University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Athletics

                Chris Rhames was Pitt-Johnstown’s leading scoring on the Mountain Cats’ first two NCAA Division II East Region Tournament basketball teams in 1997 and 1998 and was an All-East Region selection following the 1997-98 season.
                Mr. Rhames, a native of Washington, D.C., proved to be an integral part of turning Pitt-Johnstown basketball into one of the top programs the region.  His 7.7 rebounds per game as a true freshman in 1995-96 led the team and helped the Mountain Cats to just their second winning season in the previous 16 years.
                The following year, Mr. Rhames and Head Coach Bob Rukavina’s squad took another huge step forward.  He averaged a team-best 17.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and guided Pitt-Johnstown to a 21-6 overall record its first ever invitation to the NCAA Division II East Region Tournament.
                Mr. Rhames and the Mountain Cats weren’t done yet.  In 1997-98, he averaged 18.3 points per game and again guided the Mountain Cats to the NCAA Regional Tournament with a 24-5 record.  After suffering a loss in the opening round the year before, Pitt-Johnstown reached the regional semifinals in 1998 with an opening round victory over Queens (N.C.) College.  Following the tournament, Mr. Rhames was selected to the All-East Region Team.
                In just three seasons as a Mountain Cat, Mr. Rhames finished his career ranked as Pitt-Johnstown’s second all-time leading scorer with 1,373 points and four all-time leading rebounder with 614 career rebounds.  He still ranks 10^th on the Mountain Cat All-Time Scoring List and seventh on the Pitt-Johnstown Rebounding List.
                In addition, Mr. Rhames’ 16.4 points per game is sixth on the school’s all-time career scoring average list, while his 16 free-throws made against Saint Vincent College on February 22, 1996 remains a Pitt-Johnstown single-game record.
                Mr. Rhames graduated from Pitt-Johnstown in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication.
                For the past 14 years, Mr. Rhames has been employed by Meridian Imaging in Washington, D.C. beginning as a Dispatch Coordinator and Assembly Technician.  He is currently a Senior Field Service Technician who provides printer service to many private and government agencies in the District of Columbia Area.
                Considering his apparent love for the game of basketball, Mr. Rhames has continued to stay active by participating in various basketball leagues in the D.C. area.  Most notably, He has played in the well-known George Goodman Summer Basketball League for 20 years from 1995-2015.  Mr. Rhames is currently participating in several men’s basketball leagues around the city and has won several championships in recent years.  Mr. Rhames has come to learn one important aspect about this game that he loves, “Basketball Never Stops!”
                Mr. Rhames, who still resides in Washington, D.C. where he has been a high school basketball referee for six seasons, has two children, Crystal and Calle Chris Rhames.
                “This accomplishment means the world to me,” Mr. Rhames said.  “Knowing the experience that I gained while attending Pitt-Johnstown helped to shape me into the person I am today means everything.  The journey was unpredictable, educational, and most of all unforgettable.  The relationships that I established along the way enabled me to become a successful student-athlete.  Prior to my arrival at Pitt-Johnstown I had a blurry understanding of how to reach the goal of being a productive student.  My experience at Pitt-Johnstown on and off the court taught the true meaning of being a multi-tasker.  Hard work and determination was needed to succeed on the basketball court, and though often I felt that this was a tough mountain to climb, I eventually clawed my way to the top.  I am truly honored to join my fellow Mountain Cats in the Pitt-Johnstown Athletic Hall of Fame.”