After sending it to a second overtime with a bucket at the buzzer, Maddie Shanahan did it again in the second overtime.  This time, Shanahan's putback as time expired lifted Pitt-Johnstown to a 77-75 double overtime PSAC Western Division victory at Mercyhurst on Wednesday.  The win helped the Mountain Cats clinch a spot in March's PSAC Women's Basketball Tournament and moved Pitt-Johnstown to 15-11 overall and 10-10 in conference-play.
 
Gabrielle Smith's 22 points, including 12-14 from the free-throw line, and nine rebounds and Alli McGrath's 22 points led Pitt-Johnstown.  Olivia Fasick had 15 points and six rebounds, while Ashley Norling scored eight points and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds.  Shanahan finished with six points and 10 rebounds, and Mia Oterson had six rebounds for the Mountain Cats.
 
In a back-and-forth first quarter, Smith scored five early points, and Pitt-Johnstown got a jumper from McGrath with time running out to go in front 15-11.
 
Mercyhurst scored six of the first seven points of the second quarter to regain the lead, 17-16, on a Nicolete Newman basket, before Smith scored in the paint to knot it at 23 at the half.
 
Baskets from Shanahan and Smith on the Mountain Cats' first two possessions of the third quarter gave Pitt-Johnstown a four-point lead, but the Lakers answered with a 15-6 run over the next six minutes to go in front 38-33 on 3-pointers by Julia Buchman and Newman.  The Mountain Cats came answered with the final six points, including a pair of Makalyn Clapper free-throws and a McGrath layup, to take a slim, one-point lead into the fourth quarter.
 
Two straight baskets from McGrath and a Fasick jumper gave the Mountain Cats a 50-44 advantage with 2:44 left.  The Lakers followed with back-to-back Newman 3-pointers knot it at 56 with :27 to go and force overtime.
 
In the extra period, Emily Shopene's basket at the 1:06 mark broke a 62-all tie to put Mercyhurst on top.  Pitt-Johnstown got the back with :09 and took advantage of it when Shanahan's layup fell as time expired to send it to a second overtime tied at 64.
 
The teams continued to exchange the lea, until Shanahan did it again.  Shanahan's layup off of a missed jumper as the buzzer broke a 75-75 tie and gave the Mountain Cats the victory.
 
Pitt-Johnstown, which held a 53-42 advantage in rebounding, shot 38.4% (28-73) from the floor, 2-9 from 3-point range, and 19-27 from the line.  The Lakers shot 40.8% (29-71) from the field, 8-23 from behind the arc, and 9-15 from the charity stripe.
 
Amber Renz had a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Newman collected 18 points for Mercyhurst, which fell to 7-18 overall and 7-12 in the PSAC West.
 
Pitt-Johnstown will play its final home game of the 2019-20 season and celebrating Senior Night with a conference doubleheader with the men's team against Seton Hill on February 26.  The women will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. in the sports Center, before the men's game at 7:30 p.m.  the Mountain Cats will then close out the regular season at nationally-ranked Indiana (PA) on February 29.