Box Score
Lock Haven outscored Pitt-Johnstown 11-6 over the final three minutes to erase a two-point deficit and hold off the Mountain Cats, 76-73, in Tuesday's PSAC Crossover game in the Sports Center.  Ajan Smith scored 13 points off the bench to lead Pitt-Johnstown, now 5-4 overall and 2-3 in the PSAC Western Division.
 
It was the Theo West show to start for Lock Haven.  West scored the first nine Bald Eagle points to help Lock Haven race out to a 13-2 led five minutes into the game.
 
Lock Haven maintained the 11-point advantage on two West free-throws at the nine-minute mark.  That's when the Mountain Cats began their comeback.
 
Pitt-Johnstown countered with a 16-3 run over the next seven minutes to take its first lead of the night.  Rich Audu connected on two free-throws to tie it, and Ajan Smith's driving lay-up with 2:27 left in the half put the Mountain Cats in front, 33-31.
 
Nate Walters hit one-of-two from the line with 24 seconds left to cut Pitt-Johnstown's lead to one at the half at 37-36.
 
It stayed close the entire second half.  Lock Haven was able to take a 57-51 lead midway through the half on Ra'eese Hunt's bucket, but a 3-pointer from Jake Laravie and a Dale Clancy free-throw got the Mountain Cats right back to within two.
 
After the Bald Eagles pushed it back out to eight two minutes later, the Mountain Cats used a 10-0 run, capped by Ian Vescovi's short jumper in the lane, to retake the lead 67-65 with three minutes remaining.
 
 However, Walters' followed with a lay-up and free-throws to give the lead back to Lock Haven, and the Bald Eagles never gave it up.  Lock Haven hit six straight free-throws in the final 1:26 to increase it to six, before Rich Audu's 3-pointer at the buzzer got Pitt-Johnstown within three and set the final at 76-73.
 
Along with Smith's 13 points, Matt Palo, A.J. Leahey, and Laravie all finished with 11 points for the Mountain Cats.  Palo also grabbed seven rebounds, and Leahey had six rebounds.  Pitt-Johnstown also got nine points and four assists from Audu and seven points and four rebounds from Vescovi.
 
Pitt-Johnstown shot 51% (28-55) from the field, but just 7-19 from 3-point range and 10-17 from the free-throw line.  Lock Haven ended the night shooting 54% (27-50) from the floor, 2-9 from behind the 3-point line, and 20-27 from the charity stripe.
 
West had a game-high 16 points and five rebounds, and Wali Hepburn chipped-in 14 points and nine rebounds to pace the Bald Eagles, who improved to 2-5 overall and 2-2 in the PSAC Western Division.
 
The Mountain host a PSAC Crossover doubleheader with the Lady Cats against Bloomsburg on Wednesday beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Sports Center, before closing out the first semester at East Stroudsburg on Saturday.