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University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Athletics

PITT-JOHNSTOWN MOUNTAIN CATS

Men's Basketball

Mountain Cats Suffer 82-81 Home Loss to Cal (PA)

11/28/2009

Nick Novak (Murrysville, Pa.) scored a game-high and career-high 19 points, but California University (PA) battled back from an 11-point first-half deficit to hold on for an 82-81 victory over the Mountain Cats, Saturday evening in the Sports Center. Pitt-Johnstown slipped to 1-2 to start the season.
After Kelsey Williams gave California (PA) its only lead of the first half at a 2-0 a minute into the game, Pitt-Johnstown used a 22-9 run, capped by Jordan Miller's (Mineral Point, Pa.) lay-up, to build a 22-11 lead with 12:18 remaining in the first half. The Vulcans battled back to cut the deficit to 35-32 on Jerial Nixon's three-pointer at the 4:47 mark, but the Mountain Cats quickly pushed it back out to a nine-point lead on Andy Byer's (Tire Hill, Pa.) basket 2:17 later. Pitt-Johnstown eventually took a 43-38 lead into the halftime break.
Byer's three-pointer with 13:18 to play extended the Mountain Cats' five-point halftime to 60-51. However, California (PA) used a 14-2 run over the next 4:01 to take a 65-62 lead. Pitt-Johnstown took the lead back at 66-65 on Novak's lay-up, but the Vulcans answered to regain the lead for good and extend it to 80-74 on Williams' bucket and free-throw at 2:56. Danny Branch (Washington, D.C.) hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit 82-81 with :32 left. Joe Berenato then missed two free-throws for the Vulcans with :10 remaining, but Noah Hartung's (Butler, Pa.) desperation three-pointer fell short, and the Mountain Cats suffered the one-point loss.
Novak's game-high 19 points on 8-9 shooting from the field and 3-3 from the free-throw line led four Pitt-Johnstown players who scored in double-figures. Byer finished with 17 points on 5-8 shooting, including 3-5 from behind the three-point line, and 4-4 from the charity stripe. Patrick Grubbs (Turtle Creek, Pa.) collected 14 points and five rebounds, while Branch rounded out the double-figure scorers with 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
Andrew Young paced the Vulcans with 16 points and six rebounds. Travis Williams had 15 points, and Travon Vann chipped in 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Kelsey Williams had 11 points to help California (PA) improved to 3-1.
The Mountain Cats continue a five-game home stand with WVIAC contests against West Liberty (WV) University as part of a doubleheader with the Lady Cats on Tuesday and Salem International (WV) University on Saturday. Both men's games will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. in the Sports Center.
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