Cal holds off Kentucky State with balanced attack
Featuring six players with double-digit points on Sunday evening, the California University men’s basketball team earned a 90-84 victory over Kentucky State in non-conference action on the final day of the Joe Manchin Classic hosted by Salem.
The Vulcans snapped a three-game losing streak to improve to 2-6 before playing 11 consecutive Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference opponents over the next six weeks. Meanwhile, the Thorobreds dropp to 4-6 overall with each of their last three losses coming by six points.
Freshman Jermaine Hall, Jr. led the team with 18 points thanks in part to hitting 8 of 10 from the free throw line. He added five rebounds and three steals in 40 minutes. Teammate Zyan Collins finished with 17 points on five-of-six attempts, including a pair from beyond the arc. He also had two assists and two steals despite being limited to 21 minutes because of foul trouble.
Sophomore Brent Pegram scored 15 points, had eight assists and six steals while playing 40 minutes, and redshirt junior Donte’ Williams scored 14 points and added five rebounds and two steals in his second start with the program. Freshman Collin MacAdams also scored 14 points and tallied six rebounds, and junior Jordan Gessner scored a career-high 12 points and grabbed three rebounds in 24 minutes of the bench.
Cal finished the game with a .491 field-goal percentage (28 of 57) and made 27 of 40 (67.5 percent) from the free-throw line.
Meanwhile, Kentucky State shot 41.7 percent (25 of 60) from the floor while converting 26 of 31 (83.9 percent) from the free throw line.
Senior Kevin Hayes led all players with 28 points and added nine rebounds.
Teammate Ditalion Battle tallied 23 points, four rebounds and two assists, and senior David Jelks posted 12 points and four rebounds in the losing effort.