Men's Basketball 6/14/2013 9:04:00 AM

Mountain Cats Cruise to 79-65 Win Over OVU

02/15/2010

Patrick Grubbs (Turtle Creek, Pa.) had a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds and Danny Branch (Washington, D.C.) added 19 points as the Mountain Cats opened the second half on an 11-0 run to build a 20-point lead on their way to earning a 79-65 win over Ohio Valley (WV) University, Monday night in the Sports Center. Pitt-Johnstown improved to 13-10 overall and 9-9 in the WVIAC.
Two free-throws from Donavin Vinson gave Ohio Valley an early 5-3 lead 2:30 into the game, but the Mountain Cats took control the rest of the way.
Pitt-Johnstown used an 11-2 run over the next 5:41 to go up 14-7. Back-to-back baskets by Grubbs gave Pitt-Johnstown its first lead of the night, 7-5, with 16:22 left. Branch, who now has 945 career points, hit a three-pointer to extend the lead to five, and Andy Byer's (Tire Hill, Pa.) lay-up put the Mountain Cats up by seven with just under 12 minutes left in the half.
The Fighting Scots rallied to cut it to 19-18 on a Kyle Raikes' basket six minutes later, but Pitt-Johnstown pushed it back to seven on Nick Novak's (Murrysville, Pa.) basket, before another bucket from Branch as time expired in the half gave the Mountain Cats a 34-25 lead.
The Mountain Cats scored the first 11 points of the second half to build the lead to 20 at 45-25 and put the game away. Branch connected on a three-pointer on Pitt-Johnstown first possession, and ended the run with a lay-up three minutes into the half.
Vinson's lay-up at 10:25 got Ohio Valley to within 14 at 46-42, but Byer's three-pointer the next trip down the floor increased it back to 17 and Novak's basket made it 63-44 with eight minutes left.
Ohio Valley again tried to get back into the game. The Fighting Scots outscored Pitt-Johnstown 11-2 over the next 3:54 to cut the deficit to 65-55 on Micah Mill's basket at 4:13. However, Grubbs scored four straight points for the Mountain Cats to extend the lead to 69-55 and Pitt-Johnstown cruised to the 14-point win.
Pitt-Johnstown ended the night shooting 50.9% from the field, 8-15 from three-point range and 15-19 from the free-throw line, while holding the Fighting Scots to 44.45 shooting and 3-15 from behind the three-point line. Ohio Valley was 6-11 from the charity stripe.
Grubbs led four Mountain Cats who scored in double-figures with 24 points on 10-13 shooting and 4-5 from the free-throw line. Branch had 19 points, including four three-pointers and five assists, while Novak chipped in 17 points (6-6 free-throws) and a game-high six assists. Byer rounded out the double-figure scorers with 13 points and six rebounds.
With his four three-pointers against the Fighting Scots, Branch moved into third-place on Pitt-Johnstown's All-Time Three-Point Field Goals List with 171. He is three away from Quinton Davis for second-place. Andy Byer's (Tire Hill, Pa.) 132 three-pointers are nine shy of Dwight Hines for eighth-place on the list.
Rodney Everage led Ohio Valley with 20 points and Vinson collected 18 points and 10 rebounds. The Fighting Scots have lost three straight and are now 5-18 overall and 4-14 in the WVIAC.
Pitt-Johnstown travels to WVIAC doubleheaders at Salem International (WV) University on Thursday and Seton Hill on Saturday, before celebrating Senior Night with a conference doubleheader against Fairmont State (WV) University on Tuesday, January 23 beginning at 5:30 in the Sports Center.

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