CALIFORNIA, Pa.- The Mercyhurst women's basketball team fell, 76-67, at California (Pa.) Saturday afternoon. Nikki Frederickson scored a career-high 28 points in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division contest.
 
Trailing 67-53 with 4:20 left in the game, Hurst made its move. Frederickson hit a jumper and then a layup, cutting the deficit to 10. Dana Banda followed with a three-pointer with just under three minutes to go. Danielle Luckett stopped the Laker run with a jumper, but Abby Allen answered with a bucket of her own.
 
Kaylee Foster drained a jump shot with 1:49 to play, making it 69-64. After two Cal misses, Hurst was unable to score on its possession in the final minute. Kate Seebohm connected on two free throws, but Foster came back with a lay-in to make it 71-66 with 43 seconds. The Vulcans converted on 4-5 free throws the rest of the way, however.
 
Amy Johns opened scoring with a basket in the first minute of play and then Luckett followed to make it 4-0. Katie Carbee got Hurst on the board with a layup, cutting the deficit to 6-2. Frederickson got her scoring started at the line, hitting two free throw tries with 16:26 left. Megan Hoffman nailed a trey to make it 8-7 Cal with 15:07 to play.
 
The hosts made a quick run to go ahead 17-9, but a Frederickson jump shot and a Hoffman three made it a three-point contest. Foster made two layups midway through the half to give Mercyhurst its first edge of the day at 19-18. The teams traded baskets the rest of the frame, as Frederickson's lay-in with 59 seconds showing on the clock evened the score at 23. Johns regained Cal's advantage before Banda hit two free throws with three seconds left to tie the game at 25 at halftime.
 
Emma Mahady gave the home team the lead early in the second half, but Frederickson answered with a jumper. A 6-0 Vulcan spurt opened the game a bit, but Frederickson responded with two more jumpers. Her layup with 14:25 remaining made it 34-33 Cal. Chelsea McKnight made a trey and then Luckett connected on two free throws to pull away 41-34 with 13:05 left.
 
California (12-6, 9-5 PSAC) stretched the advantage to 11 midway through the frame, but free throws by Banda and a Lindsay Stamp triple cut the deficit to 50-44 with 10:07 to go. Down 12 with 7:50 left, Frederickson kept the Lakers in it. The senior scored 11 consecutive Hurst points, setting up the visitors' final push.
 
Frederickson scored 20 second-half points on her way to a career-high 28. She connected on 12-18 shots from the field while collecting a personal-best seven steals and six rebounds in 37 minutes.
 
Banda added 10 points in 39 minutes of play. Foster was next with nine on 4-5 shooting. Abby Allen dished out a career-high eight assists and pulled down five boards. Johns led the Vulcans with 22 points, while Luckett and McKnight each recorded 15 points and seven assists.
 
Mercyhurst shot 53.2 percent (25-47) from the floor, while Cal hit 48.3 percent (29-60).
 
Hurst (8-10, 6-8 PSAC) returns home to the MAC for another PSAC West matchup Wednesday, February 1. The Lakers host Lock Haven at 5:30 p.m.
 
For a box score of the Mercyhurst-California game, please click here.