Feb 9, 2019 By Adam Brewer for The 5 min read

CALIFORNIA — The last time California (Pa.) and Edinboro women’s basketball teams met in early January, they combined for 191 points.

The second meeting was a bit more defensive, but, unfortunately for the Vulcans, the same result.

Despite leading 25-6 at the end of the opening quarter, California suffered its second straight PSAC West Conference loss after Edinboro stormed back and secured a 62-61 win Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center.

It’s the first time since 2015-16 that Cal has lost back-to-back regular season games.

After shooting 60 percent from the floor in the opening 10 minutes, the Vulcans (12-3, 18-3) made only nine more field goals the rest of the way and shot a dismal 27 percent from the field.

“We just couldn’t make a shot in the fourth quarter,” Cal coach Jess Strom said. “We are not the best of shooters, so sometimes our shots don’t go in. We rely on our defense a lot and right now we are in a funk offensively. They did a good job of taking Seairra (Barrett) out of the game. Every time she touched it, she had three people on her.”

Elizabeth Forward graduate Abbey Sporio had an all-around solid game for Cal with 14 points, seven rebounds and five steals. Gina Vallecorsa added 10 points, while Bianca Jasper and Jiahna Flood-Francis tallied nine each.

Barrett was held to just eight points, but the senior did record 12 rebounds, four assists and three steals in the loss.

“We wanted to slow down their inside game and force outside shots,” Edinboro coach Callie Wheeler said. “In the first quarter, they got a lot of transition points and they are a fast team. We just had to settle into this game and make this a half-court defense.”

Michaela Barnes scored a game-high 27 points for the Fighting Scots (10-5, 15-6). Edinboro, which defeated Cal 99-92 on Jan. 2, also had solid games from Ciara Rosten (16) and Jontay Walton (10).

It was a dominant first quarter for California, as the Vulcans tallied the opening nine points of the game and were flexing their defensive muscle in the opening minutes.

After a basket by the visitors, the Vulcans scored another nine unanswered points. Cal ended the quarter on a 7-4 rally and was up 25-6 at the end of one quarter.

“Our defensive game plan was working in that first quarter,” Strom said. “But, we were also making shots. I thought we were ready to play and we brought that right demeanor after a bad loss to Slippery Rock (72-61) last Saturday.”

It was a different story for the 17th-ranked Vulcans in the second quarter, as Edinboro’s offense woke up and scored the first 10 points of the frame.

The Fighting Scots trimmed the deficit to 27-23 after a basket by Barnes, but the Vulcans responded with an 11-5 spurt to regain the momentum. Brionna Allen had a critical three-point play in the final run for Cal, as it held a 38-28 lead at halftime.

After California stretched its lead to 43-30 in the early moments of the third quarter, Edinboro battled back with an 11-8 run and then scored five of the final eight points in the period to bring the deficit down to 54-46 at the end of three quarters.

Trailing 59-50 in the fourth quarter, the Fighting Scots responded with 12 unanswered points to take their first lead of the day. Rosten scored 10 points in the quarter.

“Even though we were down big early on, we stayed mentally focused,” Wheeler said. “We never gave up. The last time we played them we were able to fight back and win. California has a great program and they are tough to match-up with. This win is huge for our confidence. Our defense really step up in the second half.”

Cal was held to just seven points in the final 10 minutes and shot 17 percent from the floor in the frame. After Barrett made an inside hoop to make it 62-61 with 33 seconds left, the Vulcans couldn’t get a decent shot on their final possession.

The Vulcans host Gannon on Wednesday. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m.

“We are disappointed with the loss, especially since they won both meetings,” Strom said. “I always say this is one of the best divisions in the country, and we know we are probably going to face this team again in the playoffs. We have to bounce back and have a short memory.”

Men’s basketball

Edinboro 79, California 75 — Despite trailing by 15 points in the first half, the undermanned Vulcans battled back to take a lead in the second half, only to have the Fighting Scots close out the contest with a 17-9 run for the PSAC West win.

Edinboro started the game with an 11-5 run and then extended its lead to 26-12. Cal responded with a 17-6 run and trailed 32-29 at intermission.

The Vulcans (5-10, 7-14) then exploded offensively in the second half with a 12-2 spurt in a 2½-minute span. Back-to-back treys by Brent Pegram and Collin MacAdams gave the home team a 41-34 lead.

After the teams traded runs in the high-scoring second half, the Fighting Scots (4-11, 7-13) broke away from a 66-62 deficit to pull out the win.

MacAdams finished with 22 points for Cal, while Pegram added 20. Zyan Collins chipped in 18 points.

The Fighting Scots had four players in double figures, led by Steven Freeman’s 18. Turner Kurt (17), Trey Staunch (15), and Jaryn Simpson (13) also finished in double digits.