CALIFORNIA, Pa. – The California (Pa.) women's basketball team caught fire from the field and converted 25 Gannon turnovers into 31 points en route to an 81-73 upset victory Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center.
California (Pa.) scored the first four points and never trailed during the entire contest. The Vulcans held a slim 8-7 advantage when they ripped off nine consecutive points to grab control. Ryah Gadon nailed a three-pointer, before Irina Kukolj's lay-up gave Cal a 17-7 lead eight minutes into the contest.
Gannon made a late first-half run to make it a game at the half. Trailing 24-16, the Lady Knights responded with a 9-2 blitz.
Mollie Sebald (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Holy Name) netted the first five Gannon points during the run with three free throws and a jumper.
Jennie Thies (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) converted a lay-up and Sebald added two more points on a fast-break lay-up to cut the deficit to 26-25 with 4:19 left in the half.
Cal eventually went to the intermission with a 36-32 lead after Ashley Hines scored in the waning seconds on an offensive rebound put-back.
Gannon clawed back within one point on two different occasions during the opening five minutes of the second half, but could never get over the hump. Leading 50-48, California (Pa.) began to stretch its advantage. Stephanie Michael and Gadson hit back-to-back three-pointers to give the Vulcans a 56-48 lead at the 11:43 mark.
Cal's lead moved into double digits midway through the second half and reached the high point at 70-56 with 5:14 remaining. Gannon was never able to get closer than six points the rest of the way.
Nettie Blake (Jersey City, N.J./Marist) and
Jen Papich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) led the offensive unit with 20 points each. Blake was nearly unstoppable, draining 10-of-11 shots. Meanwhile, Papich narrowly missed her second double-double of the season with eight rebounds. The junior was also hot from the field with an 8-of-12 shot chart.
Sebald poured in 16 points off the bench, representing her best scoring output since netting 21 points during a 72-68 victory against Bloomsburg on January 4. Thies completed the double-digit scorers with a season-high 10 points.
Gannon shot 59.2 percent (29-49) from the field, 20 percent (2-10) from three-point range and 76.5 percent (13-17) from the free throw line.
Michael topped all scorers on both teams with 25 points, including a 5-of-6 chart from long range and an 8-of-10 free throw slate. Emma Mahady followed with 19 points. Kukolj and Gadon chipped in 13 and 10 points, respectively.
California (Pa.) shot 54 percent (27-50) from the floor, including a red-hot 59.1 percent (13-22) clip during the final 20 minutes. The Vulcans shot 66.7 percent (8-12) from behind the arc and 86.4 percent (19-22) from the charity stripe.
Gannon, ranked No. 6 in the
USA Today Sports Division II Coaches' Poll, dropped to 21-3 overall and 15-2 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) while losing for the first time since January 16. California (Pa.) gained a season split with Gannon, improving to 15-6 overall and 11-6 in conference action.
Head coach
Cleve Wright's club returns to action Wednesday, February 13 with a huge encounter against two-time defending PSAC champion Edinboro at the Hammermill Center. The Lady Knights currently hold a one-game lead over the Fighting Scots with five regular-season games remaining. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
