Men's Basketball Defeats East Region #8 U.D.C., 82-73

02/10/2007

Chris Gilliam (Baltimore, MD) scored a game-high 24 points to lead all five Mountain Cat starters who scored in double figures in an 82-73 win over East Region #8 University of the District of Columbia, Saturday afternoon in the Sports Center. With the win, Pitt Johnstown swept the season series against the Firebirds and improved to 17-7.
Gilliam was 10-17 from the field and 4-8 from the free-throw line. Gilliam also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds, while J.J. Schumacher (Castle Shannon, Pa.) scored 16 points, on 5-6 shooting from the field, 4-4 from three-point range and 2-2 from the free-throw line. Along with his 16 points, Schumacher grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists. Quinton Davis (Pittsburgh, Pa.) chipped in 13 points, five rebounds and a game-high eight assists, and Dwight Hines (Aliquippa, Pa.) scored 13 points and dished out five assists. Marcus Tullis (Johnstown, Pa.) rounded out the double figure scorers with 12 points. Head Coach Bob Rukavina's starters accounted for 78 of the Mountain Cats' 82 points.
Pitt Johnstown opened the game on a 19-4 run, before taking a 42-39 halftime lead. The Firebirds battled all the way back to take 52-51 lead with 13:47 to play. The teams exchanged the lead four times, but Pitt Johnstown outscored U.D.C. 10-2 over the final three minutes to secure the nine-point win.
The Mountain Cats ended the day shooting 50.0% (29-58) from the field, 60.0% (9-15) from behind the three-point line and 68.2% (15-22) from t he free-throw line, while holding the Firebirds to 27-59 (45.8%) from the field and 6-21 (28.6%) from three-point range. The Firebirds also made 13 of their 16 free-throws.
Charlie Smallwood's 18 points led four Firebirds who scored in double figures. Frank Petersen (16 points), Willie Shaw (14 points) and Brian Adams (14 points) also scored in double figures for U.D.C., now 14-7 on the season.
The Mountain Cats continue a three-game home stand against Mansfield University on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., before celebrating Senior Night and playing their final home game of the 2006-07 season against Bloomsburg University on Saturday, February 17 at 7:30 p.m.

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