Box Score
Mercyhurst used a 21-4 first half run to erase a 12-point deficit and 16-0 second half run to build a double-digit lead, en route to a 73-60 PSAC victory over the Mountain Cats, Saturday evening in Erie.  A.J. Leahey had 21 points for Pitt-Johnstown, which  had its three-game winning streak snapped and slipped to 9-7 overall and 6-6 in the PSAC Western Division.
 
Rich Audu and Ian Vescovi scored Pitt-Johnstown's first 12 points, and Leahey and Jake Laravie hit back-to-back 3-pointers to help the Mountain Cats run out to a 20-6 lead midway through the first half.
 
Mercyhurst cut the deficit in half on two Gerrae Williams' free-throws two minutes later, but a 3-pointer from Dale Clancy quickly increased Pitt-Johnstown lead back to 12 at 27-15.
 
However, the Lakers outscored the Mountain Cats 21-4 over the final 8:28 of the half to take a five-point advantage into the halftime break.
 
Mercyhurst scored the next 12 points to knot it at 27 on Damon Jones' conventional 3-point play, before the Lakers took their first lead of the day on Jean Onana's bucket at 1:49.  Mercyhurst then got a lay-up from Jones and a basket from Kayode Ajenifusa with 19 seconds remaining to put the Lakers in front 36-31 at the half.
 
Just like the first half, Pitt-Johnstown started the second half fast. Audu's jumper and two free-throws from Nate Snodgrass closed out an 11-4 spurt that put the Mountain Cats back on top, before Leahey's lay-up and free-throws made it 47-44.
 
The Lakers answered with a 16-0 run over the next six minutes to retake the lead 60-47 at 8:34 on a Sean Beins bucket in the paint.
 
Mercyhurst's lead ballooned to 69-52 on William's free-throws with 4:08 to play, before Leahey's 3-pointer at 1:35 cut it to 10, but that was as close as Pitt-Johnstown would get.
 
Leahey finished with a game-high 21 points and seven rebounds, while Audu had 11 points and five rebounds for Pitt-Johnstown.  Vescovi had nine points and nine rebounds, and Snodgrass and Clancy each netted six points.
 
With his nine rebounds, Ian Vescovi moved into 10^th place on the Mountain Cat all-time Rebounding List with 571 rebounds.  Vescovi is also 86 points shy of becoming Pitt-Johnstown's 26^th 1,000-point scorer.
 
The Mountain Cats shot 47.7% (21-44) from the floor, 7-13 from behind the 3-point line, and 11-18 from the free-throw line.  Mercyhurst shot 47.5% (28-59) from the field, 3-12 from 3-point range, and 14-17 from the charity stripe.
 
The Lakers got 17 points from Jones and 11 points from Williams to extend their winning streak to four games and improve to 13-5 overall and 10-3 in the PSAC West.
 
The Mountain Cats travel to a PSAC game at Indiana (PA) next Wednesday, before hosting a conference doubleheader with the Lady Cats against Edinboro on Saturday.  The women will tip-off at 1 p.m. in the Sports Center, with the men's game to follow at 3 p.m.