The Pitt-Johnstown men's and women's basketball teams will open their second semester home schedule against PSAC rival and national power Indiana University (PA), Wednesday evening in the Sport Center. The Women's team will tip-off against third-ranked Crimson Hawks at 5:30 p.m. with the men's game to follow at 7:30 p.m.
Coach Mike Drahos' (5th year) Pitt-Johnstown squad comes in at 7-4 overall and 4-2 in the PSAC following a 60-44 conference loss at Clarion on Saturday.
Olivia McCabe's game-highs of 16 points and 13 rebounds led Pitt-Johnstown. The Cats also got 11 points and six rebounds from
Gabrielle Smith and nine points and six rebounds from
Tori Moreland.
McCabe, who leads the PSAC in rebounding, enters tonight's game ranked 15
th on the Pitt-Johnstown All-Time Rebounding List with 678 rebounds. She is also 27 points shy of becoming Pitt-Johnstown's 37
th 1,000-point scorer.
IUP, ranked third in NCAA Division II under fifth-year
Head Coach Tom McConnell, is 10-0 overall and 5-0 in the PSAC. IUP's game at Gannon on Saturday was postponed due to weather. The Crimson Hawks last played on December 18 when they defeated Geneva, 125-53.
Kendall Hunter scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and
Brittany Robinson added 15 points to lead nine IUP players who scored in double figures.
Last season, the Crimson Hawks swept a pair of games from Pitt-Johnstown. On January 3, IUP earned a 78-39 victory in the Kovalchick Complex, before completing the season sweep with a 77-65 win in the Sports Center on February 8.
McCabe had game-highs of 20 points and 14 rebounds, while
Alexis Hartwick and
Jamie Tabon added 14 and 11 points, respectively, for Pitt-Johnstown.
Carolyn Appleby's 19 points and
Lauren Wolosik's 18 points and six rebounds paced four Crimson Hawks who scored in double figures.
Head Coach Bob Rukavina's Mountain Cats are 6-4 overall and 4-2 in the PSAC Western Division following Saturday's 74-59 win at Clarion.
Dale Clancy scored a game-high 19 points to lead three Mountain Cat double-figure scorers.
Vescovi had 18 points and six rebounds, and
Josh Wise added 17 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Pitt-Johnstown also got eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds from
Levi Masua.
Prior to the game, Pitt-Johnstown will recognize senior forward
Isaac Vescovi, who scored 25 points to become the Mountain Cats' 29
th 1,000-point scorer in a 76-67 win at Millersville on December 3.
Vescovi comes into tonight's game ranked 27
th on the Mountain Cat All-Time Scoring List with 1,038 points.
Clancy currently ranks 18
th on the Pitt-Johnstown Scoring List (1,158 points), fourth on the assists list (438), and sixth on the 3-point field goals list (178).
Indiana (PA) is 8-4 overall and 4-1 in the PSAC West under 12
th-year
Head Coach Joe Lombardi. The Crimson Hawks have won three straight games, including 74-59 win over defending national runners-up against Fairmont State (WV) on December 19.
Anthony Glover, Jr. scored a game-high 24 points, while
Malik Miller had 14 points and five rebounds, and
Jacobo Diaz had 13 points and 10 rebounds. IUP's conference game at Gannon on Saturday was postponed until February 12 due to weather.
In a series that dates back to the 1970-71 season, IUP holds a 41-16 advantage, including victories in the last 10 meetings. The Crimson Hawks dealt the Mountain Cats a 77-72 in the Kovalchick Center last January 3, before downing Pitt-Johnstown, 84-63, in the Sports Center on February 8.
Ayron Hutton's 14 points paced five Crimson Hawks who scored in double figures.
Vescovi's 13 points and
Clancy's 11 points led four Mountain Cat double-figure scorers.
Following Wednesday's games, Pitt-Johnstown will host a PSAC doubleheader against Gannon on Saturday at 1 and 3 p.m. in the Sports Center, before traveling to conference games at Edinboro on Monday and at California (PA) next Wednesday.
