Box Score
Ian Vescovi scored a career-high 28 points and Matt Palo had 18 points in their final games in the Sports Center, but Indiana University (PA) used a 20-5 second half run to build a double-digit lead on their way to a 78-65 PSAC victory on Saturday.  Pitt-Johnstown dropped to 12-13 overall and 9-12 in the PSAC.
 
Prior to the game, the Mountain Cats recognized this year seniors: Travis Crump, Palo, and Vescovi.
 
Pitt-Johnstown rode Vescovi's 19 first half points to erase and early six-point deficit and take a slim three-point halftime lead.
 
Jeremy Jeffers' lay-up eight minutes in, followed by a 3-pointer from Shawn Dyer put the Crimson Hawks in front 21-15, but Pitt-Johnstown came right back with a 9-2 run, capped by two Vescovi free-throws and an A.J. Leahey 3-pointer, to regain the lead 24-23.
 
The Mountain Cats never trailed the rest of the first half and extended it to as many as five, before going into the halftime break leading by three.
 
With 2:03 left in the half, Pitt-Johnstown led by one, but Nate Snodgrass knocked down two 3-pointers sandwiched around a jumper from IUP's Devante Chance to increase its lead to 38-33.
 
The Crimson Hawks then got a pair of free-throws from Dyer with eight seconds remaining to narrow it to 38-35 at the half.
 
IUP battled back with a 10-2 run to regain the lead 51-47 nine minutes into the second on back-to-back Daddy Ugbede.
 
Vescovi's conventional 3-point play on Pitt-Johnstown's next possession cut it to one, but the Crimson Hawks scored the next 11, including the final six from Ugbede to extend the run to 20-5 and push their lead into double-digits at 61-50.
 
`IUP built it to as many as 15 at 69-54 on Tevin Hanner's bucket with 5:19 to play.  Palo scored two straight baskets for the Mountain Cats to get it down to 11, but Pitt-Johnstown couldn't get any closer and suffered the 13-point loss
 
Vescovi's career and game-high 28 points and five rebounds led the way for Pitt-Johnstown.  Palo had 18 points and nine rebounds, while Snodgrass tallied nine points and Leahey chipped-in eight points and seven rebounds.
 
Vescovi currently ranks 24^th on the Mountain Cat All-Time Scoring List with 1,038 career points and fifth on the Pitt-Johnstown All-Time Rebounding List with 639 rebounds.
 
The Mountain Cats were held to 39.0% (23-59) shooting and 6-16 from behind the 3-point line.  The Mountain Cats were also just 13-20 from the free-throw line.  IUP ended the day shooting 47.5% (28-59) from the floor.  The Crimson Hawks were only 3-17 from 3-point range, but make 19 of their 21 free-throws.
 
Chance score 21 points and Ugbede collected 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Crimson Hawks, who improved to 22-5 overall and 16-5 in the PSAC.
 
The Mountain Cats close out the 2014-15 regular season with a conference game at Edinboro on Wednesday, before waiting to see if they earn a spot in this year's PSAC Tournament that begins on February 28.