The Pitt-Johnstown men's and women's basketball teams return home to host a pair of PSAC Western Division games against Gannon, Saturday afternoon in the Sports Center.  The women's will take on the 14^th-ranked Golden Knights at 1 p.m., before the men's game at 3 p.m.
 
         Head Coach Mike Drahos' Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats, winners of three of their last four games, improved to 7-10 overall and 5-6 in the PSAC West following Monday's impressive 63-60 victory over 17^th-ranked Indiana (PA) in the Sports Center.  Molly Wagoner's late block, followed by a Makalyn Clapper steal and two free-throws helped seal the Pitt-Johnstown victory.  Clapper had a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds and a game-high five steals, while Ashley Norling, Peyton Alazaus, and Olivia Fasick all scored 12 points for Pitt-Johnstown.  Wagoner added five points and game-highs of 11 rebounds and four blocks.
         Nationally, Alazaus ranks second in the PSAC and 28^th nationally in 3-point field goals made and 47^th in 3-point field goal percentage, while Fasick is 29^th nationally (3^rd in PSAC) in assists and 51^st in (6^th in PSAC) assists per game.  Wagoner is 55^th in NCAA Division II in both total blocks (6^th in PSAC) and blocks per game (4^th in PSAC), and Clapper is 68^th in steals (6th in PSAC).
         Gannon, ranked 14^th in the latest Division II National Coaches' Poll, made it four straight wins and improved to 14-2 overall and 9-2 in the PSAC West following Wednesday's 81-50 home win over Clarion.  Emma Wright scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed six rebounds, and Sydney Mitchell added 14 points for the Golden Knights.
         Nationally for the Golden Knights, Samantha Pirosko is second in the PSAC and 20^th nationally, and Wright is sixth in the PSAC and 55^th nationally in free-throw percentage.
         The Pitt-Johnstown women travel to Mercyhurst on Monday to begin a stretch of four consecutive PSAC road games, before returning home to host a conference doubleheader with the men's team against Slippery Rock February 9 at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. in the Sports Center.
 
 
         Head Coach Bob Rukavina's (33^rd-year) Mountain Cats, ranked fourth in the DIISIDA Atlantic Region Rankings, took over sole possession of first-place in the PSAC West after taking down fourth-ranked IUP, Monday night in the Sports Center.  Pitt-Johnstown is now 14-4 overall and tied for the top spot in the PSAC West at 10-2 following Wednesday's 90-61 loss at No. 21 Mercyhurst.  Fred Mulbah scored 17 points, while John Paul Kromka had nine points and eight rebounds, and Drew Magestro and Andy Zuchelli each scored nine points against the Lakers.
         Nationally, Pitt-Johnstown leads the PSAC and ranks sixth in Division II in field goal percentage (51.7%), 15^th in 3-point field goal percentage (39.9%), and 29^th in free-throw percentage (76.6%).  The Mountain Cats are also second in the PSAC and eighth nationally in assists per game (18.5), 12^th in total assists (314), and 24^th nationally in assist-to-turnover-ratio (1.40).  Mulbah paces the PSAC and ranks second nationally in total assists and fourth assists per game, while Kromka leads the PSAC and ranks third in the nation in blocks and is sixth in field goal percentage and blocks per game.
         Kromka enters the game ranked 19^th on the Pitt-Johnstown All-Time Scoring List with 1,235 points and eighth on the All-Time Rebounding List, with 635 rebounds.  Mulbah is currently fifth on the Mountain Cat All-Time Assists List with 482 assists.
         Gannon, under third-year Head Coach Kelvin Jefferson, comes in at 9-5 overall and 6-4 in the PSAC West following Wednesday's 75-66 home win over Clarion.  Demetrius Mims collected game-highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Lance-Amir Paul had 17 points and eight rebounds to guide five Golden Knights who scored in double figures.
         The Golden Knights lead the PSAC and rank third in Division II in 3-point field goal defense and second in the conference and ninth nationally in field goal percentage.
            Pitt-Johnstown has won three of the last four meetings in the series.  The teams split a pair of games during the 2019-20 season.  On January 26, 2020 in the Sports Center, Joe Batt's 3-pointer as time expired erased a one-point Mountain Cat deficit and lifted Pitt-Johnstown to an 82-81 win.  Josh Wise scored 16 points, Kromka had 13 points and seven rebounds, and Batt finished with 10 points.  Gannon then got a 64-58 win in Erie on February 1, 2020.  Magestro dropped in 16 points and Donovian Maxfield chipped in a dozen points for Pitt-Johnstown.
 
         The Mountain Cat men hit the road for three consecutive PSAC road games beginning with California (PA) on Wednesday, before returning home on February 9 to host a conference doubleheader with the women's team against Slippery Rock.  The women will tip-off at 5:30 in the Sports Center before the men take on the Rock at 7:30 p.m.