CALIFORNIA, Pa. (November 16, 2021) -- A pair of 30-point scorers were too much for the Franklin Pierce University men's basketball team to handle on the road on Tuesday night. The Ravens had four in double figures, including 20 from freshman Mohamed Traore (Hyde Park, Mass.), but California (Pa.) was able to ring up a 104-84 victory in non-conference play at Convocation Center. Sophomore Philip Alston led the way for the Vulcans with 37 points, while senior Brent Pegram added 34.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 1-2, while Cal U improves to 3-0.

Franklin Pierce shot 40.3% from the field (31-for-77) in the losing effort. The game was close in the first half as Cal U held a five-point lead heading into halftime. In the second half, the Vulcans turned on the jets and outscored the Ravens 54-39, to extend the final margin of victory to 20 points.

Cal U shot 60% from the field (42-for-70), including a lights-out 68.8% in the second half (22-for-32), and connected on 11 three-pointers (11-for-28) in the contest. The Vulcans were 9-for-15 from the free-throw line and snagged a total of 44 rebounds, 11 of which came at the offensive end. Franklin Pierce connected on 12 three-pointers (12-for-38) and went 10-for-11 from the free-throw line. The Ravens were outrebounded, 44-33, though did nab 13 offensive boards of their own. 

Traore led the team in scoring with 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting and knocked down five three-pointers along the way. Junior Isaiah Moore (Temple Hills, Md.) added 14 points on the night, on 6-for-14 from the floor. Freshman Jarnel Snow-Guzman (Lynn, Mass.) and junior Maxwell Zegarowski (South Hamilton, Mass.) made it four Ravens in double digits, with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Sophomore Sean Bresnan (Yonkers, N.Y.) led Franklin Pierce with eight rebounds, as part of a stat line which also included nine points, five steals and a blocked shot. Moore had a team-high four assists.

For Cal U, Alston put up a career-high 37 points, and Pegram added 34 more, as the duo combined for 71 of the Vulcans' 104 points. Alston went 16-for-21 from the floor and added 10 boards for a double-double. Pegram shot 12-for-19 and finished off a double-double of his own with 11 rebounds. Freshman Bryson Lucas added 15 points off the bench on 7-for-8 from the field, while no other Vulcan had more than five points.

Lucas filled out his stat line with six rebounds, five assists, four steals and a pair of blocked shots. Senior Preston Boswell led all players with a game-best six assists, while freshman Keith Palek III snagged eight rebounds.

The Ravens will be back home to open Northeast-10 Conference play on Saturday, Nov. 20, as they host Saint Anselm at 1 p.m. in the Fieldhouse.