Box Score
Jamie Tabon had game-highs of 19 points and eight rebounds to help the Pitt-Johnstown build a seven point lead late in the third quarter, but Mercyhurst University outscored Lady Cats by a dozen in the fourth quarter to earn a 74-66 PSAC Western Division victory, Saturday afternoon in the Sports Center.  Pitt-Johnstown dropped to 7-18 overall and 3-16 in the PSAC West.
 
The Lakers ran out to an early 7-0 advantage, then got a pair of free-throws from Hayley Andres with 34 seconds left in the opening quarter to maintain the seven-point lead.  The Lady Cats came back to cut it to 17-14 with baskets from Gabrielle Smith and Tabon to close out the quarter.
 
Maria Lapertosa's free-throws at the 3:27 mark of the second quarter increased Mercyhurst's lead to 23-18, but Pitt-Johnstown used a 12-4 run the rest of the way to tie it at the break.  A short jumper by Nicole Olkosky got the Lady Cats to within three, before Victoria Moreland's lay-up with six seconds left knotted it a 27.
 
Pitt-Johnstown kept the momentum throughout the third quarter and built it to 36-29 on back-to-back buckets from Olivia McCabe and Tabon.  Alex Artise's 3-pointer at 3:54 got the Lakers to within three, but free-throws from Laurel O'Barto and Smith got it back out to seven.  However, Angela Heintz hit a 3-poinjter with under 10 seconds remaining in the quarter to narrow it to 54-50.
 
The Lakers quickly regained the lead on a 3-pointer by Jalin Steel, and never gave it up the rest of the way and went on to make 9-of-10 free throws in the final 2:41 to seal the eight-point win.
 
Tabon's 19 points and eight rebounds led three Lady Cats who scored in double figures.  O'Barto had 15 points and four assists, and smith finished with 14 points and three rebounds.  Pitt-Johnstown also got eight points, three rebounds, and three assists from Moreland, and six points and four rebounds from McCabe.
 
McCabe stands in 27^th-place on the Lady Cat All-Time Rebounding List with 514.
 
Pitt-Johnstown shot 46.8% (22-47) from the field, 3-14 from 3-point range, and 19-25 from the free-throw line.  The Lady Cats also held Mercyhurst to just 41.2% (21-51) shooting, including 5-22 from behind the 3-point line.  The Lakers were 27-33 from the charity stripe.
 
Heintz had 17 points, seven rebounds, and a game-high six assists, and Steel collected 17 points and six rebounds for the Lakers, who improved to 19-5 overall and 14-4 in the PSAC West.
 
The Lady Cats travel to PSAC games at California (PA) on Wednesday and at Seton Hill on Feb. 22, before closing out the 2016-17 regular season with Senior Day against Slippery Rock on February 25 at 1 p.m. in the Sports Center.