JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (Dec. 2) – Behind double-double performances by junior guard Brooque Williams (Pittsburgh, Pa./Perry) and sophomore forward Kayla Smith (Elkins, W.Va./Elkins), the No. 4 Vulcans cruised to a 94-67 victory against the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown on Tuesday at the Sports Center.
The California University of Pennsylvania women’s basketball team, who moved up to No. 4 in the latest edition of the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Poll earlier in the day, improves to 5-1 this season. Meanwhile, UPJ falls to 1-5.
Williams registered her second 30-point game of the season and fifth of her career, finishing with 30 points on 13-of-23 shooting. The athletic guard also collected her fourth double-double of the year, posting 11 rebounds (five offensive), six assists and three steals. Williams helped the Vulcans take an 11-point halftime lead after scoring 15 points and playing all 20 minutes in the first half.
Smith set season highs in both points and rebounds against the Mountain Cats. The two-year starter scored 24 points on 10-of-15 attempts and grabbed 17 rebounds (four offensive). Smith, who ranks second on the team in points and rebounds, also recorded three blocks and collected two steals.
Senior guard Shaquetta Mance (Flint, Mich./Hamady) scored 12 points off the bench, while sophomore guard Amber Dubyak (Hastings, Pa./Cambria Heights) added 10 points.
Cal U never trailed in the game, jumping out to a 17-4 lead to start the game. The closest UPJ would get in the contest was two points, 34-32, with 2:36 left in the half. The Vulcans then made their next four shots from the field, including a three-point play by Smith and a three-pointer by Dubyak to take a 44-36 halftime lead.
After the Mountain Cats cut the deficit to seven points early in the second half, the Vulcans mounted a 22-1 run over a six-minute stretch to extend their lead to 70-42 with 12:05 left in the game. During the game-sealing run, Cal U made 8-of-10 shots from the floor and didn’t allowed UPJ to make a field goal on 11 attempts. Williams scored 10 of her 30 points during the six-minute span. The Vulcans expanded their lead to as many as 34 points twice in the final minutes of the game, including a lay-up by Williams to make the score 84-50.
For the game, Cal U shot 48.1 percent (37-of-77) behind a 59.4 shooting percentage in the second half. The Vulcans also shot 8-of-17 from beyond the three-point line. In contrast, UPJ was limited to 35.5 percent shooting, making 22-of-62 attempts.
For the third game in a row, the Vulcans out-rebounded their opponents. Cal U held a 51-34 edge on the boards against UPJ and scored 18 second-chance points. The Vulcans also registered 12 steals and scored 23 points off 22 Mountain Cat turnovers.
UPJ was paced by a season-high 19 points from sophomore guard Sheena Aden, who also collected a team-high nine rebounds.
The Vulcans are idle for the next two weeks due to final examinations. Cal U returns to action in the Bahamas Sunshine Shootout on Thursday, Dec. 18, when it faces Mars Hill College (N.C.).