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University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Athletics

PITT-JOHNSTOWN MOUNTAIN CATS

Men's Basketball

Branch, Grubbs Lead Mountain Cats to WVIAC Win at Seton Hill

11/19/2008

Danny Branch (Washington, D.C.) scored 19 points and Patrick Grubbs (Turtle Creek, Pa.) added 12 points and 12 rebounds to lead the #25-ranked Mountain Cat basketball team to a 74-60 victory at Seton Hill University on Wednesday to tip-off the WVIAC schedule. Pitt-Johnstown improved to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
After falling behind 39-30 at halftime, the Mountain Cats used 63.0% shooting in the second half to outscore the Griffins 44-21 in the second half. Pitt-Johnstown opened the second half on a 17-6 run to take a 47-45 lead at the 11:46 mark. Pitt-Johnstown never gave up that lead and increased it to 20 points on Branch's three-pointer with 4:24 to play, before going on to the 14-point victory.
Branch led four Mountain Cats who scored in double figures with 19 points on 7-11 shooting, including 5-8 from three-point range. Grubbs added 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Marcus Tullis (Johnstown, Pa.) and Andy Byer (Tire Hill, Pa.) tallied 10 points apiece. Tullis chipped in seven rebounds, and Byer tied Quinton Davis (Pittsburgh, Pa.) for team-high in assists with five. Head coach Bob Rukavina also got nine points and three assists from William Sharpe (Johnstown, Pa.) and eight points and four rebounds from Matt Ionadi (Pittsburgh, Pa.) in the win.
Pitt-Johnstown finished the game shooting an even 50.0% (31-62) from the field with eight three-pointers. The Mountain Cats, who out rebounded Seton Hill 40-36, were also 4-4 from the free-throw line. The Griffins were held to just 37.7% (23-61) shooting from the field and 5-9 (26.3%) from behind the three-point line. Seton Hill was 9-19 from the free-throw line.
Jordan Thomas poured in a game-high 21 points, and Cody Boone added nine points and a game-high 15 rebounds to lead Seton Hill, which dropped to 0-2 overall and 0-1 in the WVIAC.
Pitt-Johnstown travels to California University (PA) on Tuesday, before returning to the Sports Center to take on Penn State-New Kensington on Wednesday and Bloomsburg University on Saturday, Nov. 29. Both home games will tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
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