Box Score
Pitt-Johnstown built a 12-point second half lead, then hit 16 straight free-throws in the final 3:27 to seal a 78-70 PSAC Western Division victory over Mercyhurst University, Saturday afternoon in the Sports Center.  Dale Clancy's 20 points led five Mountain Cats who scored in double figures to help Pitt-Johnstown improve to 15-10 overall and 10-9 in the PSAC West.
 
Clancy's 3-pointer and two straight baskets from Josh Wise gave Pitt-Johnstown a 23-15 lead just over 11 minutes into the game.
 
Mercyhurst kept it close and narrowed it to two on Durrell McDonald's lay-up at 5:03, before the Lakers tied it at 31 2:18 later on McDonald's 3-pointer.
 
Ajan Smith's free-throw got the lead back out to four, and Wise connected on a pair from the line with 16 seconds left to give the Mountain Cats a slim 37-35 halftime advantage.
 
Pitt-Johnstown used a 17-7 run over the first 6:23 to increase the lead to a dozen.  Jake Laravie's 3-pointer quickly made it a seven-point game. A.J. Leahey's free-throws at 14:29 pushed it into double figures, before Isaac Vescovi's bucket in the paint put the Mountain Cats in front by 12 at 54-42.
 
The Mountain made their free-throws and never left the Lakers get closer than six the rest of the way.  Clancy was a perfect 10-of-10, while Laravie and Vescovi combined to make six straight from the line over the final 3:27.
 
Leahey is eighth on the Mountain Cat All-Time Scoring List with 1,470 points, fifth on the all-time rebounding list with 671, and fourth on the 3-point field goals list with 229.  Clancy stands in ninth-place on the Mountain Cat All-Time Assists List with 358.
 
Clancy ended the day with 20 points (10-10 free-throws), four rebounds, and six assists to lead the Mountain Cats.  Laravie had 14 points and eight rebounds, and Leahey added 14 points and seven rebounds.  Pitt-Johnstown also got 13 points and five assists from Vescovi and 10 points off the bench from Wise.
 
Pitt-Johnstown shot 54.5% (24-54) from the field, 6-15 from 3-point range, and 24-29 from the free-throw line.  The Lakers shot 43.1% (25-58) from the floor, 7-22 from behind the 3-point line, and 13-18 from the charity stripe.
 
McDonald tallied a game-high 22 points and five rebounds, and Malcolm Walters chipped-in 13 points for Mercyhurst, which fell to 10-12 overall and 8-10 in the PSAC West.
 
The Mountain Cats travel to conference games at California (PA) on Wednesday and Seton Hill on Feb. 22, before ending the regular season and celebrating Senior Day with a PSAC doubleheader with the Lady Cats against Slippery Rock on Feb. 25 at 1 and 3 p.m. in the Sports Center.