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Complete
Box Score
EDINBORO, PA – Three games might remain in
the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference regular season, but the
California(Pa.) women’s basketball team clinched its fifth
straight PSAC West title with an 80-68 win over visiting Edinboro.
The Vulcans are now 20-4 and 9-0 in the PSAC West, while second
place Edinboro falls to 17-6 overall and 5-3 in the PSAC West.
With a three-game lead over the Fighting Scots, along with a sweep
of the season series, the Vulcans clinch the West crown.
California(Pa.) came into the game ranked third in the East
Region, while Edinboro was ninth.
Edinboro has now lost 11 straight games to the
Vulcans, and nine in a row at Hamer Hall. The last Fighting Scot
win at Hamer Hall came in 1999-2000. The 80 points allowed was a
season high, and it marked the first time in the last eight games
and just the second time in the last 17 contests that an opponent
has reached 70 points.
The game was in stark contrast to the first
meeting between the two schools, a 55-42 win for the Vulcans. Cal
jumped out to a 17-point lead in the first half at 25-8 with just
under ten minutes to play, before settling for a 39-27 lead at the
half.
The lead grew to 18 points in the second half
before Edinboro rallied to close to within five points at 57-52
with 8:37 to play on a Kelly Calderone (Freedom, PA/Ambridge)
free throw. That capped a 21-8 run in which Calderone scored
13 points. The junior guard would end the night with a season-high
30 points, one off her career high. She went 11 of 12 from the
free throw line. The Fighting Scots would get no closer, as Cal
ran off eight straight points in the closing minutes to secure the
win.
After winning the rebound battle 56-32 the
first time around, Cal again dominated the boards to the tune of
52-20. In addition, the Vulcans shot 53.3 percent from the floor.
Edinboro forced the Vulcans into 22 turnovers while shooting 39.7
percent from the floor.
Callie Iorfido (Ambridge, PA/Ambridge)
was the only other Fighting Scot to join Calderone in double
figures. The senior guard had 13 points, adding seven assists and
seven steals. She moves into fourth place in season assists with
193.
Lisa Gottuso scored a career-high 28 points to
lead the Vulcans, adding 13 rebounds. Megan Storck had 16 points
and nine assists.
Edinboro returns to action on Wednesday,
February 15, playing at Indiana(Pa.). The game shapes up as a
battle for second place in the West after IUP defeated
Shippensburg today. The Indians are now 16-8 overall and 5-4 in
the West. Edinboro captured a 66-64 win in the first meeting.
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