Box Score
A.J. Leahey recorded a game-high 20 points along with eight rebounds for Pitt-Johnstown as they defeated Slippery Rock 80-65 in PSAC West Division play Wednesday night in the Pitt-Johnstown Sports Center.
 
Nate Snodgrass also added 19 points while Dale Clancy tallied 14 points for the Mountain Cats, who finish the regular season with a 17-10 overall and 13-9 conference record with the win.
 
Leahey made four of six three-point field attempts, which gives him 163 career three-point shots made. The total puts him two three-pointers away from Matt Lushko (1993-1997) for seventh place on the Mountain Cat All-Time Three-Point Field Goals Made List. He is also 26 points away from 1,000 career points.
 
By the first media timeout, both teams were firing from all cylinders as The Rock led 9-7 after a layup from Chaquille Pratt. Seven different players from both teams produce at least one basket in the first 4:16 of play.
 
The point differential remained within two points until the 11:29 first half mark when Clancy hit a three-pointer with an assist from Snodgrass after a turnover by Cornelius Brown. Snodgrass hit two straight shots from behind the arc just over a minute and a half later to put the Mountain Cats ahead by eight points, 23-15 at 7:51.
 
A long-range jumper from Snodgrass at 5:11 gave the Mountain Cats a 10-point, 30-19 lead as Pitt-Johnstown finished the half with a 14-point run in a five and half minute span before giving up a layup to The Rock's Naquil Jones to go into the second half with a 39-21 advantage.
 
The Mountain made over half their shots from the field, behind the perimeter and at the free-throw line going 15-26 (57%) from the field while Slippery Rock made just nine field goals. The Rock also went 0-for-4 from three-point range as the Mountain Cats went 6-for-11 (55%).
 
After a layup from Leahey 13 seconds into the half gave UPJ a 20-point, 41-21 lead. Afterwards, Slippery Rock went on a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to 14 points, but Vescovi followed with a three-point play with 17:22 left to play to spoil a potential comeback. Audu then added a three-point to put the Mountain Cats back ahead by 20 points, 47-27 at 16:31.
 
Throughout the next 10 minutes, Pitt-Johnstown was able to maintain at least a 16-point lead until Pratt made a layup with 6:34 remaining, but Snodgrass quickly answered with another three-pointer at 6:12 to put the Mountain Cats back ahead by 18 points, 67-49.
 
The Rock scored seven of the next nine points to cut their deficit to 13 points before 27^th-year Mountain Cat head coach Bob Rukavina called at timeout with 4:39 left in the game, but their comeback was once again short lived as Pitt-Johnstown outscoring Slippery Rock 12-9 the rest of the game to earn a victory in the last game of the regular season.
 
The Mountain Cats finished the game with a 60% three-point field goal shooting percentage and a 53% percentage from the field. Abdul King led The Rock with 20 points as they fell to 15-13 overall and 10-12 in conference play with the loss to finish the regular season.
 
The Mountain Cats are to host a PSAC Tournament First Round game Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Sports Center against an opponent to be determined after the PSAC regular season is completed.