The Seton Hill men's basketball team returned to PSAC West action on Monday evening as they hosted California (PA) as they looked to extend their winning streak to six games.
California outscored the Griffins by nine points in the second half as they were able to end the Griffins win streak at five with a 66-56 victory. SHU drops to 11-7 overall and 6-6 in the PSAC while CalU improves to 8-10 overall and 5-7 in the PSAC.
The teams got off to a slow start with neither team leading by more than a point over the first five minutes. CalU hit back to back threes to take an 11-6 lead with 14:30 left in the half. They added a free throw before three straight baskets from
Ryan Meis,
Gabe Gillespie and
Samuel Tabe tied the score at 12 with 11:17 left.
A 7-0 run from the Vulcans later in the half gave CalU a 22-16 lead with 6:20 to play in the half. The lead extended to as many as eight with CalU leading 30-23 with 1:57 left in the half.
Caleb Whitaker hit a free throw and
Jimmy Moon followed with a basket as SHU cut the lead to 30-26 with under a minute to play. Moon then drilled a three before the end of the half as SHU cut the Cal lead to 30-29 at the halftime break.
Two free throws from
Sean Dillon tied the score at 36 less than four minutes into the half, CalU then scored nine straight as they took a 45-36 lead with 12:43 to play in the second half. Baskets from Whitaker and
Drew Green plus two Tabe free throws cut the lead to 45-42 midway through the half.
Green's three pointer trimmed the lead to 50-49 with 7:07 left. Two free throws from Green and one from Dillon put the Griffins within one at 55-54 with 4:31 to play. SHU would not score again until Tabe scored with 1:32 left to trim the lead to 59-56. CalU then scored the final seven points of the contest.
Tabe just missed a double double with 15 points and nine rebounds. Green also reached double figures with 11 points. Dillon added eight points and Moon pulled down nine rebounds.
SHU will continue PSAC West play on Wednesday evening at Gannon.
