California, Pa. – The Edinboro women's basketball team dropped a 69-59 decision to host California Wednesday night in PSAC West action.
 
The Scots trailed by 12, 56-44, with 7:38 remaining in the fourth quarter. Hayley Sims hit a pair of 3-pointers and Bella Burrelli a pair of layups as Edinboro answered with a 10-2 run to cut the Vulcan lead to 58-54 with 4:52 to play. Cal answered with an 8-2 spurt of their own to push the lead back to 66-56 and the Scots couldn't close the gap to less than seven the rest of the way.
 
Cal held a nine-point lead at the half and scored the first four out of the break to push their lead to 43-30 early in the third. The Scots would score the next six points to trim the advantage to 43-36 but the Vulcans closed the quarter on a 6-2 spurt to lead 49-38 after three.
 
The teams traded baskets early with Cal holding a 15-14 edge after Maura Suman made a layup for the Scots at the 3:02 mark of the first. The Vulcans scored the last five points of the first, leading 20-14 after the opening stanza.
 
Edinboro cut the lead down to 22-20 on a pair of Sims free throws, but Rana Elhusseini picked up her second foul of the half and went to the bench at the 7:34 mark of the second. Cal scored the next 11 points opening up a 33-20 lead. The Vulcan advantage grew to as much as 14, 38-24, but Edinboro countered with a 6-1 run to close the half trimming the halftime deficit to 39-30.
 
Sims led all scorers with 28 points. Burrelli just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds. Elhusseini had just five points but dished out eight assist and pulled down seven boards.
 
Rajah Fink paced the Vulcans with 15 points and 16 boards. Ciara Loyd added 14 points, 11 rebounds and seven boards.  
 
The Scots are back in action on Saturday when they host Seton Hill at 1 p.m. inside McComb Fieldhouse.