PAINESVILLE, OHIO - Senior forward Darnell Campbell (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwod) scored a season-high 21 points, including the 1,000th of his career, but it wasn't enough as the Lake Erie College men's team dropped a 72-56 decision to visiting California University of Pennsylvania on Monday night (Dec. 21).

Cal (7-1) had a seven-point halftime lead, but opened the second-half with a 12-0 run to break the game open. Jerial Nixon led three Vulcans in double figures with a game-high 22 points. Chris Moore posted a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Cal had a 41-33 edge on the boards.

Campbell became just the 11th player in Lake Erie history to reach the coveted 1,000-point plateau in emphatic fashion, throwing home a dunk off a pass from junior Ethan Bradshaw (Cincinnati, Ohio/Harmony Prep) with 9:54 to go in the first half. That play was followed by an inadvertent three-pointer from freshman center Garrick Sims (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton), who was attempting to lob a pass into the post but instead found the bottom of the net, that cut the Cal lead to 21-20.

But the Vulcans outscored Lake Erie 15-9 to close out the half and then held the Storm without a point for the first 5:09 of the second half in building a 48-29 lead.  Lake Erie got as close as 10 four times in the second half, but could not get within single digits as Nixon's 14 second-half points helped keep the Storm at bay.

Junior Joe Roberts (Cleveland, Ohio/Rhodes/Alderson-Broaddus), with 10 points, was the only other Storm (4-10) player in double figures. Lake Erie shot just 36 percent (22-of-61) compared to 46.9% (23-of-49) by Cal. The Storm was just three-of-21 from three-point range.

Lake Erie, which has lost four straight, will have a week of before taking on second-ranked Florida Southern College next Monday, Dec. 28, at the Florida Southern Holiday Inn South Ledger Classic.

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