INDIANA, Pa. – A second half push brought IUP back in front before the No. 17/13 California (Pa.) Vulcans closed out the second half with strong defense and clutch foul shooting down the stretch, knocking off the Crimson Hawks by a 65-57 count on Monday night at the KCAC.
 
California (Pa.) (17-2, 11-2) went 17-for-19 at the line in the second half and held IUP (13-6, 10-3) to just 30.4% shooting for the game. IUP had won 21 straight meetings against Cal U entering the night, while the Vulcans posted their first victory at the KCAC since January 2014.
 
IUP battled back early in the second half with a 9-0 surge to take a 32-30 advantage. Cal U seized the lead back for good with a triple from Donald Whitehead, Jr. for a 41-39 margin with 10:40 left. Whitehead was one of three Vulcans in double figures off the bench.
 
Garvin Clarke posted a double-double, firing in a game-high 21 points with 15 rebounds and four assists. Ethan Porterfield had a double-double of his own with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Jaylen Stewart notched 10 points.

Porterfield continues rising up the all-time scoring list with 1,638 career points, moving up a notch to fifth in school history and surpassing Ashton Smith (1,635). 

Following an emotionally draining win against Slippery Rock just two days ago, IUP had a short turnaround in preparing for a veteran and battle tested Vulcan squad. 

A slugfest on the defensive end in the first half, Cal took a 21-18 margin into the intermission. In a game with four ties and nine lead changes, California took control down the stretch and moved into sole possession of second place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western division. Entering the game shooting over 50% from the floor, IUP limited the Vulcans to 35.1% from the floor and 15.8% from beyond the arc.
 
A 13-2 run for the Vulcans sealed the deal for Cal U with just over nine minutes remaining. The Hawks had one final charge, getting back within three (52-49) following a driving score from Clarke with 6:09 left.
 
The Hawks were playing catch up from there, unable to close the gap as California iced the game at the line. Cal held a 26-16 advantage in the paint, getting a team-high 16 points from the steady KJ McClurg.
 
Up Next
IUP faces another quick turnaround, visiting Clarion for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
 
Follow
For up-to-date information, visit IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP men's basketball on X (Twitter) @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUP_MBB.