Jan 28, 2024 5 min read

California won its third-straight overtime contest and fifth in a row after edging Mercyhurst, 66-63, on Saturday in women’s Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play in Erie.

The Vulcans’ Dejah Terrell converted on a three-point play with 37 seconds remaining to put the visitors up for good at 65-63.

Terrell, a redshirt senior, had a game-high 24 points in shooting 7-of-16 from the floor and she was 10-of-10 at the foul line. Terrell has scored at least 20 points in the last four games, and is averaging 20.7 points per game over the last seven contests.

Sierra Bermudez added 11 points for California (9-3, 14-4). She made three 3-pointers.

Laker sophomore Bailey Kuhns led her team in scoring with 15 points.

Mercyhurst (8-4, 12-6) had an 11-2 lead in the first four minutes and held a 17-9 advantage after one quarter of play.

The Vulcans rallied in the second to tie the score at 18-18 with 7:37 left in the period, but the Lakers went on a 9-3 run to regain the lead and held a 30-26 halftime advantage.

California outscored the home team, 22-6, in the third quarter for a 48-36 advantage heading into the fourth, but Mercyhurst returned the favor in the fourth by outscoring the Vulcans, 19-7, to force overtime. California had an 11-8 edge in the overtime period.

Washington & Jefferson 78, Bethany 58:

The Presidents trailed by one after the first quarter, but outscored the Bison by 21 the rest of the way in a 78-58 Presidents’ Athletic Conference victory at Bethany, W.Va.

Washington & Jefferson (13-1, 17-2) had four players in double figures with Meghan Dryburgh’s 18 points leading the way.

Stellanie Loutsion added 15 and Hannah Archer came off the bench to score 14. Archer converted on four 3-pointers. Adalynn Cherry put in 10 points.

Lindsey Garrison and Ashleigh Wheeler scored 12 points apiece for the Bison (7-8, 9-11). Teammate Makenzee Mason dropped 10 points.

Saint Vincent 70, Waynesburg 58:

The Bearcats outscored the Yellow Jackets by 11 in the second quarter and five in the fourth on their way to a 70-58 triumph in Presidents’ Athletic Conference play at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.

Waynesburg (3-11, 4-15) had a 19-17 lead after the first quarter, but a 17-6 second period gave Saint Vincent (8-6, 10-9) a 34-25 halftime advantage. The Jackets cut the deficit to 48-41 heading into the fourth, but the home team closed the game out with a 22-17 edge in the final period.

Waynesburg’s Kalista Friday shared high-game scoring honors with the Bearcats’ Alana Winkler, as both put in 14.

The Yellow Jackets’ Tori Wesolowski had 11 points.

Emily Cavacini (13), Camden Bashor (11) and Ashley Lippold (10) were in double figures for Saint Vincent.

Men’s basketball:

Waynesburg 63, Saint Vincent 57:

Jansen Knotts and Antone Baker combined for 31 points to help lead the Yellow Jackets to a 63-57 road victory in Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) play.

Knotts scored a game-high 19 points on six field goals and was 7-of-8 from the foul line. Baker added 12 on five field goals and was 2-of-2 at the line.

Korey Mitchum came off the bench for Waynesburg (7-7, 10-9) to score 10 points. He only made two field goals, but was 6-of-7 at the foul line.

The Bearcats (12-2, 17-2) were led in scoring by Dev Ostrowski’s 15 points. Teammate Jaden Gales had 13 and Oyson Jones dropped 11.

The Yellow Jackets clung to a 29-28 lead at halftime, but outscored the home team, 34-29, in the second half.

California 77, Mercyhurst 60:

The Vulcans opened with 15 straight points and never looked back in a 77-60 victory in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play at Mercyhurst in Erie.

California (10-2, 16-2) was ranked No. 17 in the latest poll of National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II poll.

The Vulcans had a 30-22 lead at halftime and outscored the Lakers, 47-38, in the second half.

California’s Zyan Collins scored a career-high 26 points on 11 field goals (one 3-pointer) and was 3 of 4 at the foul line.

Teammate KJ McClurg added 19 points on six field goals, including two 3-pointers, and was 5 for 8 at the foul line.

Jermaine Hall Jr. added 10 points for the visitors.

Aidan Reichert led Mercyhurst (5-7, 9-11) in scoring with 15 points on seven field goals (one 3-pointer). Teammate Jeff Planutis put in 14 and Sean Fullerton added 13.

Bethany 105, Washington & Jefferson 75:

The Presidents’ had their three-game winning streak snapped in a 105-75 setback to the Bison in a Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) game in Bethany, W.Va.

The Bison (7-8, 8-11) jumped out to a 6-0 lead before the Presidents (4-10, 5-14) battled back to tie the game at 6-6.

Bethany went right back to its offense and outscored W&J 50-21 in the remainder of the first half for a 56-27 halftime advantage.

The Presidents cut the Bison’s lead to 15 points in the second half but couldn’t get any closer as Bethany pushed its advantage back up to 30.

Alex Acosta led W&J in scoring with 26 points. He pulled down 13 rebounds for his ninth double-double this season.

Teammates Nick Gearhart (15) and Nathan Plotner (13) were also in double figures. Plotner’s total was a collegiate-high for the freshman.

The Bison had six players in double figures with Ben Guffey’s 17 points leading the way. Tony Fox and Troy Hixson scored 14 points apiece and Geibel Catholic graduate Jaydis Kennedy put in 13. Cole Dailey and Will Brooks dropped 11 points apiece.