CALIFORNIA, Pa. --- A barrage of three-pointers early in the second half cut a significant halftime deficit into a ballgame, but the Golden Eagles men's basketball team came up short in their road contest at California (PA) on Wednesday night, losing 90-74.
 
After falling behind 46-26 at the halftime break, the Golden Eagles were clicking from beyond the arc early in the second half, putting the Vulcans back on their heels by shooting 7-of-13 (.539) from the land of plenty to cut into the margin. Gavin Cote was the hot hand early in the half, making four three-pointers in the span of 3:09 including three consecutive possessions at one juncture.
 
Cote's first trey came at the 15:48 mark of the second half, and he officially heated up on the next possession when Cam Kearney kicked him a pass and he drilled another three pointer. Justice Easter fed Cote for one more long ball on the next trip down the floor, with Cote sinking that one as well.
 
The second half run continue for the Golden Eagles, with the final count being an 18-1 rally. Kearney made a short jumper in the paint at the 13:17 mark to cut it to 60-46, and Cote made his fourth three-pointer of the half at the 12:39 mark to make it 60-49. The deficit was cut to single digits just a minute later when Kearney drained a midrange jumper, making it 60-51.
 
Kearney had his second 30-point game of the season, shooting 10-of-18 from the field and 8-of-10 from the free throw line. He came up just one rebound shy of a double-double, tying Traden Gray with a team-high nine rebounds. Cote was not far behind him, finishing with 22 points and six three-pointers made.
 
That push represented the high water mark of the second half, though, as the Vulcans pushed back and re-established a double-digit lead. Cam Polak responded to Kearney's jumper with a three-pointer on the next possession, and a quick turnover by the Golden Eagles led to a bucket from Dalman Alexander. Donald Whitehead scored in transition at the 7:57 mark to make it a 19-point game, and with 3:06 to play the lead grew to more than 20 points again. Kearney scored six points down the stretch to reach 30 for the game.
 
The Vulcans got the better of the Golden Eagles in the first half, holding Clarion to 26.5 percent from the field in the first half. Five of those nine field goals came from three-point range, with Kearney making a pair. The junior guard made a layup with 9:08 to go to cut the California lead to 23-18, but the Vulcans outscored Clarion 23-8 the rest of the half to build a 20-point lead.
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