The Pitt-Johnstown men's and women's basketball teams will close out the first semester with home PSAC Crossover doubleheaders against Shippensburg on Saturday and Lock Haven on Sunday.  The women will tip-off each doubleheader at 1 p.m. in the Sports Center, before the men's games at 3 p.m.
 
      The Pitt-Johnstown women, 3-6 overall and 1-2 in the PSAC West under Head Coach Mike Drahos (9^th Season), looks to bounce back from a 71-51 loss to 20^th-ranked Shepherd (WV) on Tuesday.  Peyton Alazaus scored 10 points, and Molly Wagoner added seven points and a career-high 16 rebounds to lead the Mountain Cats.
      Pitt-Johnstown ranks fourth in the PSAC in both free-throws made and offensive rebounds per game, while Makalyn Clapper ranks third in the conference in offensive rebounds per game (3.6) and Olivia Fasick is fifth in free-throws made (26).
 
      Coach Kristy Trn's (23^rd season) Shippensburg Raiders improved to 6-3 overall and 1-2 in the PSAC East with Tuesday's 68-47 win at Clarion.  Destiny Jefferson's game-high 21 points, Taja Colbert's 14 points, and Lauren Pettis' 11 points and nine rebounds paced the Raiders.
      As a team, the Raiders pace the PSAC in scoring offense and free-throws made and are second in assists per game and third in field goal percentage.  Individually, Jefferson is third in the conference in assists, steals, and field goals made, and Pettis is third in both field goal percentage and offensive rebounds per game and fourth in blocked shots.
      Since 2004, Shippensburg has won seven on the 10 meetings, including seven straight victories.  In the last meeting in Shippensburg on December 20, 2019, Ariel Jones' game-high 34 points led three Raiders who scored in double figures, while Kryshell Gordy scored eight points and pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds.  Fasick tossed in 16 points, and Alli McGrath and Gabrielle Smith added 14 points apiece to pace the Mountain Cats.  Maddie Shanahan grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds for Pitt-Johnstown.
 
      Coach Jennifer Smith' (14^th season) Lock Haven squad was 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the PSAC East entering Saturday's PSAC Crossover game at Clarion.  The Raiders, who lead the PSAC in rebounds per game and fewest turnovers, look to bounce back from a 58-46 loss at No. 16 Gannon on Tuesday.  Ahnera Parker's double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds and Brooke Lawyer's 10 points paced Lock Haven.
      Individually for the Bald Eagles, Carly Fitzmorris leads the PSAC in assist-to-turnover-ratio, and Nadia Romanchock is tops in 3-point field goal percentage.
      Since the 2006-07 season, Pitt-Johnstown holds a 6-4 advantage in the series.  The teams have split the last four meetings.  The Mountain Cats picked-up a 56-34 win in Lock Haven on Dec. 9, 2017, but the Bald Eagles came back with a 77-62 home victory in the last meeting on Dec. 21, 2019.  Alli McGrath's game-high 24 points and Gabrielle Smith's 18 points and seven rebounds led the way for Pitt-Johnstown, while Rileigh Devine (21 points), Marena Lonardi (19 points), and Parker (14 points) all scored in double figures for Lock Haven.
 
 
     Pitt-Johnstown, under 33^rd-year Head Coach Bob Rukavina, improved to 7-2 overall and remained unbeaten in the PSAC West with a 65-64 win over Shepherd (WV), Tuesday night in the Sports Center.  Joe Batt's 14 points and eight rebounds, Fred Mulbah's 13 points and 11 assists, and John Paul Kromka's 12 points, five rebounds, and seven assists led Pitt-Johnstown to its third straight win.
    Kromka enters the game ranked 26^th on the Mountain Cat All-Time Scoring List (1,062 points) and 12^th on the All-Time Rebounding List (566 rebounds), while Mulbah ranks sixth on the Mountain Cat All-Time Assists List with 419.
    Pitt-Johnstown is 18^th nationally and second in the conference in field goal percentage (51.1%) and 38^th nationally and third in the PSAC in free-throws made (130).  Kromka paces the PSAC and ranks fifth in the country in blocks (24), sixth in field goal percentage (69.9%), and ninth in blocks per game (2.7), while Mulbah leads the PSAC and is fifth nationally in assists (66) and sixth in assists per game (7.3).
 
     Shippensburg enters the game at 5-3 overall and 2-1 in the PSAC East overall under eighth-year Head Coach Chris Fite.  The Raiders made it three straight wins following Tuesday's, 70-61, victory at Clarion.  Kiyon Hardy's game-high 19 points and Rashon Johnson's 14 points and nine rebounds paced four Shippensburg players who scored in double figures.
     Pitt-Johnstown and Shippensburg have met 10 times since 2005 and the Raiders hold a narrow 6-4 advantage.  The Mountain Cats snapped a three-game losing skid to Shippensburg with an 81-73 victory in Shippensburg in the last meeting on December 20, 2019.  Drew Magestro's 19 points and Caiden Landis' 17 points led five Pitt-Johnstown double-figure scorers.  Jake Biss poured in a game-high 21 points, and Luke Nedrow netted 18 points for Shippensburg.
 
Prior to Saturday's PSAC Crossover game at Clarion, 10^th-year Head Coach Mike Nestor's Bald Eagles were 4-3 overall and 1-2 in the PSAC East.  Lock Haven, which leads the PSAC in free-throw percentage and ranks fourth in the conference in both assists per game and blocked shots per game, suffered a 77-71 loss at Gannon on Tuesday.  DaQuan Granberry's 16 points and seven rebounds, and Jesse McPherson's 14 points and six rebounds led Lock Haven against the Golden Knights.
            The Mountain Cats and Bald Eagles first met during the 1970-71 season.  Pitt-Johnstown holds a slim 19-18 advantage since then, including three straight wins.  In the last meeting on Dec. 21, 2019 in Lock Haven, the Mountain Cats came away with a 96-92 overtime victory.  Kromka's double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds and Drew Magestro's 19 points and 10 rebounds led five Pitt-Johnstown double figure scorers.  Christian Kelly's game-high 28 points and Matt Cerruti's 27 points paced Lock Haven.
 
    Pitt-Johnstown men and women will break for the holidays, before beginning PSAC West-play at Slippery Rock on January 5.  The Mountain Cats will then host PSAC West doubleheaders in the Sports Center against California (PA) on January 8 and Edinboro on January 10.