With eight upper classmen, including a pair of seniors and six juniors, returning for the 2018-19 season, sixth-year Head Coach Mike Drahos has reason to be optimistic.  Last year's team that featured six true freshmen gained valuable experience that could lead to a solid 2018-19 season.
 
"We feel we have a good mixture of veterans to go along with some new faces", Coach Drahos said about this year's squad.  "The players have worked hard this preseason, and we are extremely excited to see what this season has in store for our basketball program."
 
Pitt-Johnstown, which battled through a tough Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) scheduled and finished at 10-17 a year ago, will be led by junior forward Gabrielle Smith, a Second-Team All-PSAC West selection, and senior guards Tori Moreland and Laurel O'Barto.
 
Smith was Pitt-Johnstown's leading scorer (14.5 ppg.) and second-leading rebounder (6.8 rpg.) as a sophomore last year.  She also led the Mountain Cats in assists (59) and was second in steals (39) and third in blocked shots (19) on her way to garnering Second-Team all-Conference honors.
 
Moreland and O'Barto give the Mountain Cats loads of experience at the guard spot.  Moreland, a three-year starter and one of the team's top 3-point shooters, wrapped-up her junior year as the team's third leading scorer at 9.0 points per game.  Her 35 3-pointer ranked second on the team.  O'Barto returns to Coach Drahos' line-up after a medical red-shirt last season.  O'Barto ranked 22^nd in NCAA Division II in assists per game (5.4 apg.) and 28^th in total assists (151) in 2016-17, while also averaging 7.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
 
In addition to Moreland and O'Barto, Coach Drahos also welcomes back five other experienced guards in Alexis Hartwick, Maurina Nunn, Mia Oterson, Katie Bolden, and Ashley Dean.
 
Hartwick played in all 27 games and made 25 starts on her way to averaging 8.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.  Hartwick paced Pitt-Johnstown in 3-point field goals (42) and was second in assists with 56, while Nunn stepped into the point guard spot with the absence of O'Barto and dished out 43 assists and made 27 steals. 
 
With more playing time as the season went on, Oterson provided a solid back-up at point guard as a freshman.  Her minutes, along with Bolden and Dean's should increase this season.
 
The Mountain Cats also have talent and experience in the paint with junior Nicole Olksoky and sophomore Maddie Shanahan.  Olkosky, who played in all 27 games in 2017-18, averaged 3.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and led Pitt-Johnstown with 36 blocked shots.  Shanahan made 11 starts as a true freshman and gave Pitt-Johnstown just under three points and three rebounds per game.
 
In addition, to the returning players, Coach Drahos added University of Maryland Baltimore County transfer Alli McGrath, and freshmen Madalyn Mendenhall and Abbie Pechin to this year's roster.
 
McGrath, a three-time PIAA All-State selection from South Park High School, is expected to jump right into the starting line-up this year.  The junior forward averaged 4.7 points per game as a freshman at UMBC, before starting eight games and averaging 6.2 points per game as a sophomore.
 
Mendenhall and Pechin will provide Coach Drahos even more depth at the guard position.  Mendenhall posted single-game career-highs of 15 points and four rebounds and was named a Defensive All-Star at the Keystone State Tournament in 2017 while a member of the Ephrata High School team.  Pechin recorded single-game highs of 15 points, eight rebounds, and six assists on her way to helping Oakland Catholic win a Section Championship in 2017, WPIAL Runner-up finishes in both 2017 and 2018, and a spot in the PIAA State Semifinals in 2018.
 
      After opening the year against Shaw (NC) University and Winston-Salem State (NC) University at the Shepherd (WV) University Tip-Off Classic on November 9 and 10, Pitt-Johnstown will continue a stretch of eight road games to begin the season, before hosting a PSAC game against Kutztown University on December 8 in the Sports Center.