Vaughns, Torbert lead Eagles past California
The long-range shooting of Terrance Vaughns and Frank Torbert helped Clarion get off to a hot start and the Golden Eagles went on to defeat visiting California University of Pa., 62-50, in their PSAC-West men’s basketball game on Saturday night. The loss drops the Vulcans to 11-7 overall and 1-3 in the conference, while Clarion improved to 12-6 and 2-2.
The Eagles hit 5-of-8 3-point attempts in the first half, with Vaughns and Tolbert draining two each, in building a 34-25 lead.
Cal rallied in the second half and closed the gap to two, 43-41, when Frazier graduate Guillaume Beyl hit a pair of baskets around a bucket by Travis Eisentrout.
Torbert answered with consecutive treys and another basket to push the margin back up to 10 and the Eagles were never threatened again.
The Vulcans played without Damar Ruffin, who missed his second straight game due to a foot injury, and dropped their third in a row.
Cal’s Boris Mesnager scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds. He was the only Vulcan to hit double figures. London Houston contributed eight points and 10 boards.
Torbert led Clarion with four 3-pointers and 19 points. Ryan Wells followed with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Vaughns, a Uniontown graduate, totaled 11 points, three assists, two steals and two boards.
Cal hosts Shippensburg on Wednesday at 8 p.m. That game is being billed as “Bulldogs 4 Brandon Night” with money being raised for Beth-Center freshman Brandon Statzula, who was diagnosed with cancer last month.
Penn State Behrend 73, Pitt-Greensburg 58 – Penn State Behrend put four players in double figures, led by Tom Lulich with 19 points, in rolling to an AMCC victory at Pitt-Greensburg on Saturday.
The win pulled Behrend (11-6, 8-3) even with the Bobcats in the standings.
Duke Cooper and Ryan Moye led Pitt-Greensburg (9-9, 8-3) with 17 and 14 points, respectively. Uniontown graduate David Winfrey totaled two points, four rebounds and a steal before fouling out.
Women’s basketball
Pitt-Greensburg 64, Penn State Behrend 60 – Tiffany Menhorn scored a game-high 18 points and Uniontown graduate Teya Minor had 12 points, six rebounds, five steals and two assists as Pitt-Greensburg defeated Penn State Behrend in an AMCC game on Saturday.
The Lady Bobcats improved to 12-6 overall and 9-2 in the conference, while Behrend fell to 10-8 and 5-6.
Tish Hines also scored 12 points for UPG, and Laurel Highlands graduate Amy Bandzuch chipped in with seven points, three rebounds and a pair of steals.
Men’s track
Cal competes in OSU meet – California University of Pa.’s Brad Rager and Anthony Morinello both placed in the top eight in two events at the Ohio State Indoor Track & Field Invitational on Saturday.
Rager won gold in the 400 (50.34), an event that included primarily NCAA Division-I athletes, and took fourth in the 200 (22.88). Morinello was sixth in the 400 (52.49) and eighth in the 200 (23.63).
The Vulcans put two in the top eight in the 55 with D.J. Vallee and Connellsville graduate Jon Hall finishing sixth (7.22) and eighth (7.24), respectively.
Cal’s other top finishers were Scott Harris in the pole vault (second) and Marc Huddleston in the long jump (sixth).
Women’s swimming
California 92, West Virginia Wesleyan 72 – California improved to 12-0 with a non-conference victory at West Virginia Wesleyan.
The Vulcans trailed early, but a one-two finish by Miranda King and Laurel Highlands graduate Keli Smiell in the 50 freestyle sliced the gap to a single point. Cal then outscored Wesleyan in each of the next five events to take the lead with Belle Vernon graduate Rachel Driver winning the 100 freestyle.
The Vulcans pulled away when Anca Mihaiu, Vera Seminova and Smiell swept the top three spots in the 200 backstroke, and Amanda Kuiper and Melanie Ruch took the top two places in the 500 freestyle.
College wrestling
Doppelheuer places third – Connellsville graduate Ron Doppelheuer helped Edinboro finish second in the PSAC championships with a third-place finish at 149.
The Scotties rang up 134.5 points, placing second to Bloomsburg (149.5). Host East Stroudsburg was third (104.5).
Doppelheuer received a first-round bye before losing by fall at 4:30 to Bloomsburg’s George Hickman to drop into the consolation bracket.
Doppelheuer then defeated Slippery Rock’s Jacob Zeoli, 11-2, pinned Shippensburg’s Zack Leathers in 6:50, and got revenge on Hickman with a quick pin in 52 seconds to claim third place.