The Pitt-Johnstown men's and women's basketball teams will host a PSAC Western division doubleheader against Slippery Rock University, Wednesday evening in the Sports Center. The women will tip-off against the Rock at 5:30 p.m. with the men's game to follow at 7:30 p.m.
Pitt-Johnstown squad snapped a six-game losing streak and improved to 8-8 overall and 5-6 in the PSAC following Saturday's 63-54 victory over Mercyhurst.
Gabrielle Smith scored a game-high 22 points, and
Olivia McCabe added a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Cats.
Alexis Hartwick also had 10 points and six assists for Pitt-Johnstown.
With her double-double,
McCabe moved into 35
th-place on the Pitt-Johnstown All-Time Scoring List with 1,047 points and into 12
th-place on the All-Time Rebounding List with 724.
Slippery Rock comes in at 9-7 overall and 7-4 in the PSAC under fourth-year
Head Coach Bobby McGraw. The Rock defeated Clarion 68-53 last Wednesday, before earning an 84-59 home win over Mansfield on Saturday.
Sierra Fordham scored 15 points,
Morgan Henderson had 13 points, and
Krista Pietropola collected 12 points and 13 rebounds to lead six Slippery Rock players who scored in double figures against the Mounties.
Pitt-Johnstown swept the two-game season series against Slippery Rock last season.
Tori Moreland poured in a career-high 33 points, and
Jamie Tabon added 26 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Cats to an 88-84 win in Slippery Rock on January 18. Pitt-Johnstown completed the sweep with a 76-74 Senior Day victory in the Sports Center on February 25 behind
Tabon's 30 points and 11 rebounds and
McCabe's 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Henderson had 19 points and nine rebounds, and
Brooke Hinderliter added 17 points to pace four Rock players who scored in double figures.
Head Coach Bob Rukavina's Mountain Cats are 7-8 overall and 5-6 in the PSAC. Pitt-Johnstown suffered an 81-80 loss at California (PA) last Wednesday, before snapping a four-game losing streak with a 67-64 home win over Mercyhurst on Saturday. The Mountain Cats erased a 12-point, second-half deficit to the Lakers behind
Josh Wise's 23 points and
Isaac Vescovi's 15 points and nine rebounds. Pitt-Johnstown also got 12 points, six rebounds, and five assists from
Levi Masua and 10 points, four rebounds, and five assists from
Dale Clancy.
Clancy currently stands in 14
th-place on the Mountain Cat All-Time Scoring List (1,253 points), fourth on the assists list (457), and fifth on the 3-point field goals list (194).
Vescovi is 21
st on the Pitt-Johnstown Scoring List with 1,137 points.
Slippery Rock, under, under 10
th-year
Head Coach Kevin Reynolds, comes in at 14-3 overall and 8-3 in the PSAC following a 98-69 win at Clarion last Wednesday and an 82-75 home victory over Mansfield on Saturday.
Micah Till scored a game-high 29 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and
Brandon Simmons had 18 points and a game-high 18 rebounds to lead four Slippery Rock players who scored in double figures against Mansfield.
Pitt-Johnstown and Slippery Rock have met 50 previous times since the 1972-73 season and the Mountain Cats hold a 31-19 advantage, including two wins last season.
Clancy hit a pair of free-throws with five seconds left to lift Pitt-Johnstown to a 59-58 victory in Slippery Rock on January 18. Pitt-Johnstown completed the sweep with 93-65 Senior Day win in the Sports Center on February 25.
Masua's 20 points and
A.J. Leahey's 19 points paced four Mountain Cat double-figure scorers.
George Chase had 14 points, and
Naquil Jones chipped-in 12 points to lead the Rock.
Pitt-Johnstown travels to Seton Hill for a PSAC games on Saturday, before hosting a conference crossover doubleheader against West Chester next Wednesday at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. in the Sports Center.
