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Cure for Vulcans is home cooking
The California University men's basketball team spent the first seven weeks of the season on the road searching, with mixed results, for an identity and wins.
All the Vulcans needed to find both was an eight-day stretch at home.
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California limped out of the gate with a 4-5 record, changing its starting lineup almost every game. The slow start had people around the PSAC asking, "What's wrong with California?"
The answer is nothing that a few home games couldn't fix.
The Vulcans (1-0, 8-5) find themselves on a tidy four-game winning streak - each win earned at Hamer Hall - heading in a road game today (3 p.m.) at PSAC West Division rival Lock Haven.
California is coming off one of its biggest regular-season wins in several years, a thrilling 62-55 upset Wednesday night of No. 6-ranked Gannon in the PSAC West Division opener.
The Vulcans finally have found their identity. Though they lack of the perimeter shooting of past California teams, the Vulcans are more athletic than the Elite Eight squad of a season ago. This is a team that is finding ways to win - with defense, blocked shots and relentlessly attacking the basket on offense.
The struggles of December have yielded to January success.
"The most important thing was that we got a lot of people playing time early in the season," veteran California coach Bill Brown said. "It took us the whole nonleague schedule to figure out who can do what. And we were doing it on the road. We played only two home games. It's tough enough to win on the road in college basketball, but to do it with new players is very difficult.
"We were losing close games. We were shooting only 58 percent from the free-throw line and not rebounding."
Brown estimates that, if the Vulcans would have shot at least 65 percent from the free-throw line, they would be 13-0.
For one night, the Vulcans' free-throw shooting woes were gone. Against Gannon, California made 15 of 18, including five of six in the game's final 43 seconds.
"What you saw in that game was a team that executed the gameplan and made shots for 40 minutes," Brown said. "Being at home for two weeks gave us a chance to get grounded and work on things."
It also helped the Vulcans to play in front of vocal crowd supporting them. The attendance Wednesday was 822 - surprisingly good for a night that included a winter storm - and the fans were a factor. It seemed like old times at Hamer Hall.
Now, the Vulcans go back on the road for two games. Though Lock Haven (0-1, 2-12) has lost eight in a row, Brown knows it won't be an easy game. Even the best California teams had trouble winning at Lock Haven.
"It's important to go up to Lock Haven and get a win to back up what we did (Wednesday)," Brown said. "We're into the PSAC West now. This is when the real season starts."
W&J at Waynesburg
There is a logjam at the top of the Presidents' Athletic Conference standings. The top five men's teams are separated by one game.
Washington & Jefferson (2-2, 10-5) has a chance to stay in the thick of the title hunt and Waynesburg (2-3, 5-9) can add to the muddled mess when the teams meet tonight (7:30 p.m.) at Marisa Fieldhouse.
The Presidents have won three in a row since a puzzling 63-54 loss at home to Westminster (3-12). That was a game that shows the unpredictable nature of the league. However, if there has been one sure bet in the PAC, then it's been W&J beating Waynesburg. The Presidents have won eight in a row over the Yellow Jackets.
Waynesburg has played well at home, winning three of four.
