Dale Clancy scored a career-high 32 points to help the Mountain Cats erase a 15-point deficit, but California University (PA) connected on three free-throws in the final 24 seconds to hold on for an 81-80 PSAC victory, Wednesday night in California.  Pitt-Johnstown fell to 6-8 overall and 4-6 in conference-play.
 
In a first half full of runs, California (PA) took advantage of 57% shooting to climb out to a 15-point lead, before the Mountain Cats narrowed it to seven at the half.
 
Isaiah Lewis' jumper gave California (PA) an early 11-4 lead, but a conventional 3-point play by Clancy and a Josh Wise 3-pointer made it 11-10 five minutes in.
 
The Vulcans outscored Pitt-Johnstown 16-6 over the next five minutes to make it 27-16, but 3-pointers from Clancy and Isaac Vescovi, and an Olando King, Jr. dunk closed the gap to two at the 8-minute mark.
 
California (PA) answered again.  This time with a 15-2 run, capped by Cordell Smith's 3-pointer at 2:44, to put the Vulcans up 44-29.
 
Clancy got Pitt-Johnstown right back in it with two 3-pointers and two more of his 19 first half points to cut the deficit to 44-37 at the half.
 
The theme continued to start the second half.  The Mountain Cats opened with 16-4 run.  Three Drew Magestro 3-pointers in the first three minutes tied it, before Pitt-Johnstown took its first lead of the night at 50-40 on Clancy's jumper at 16:12.  Vescovi's basket three minutes later ended the run and made it 53-48.
 
The Vulcans clawed back to briefly regain the lead 64-60 on Terry Davis, Jr.'s 3-pointer with 6:48 to play, but Vescovi's layup and free-throw just over a minute later gave it right back to Pitt-Johnstown.
 
It stayed close the rest of the way.  Trailing by three, Clancy hit two free-throws with 30 remaining to get Pitt-Johnstown to within one, before Luka Andjusic and Jahmere Howze combined to make 3-off-4 from the line in the final 24 seconds.  Clancy's 3-pointer at the buzzer set the final 81-80.
 
Clancy finished with a career-high 32 points and seven rebounds, and Vescovi added 21 points and nine rebounds to pace Pitt-Johnstown.  Magestro had 11 points and five assists, while Wise scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds, and Levi Masua had five points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
 
Clancy currently stands in 15^th-place on the Mountain Cat All-Time Scoring List (1,243 points), fourth on the assists list (452), and fifth on the 3-point field goals list (192).  Vescovi is 21^st-place on the Pitt-Johnstown Scoring List with 1,122 points.
 
Pitt-Johnstown shot 47.0% (31-66) from the field, 10-23 from 3-point range, and 8-11 from the free-throw line.  After shooting 57% in the first half, California (PA) slipped to 47.5% (29-61) for the game.  The Vulcans were also 10-28 from behind the 3-point line and 13-15 from the charity stripe.
 
Howze's 20 points and six rebounds and Smith's 19 points and six rebounds led four California (PA) players who scored in double-figures and helped the Vulcans even their overall record at 8-8 and improve to 4-6 in the PSAC.
 
After back-to-back road contests, Pitt-Johnstown returns home to the Sports Center to host PSAC doubleheaders with the women's team against Mercyhurst University on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. and Slippery Rock University on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.