Box Score
Nate Snodgrass tallied a team-high 16 points along with five assists as Pitt-Johnstown defeated Mercyhurst University 69-65 in PSAC West Division play Saturday Afternoon at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center in Erie.
 
A.J. Leahey also added 15 points and nine rebounds while Isaac Vescovi produced 12 points and four rebounds for the Mountain Cats, who progressed to 15-9 overall, and 10-8 in conference action after the win.
 
Six of Leahey's 15 points came on two three-pointers, which now gives him 148 career three-point field goals, two shy of tying Paul Byer (2002-2005) for ninth place on the Mountain Cat All-Time Three-Point Field Goals list.
 
Down 7-3 after 3:20 of play in the first half, Leahey drained a three-pointer with an assist from Snodgrass to cut the Lakers to one point. A minute later, Rasaun Mosley stole the ball off of Mercyhurst's Damn Jones and dunked the ball to put the Mountain Cats ahead, 8-7.
 
The lead changed three times throughout the rest of the half, but after Andy Hoying made a pair of free throws for the Lakers to give them a 9-8 lead with 14:17 left in the half, Mercyhurst would not have the lead for another nine minutes. That was when Kayode Ajenifuja made a layup to cap off a five-point run and give his team a 22-20 advantage.
 
During this span, Mercyhurst tied the game three times before actually regaining the lead. Leahey quickly tied the game at 22 points with a jumper at the 4:44 first half mark.
 
Gerrae Williams made two three-point shots in a matter of 30 seconds to put the Lakers' ahead 28-24 with 3:23 left until halftime. In the last two and a half minutes of the half, Pitt-Johnstown tied the game at 28 and 30 points, but Malcolm Waters was able to make a layup with 25 seconds remaining to give Mercyhurst a 32-30 halftime advantage.
 
A three-pointer from Snodgrass and a jumper from Mosley in the first two minutes kicked off the second half and put Pitt-Johnstown ahead 35-32. After Hoying answered with a pair of free throws, the Mountain Cats went on a 13-0, lasting for 3:35. The run was capped off by a layup from Mosley with an assist from Dale Clancy after a steal by Vescovi to give UPJ a 48-34 lead with 14:12 left to play.
 
The Lakers answered with a seven-point run to cut Pitt-Johnstown's lead to seven points after a jumper from Ajenifuja following a media timeout. Vescovi responded with a jumper at 10:03, but Mercyhurst scored the next six points, three from Hoying and three from Jones, to trim their deficit to three points, 50-47 with just under eight minutes remaining.
 
After a three-pointer from Vescovi at 6:58, Ajenifuja made a layup to put Pitt-Johnstown's lead back to four points, 53-49, but the Mountain Cats scored the next nine points, seven coming from Clancy, to build a 62-49 advantage with 4:20 left in the game, a deficit the Lakers ultimately could not overcome despite scoring 16 of the next 21 points.
 
The Lakers' offensive surge got them within two points of the lead, 67-65 with four seconds remaining when Williams made a shot from beyond the arc. Jean Onana fouled Jake Laravie a second later, which to Laravie draining both to score his fourth and fifth point of the game and clinch the victory for the Mountain Cats.
 
Williams recording a game-high 19 points for the Lakers, who drop to 15-8 overall, and 12-7 in conference play with the loss.
 
The Mountain Cats are to play in two straight road games, traveling to Indiana University (Pa.) Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Clarion University Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. before closing out the season at home against Slippery Rock University Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. All remaining games part of doubleheaders with the Lady Cats.