second seed out of the West, in the other semifinal.