Box Score
A.J. Leahey scored a game-high 21 points and grabbed six rebounds, but Dante Lombardi's 3-pointer with 1:37 to play gave the lead back to 16^th-ranked Indiana (PA), and the Crimson Hawks were able to hold off the Mountain Cats' upset bid, 77-72, Tuesday night in Indiana.  Pitt-Johnstown slipped to 8-5 overall and 3-4 in the PSAC Western Division.
 
In a first half of runs, IUP climbed out to a 13-point lead eight minutes in and went on to hold a seven-point halftime advantage.
 
After Dale Clancy's 3-pointer cut a four-point Crimson Hawks' lead to one, IUP followed with a 14-4 run over the next four minutes to build a 24-11 advantage on Blake Danielak's 3-pointer at 12:20.
 
Pitt-Johnstown scored the next nine to cut it to four midway through the half on Leahey's 3-pointer, before Isaac Vescovi scored and PSAC West Freshman of the Week Josh Wise knocked down a jumper at 7:21 to get the Mountain Cats to within one at 27-26.
 
IUP answered again.  This time with a 10-0 spurt, capped by Lombardi's 3-pointer, to rebuild its lead 37-26 with 3:29 left in the half, but another bucket from Leahey with under a minute remaining narrowed it 39-32 at the half.
 
After Anthony Glover opened the second half with a 3-pointer to get the Crimson Hawks' lead back into double figures, the Mountain Cats outscored IUP 20-9 to take a brief 52-51 lead of their own on Clancy's 3-pointer with 10:55 to play.
 
Cottrell's lay-up and free-throw closed out a quick 10-0 run to help regain the lead 61-52, but Pitt-Johnstown came back again to tie it at 63 on Leahey's 3-pointer at 5:29.
 
Clancy's bucket at 2:25 gave the lead back to the Mountain Cats by two, but Lombardi came back with a 3-pointer that gave the Crimson Hawks the lead for good.
 
Pitt-Johnstown had two opportunities to tie or retake the lead, but the 3-pointers would not fall and IUP held on for the five-point victory.
 
Leahey's 21 points and six rebounds led four Mountain Cats who scored in double figures.  Clancy had 15 points, a game-high seven rebounds, and six assists, while Vescovi scored 15 points, and pulled down four rebounds, and Jake Laravie had 12 points.  Ajan Smith chipped in three points and five rebounds off the bench.
 
Leahey currently stands in 13^th-place on the Mountain Cat All-Time Scoring List with 1,283 points.  He also stands in fourth-place on the all-time 3-point field goals list with 200.
 
Pitt-Johnstown ended the night shooting 46.8% (29-62) from the field and 7-20 from 3-point range.  IUP shot 53.1% (26-49) from the field and 8-20 from behind the 3-point line.  However, the Crimson Hawks hit 17-23 free-throws, while the Mountain Cats only shot nine and made seven.
 
Cottrell scored 17 points and Jacabo Diaz and Lombardi each added 16 points to lead IUP, which improved to 11-2 overall and 6-1 in the PSAC West.
 
The Mountain Cats travel to a PSAC game at Edinboro on Friday, before hosting a conference doubleheader with the Lady Cats against Gannon on Monday in the Sports Center.  The Lady Cats will tip-off at 5:30 p.m., with the men's game to follow at 7:30 p.m.