SALEM, WV – Seniors Kevin Hayes and Ditalion Battle combined for 51 points, 44 in the second half, in Kentucky State University's 90-84 men's basketball loss to California (PA) Sunday in the Joe Machin Tournament on the campus of Salem University.

It marks the third straight 20-point performance for Battle (Cincinnati, OH) and the fifth 20-point game for Hayes (Detroit, MI). Hayes has reached double figures in all 10 games this season, and has been the leading scoring in eight of them.

Hayes, who is averaging 34.2 minutes per game, played the entire 40 minutes in scoring a season-high 28 points on 7-of-16 shooting. The forward was also 14-of-16 from the foul line and pulled down nine rebounds for the Thorobreds.

For Battle, the game was about maintaining his shooting efficiency after struggling to start the season. Through the first six games, he was shooting just 13.8 percent (5-of-36) from beyond the arc. In the last four games, Battle is displaying the feathery stroke that makes him a dangerous component to the KSU offense. He has made 17 of his 37 long-range attempts (45.9 percent) over the last four contests.

CalPa opened the game with 18 of the first 24 points to quickly build a double-figure advantage. A lead which ballooned to as much as 16 points and was at least nine for the entire half.

The Vulcans scored the first six points of the second half for a game-best 18-point lead.

However, the 'Breds immediately showed some life as Battle and Hayes combined for 13 of the team's points during a 15-2 run that pulled them to within nine. The deficit didn't get below seven until a Battle three-pointer with 4:50 remaining, and KSU trailed by five.

A quick seven points pushed the lead back to 12, leading to a KSU timeout, but the Thorobreds never really challenged for the rest of the game.

Senior David Jelks (Conyers, GA), in his return to the lineup, finished with 12 points in 17 minutes of action, while freshman Jah Bennett (Columbus, OH) pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds – five offensive and five defensive.

Kentucky State (4-6) returns to action 3 p.m. Saturday with a SIAC home game against Morehouse. It marks the first home conference game of the season for the Thorobreds.