Following a week off, the Vulcans traveled to Pitt-Johnstown on Wednesday night, February 21, to take on the Mountain Cats in a battle of the PSAC West. The tale of two sides had the Vulcans entering play on a three-game winning streak, and winners of eight of their last nine games, and ranked in the top 10 in the latest NABC Top 25 Coaches Poll. Meanwhile, the Mountain Cats were losers of 12 of their last 13 games, with their only win coming on Senior Day against Edinboro on Jan. 13.
California started the game off cooking, as they were able to score 11 unanswered points to begin the game, and increased their lead to as much as 26 points in the first half. The scoring for the Vulcans was very spread out as Bryson Lucas, Zyan Collins, and KJ McClurg were all in double figures within the first 20 minutes of the game, and the team as a whole was shooting 60% going into the locker room. They also held Pitt-Johnstown to under 40% from the floor, as they entered the halftime break with a 50-26 lead, almost outscoring the Mountain Cats by double their point total.
“We just need to be locked in,” said Coach Danny Sancomb ahead of their game. “Understanding what the other team wants to do and making it as difficult as possible for them to do that. I think that’s a big thing, understanding personnel and what they’re doing.”
Another story within the game was senior Zyan Collins passing Brent Pegram, Derrick Scott, and Cliff Mitchell on the all-time scoring list in Vulcans history, as he upped his career total to 1,671 points, which now ranks fifth all-time in school history. He now trails the 4th-place spot held by Michael Wilson, by 61 points.
Throughout the game, the Vulcans showed exactly why they pride themselves on the defensive end of the floor, as they were able to force turnovers and create opportunities in transition, something they have done a fantastic job with all year long. Sophomore forward Bryson Lucas continued to fill up the stat sheet as he has been doing in recent games, as he racked up 5 steals and 3 blocks in the first half alone, and ended with 6 steals and 4 blocks for the game, to go along with 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists, all of it being done in only 26 minutes of action.
The Vulcans continued to dominate in the second half as 12 different players saw playing time in the blowout win. Five different players were able to reach double figures in points, led by Bryson Lucas with 19 and Zyan Collins with 17, as the Vulcans played the entirety of the game with the lead and never looked back, winning the game by a final score of 86-71.
California improved to 22-3 on the season with a 16-3 record in conference play, putting them second in the PSAC West standings behind only Gannon, who has won their last 13 games, with an 18-2 record in conference play. The Vulcans are back in action on Saturday, February 24, as they take on Mercyhurst at home for their Senior Day. They will show their respects to a now top-5 scorer of all-time, Zyan Collins, and Jermaine Hall Jr. who has been such a big part of this team’s growth and success over the years. Jermaine Hall Jr. has scored over 1,200 points, and has been a class-act on and off the court, showing love to all those who support him. These are two players who are going to be deeply missed in the program, but never forgotten.
Pitt-Johnstown falls to 6-20 overall on the season and 4-16 in conference play, ranking them last in the PSAC West standings, with no chance at making the playoffs. They will travel to Erie to take on top-ranked Gannon on Sunday, Feb. 25, before wrapping up their season next Wednesday, Feb. 28, when they host Seton Hill in their last game of the year.
