Head Coach Bob Rukavina's Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats will be making its seventh consecutive appearance in the PSAC Men's Basketball Tournament after earning the No. 3 seed in the conference's Western Division.  Pitt-Johnstown will open the tournament against No. 6-seeded Gannon, Monday night in the Sports Center.  Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
Monday's winner advances to Wednesday's PSAC Quarterfinals at No. 2-seeded Mercyhurst.
   
The top six teams from both the Eastern and Western Division earned an opportunity to compete in the PSAC Men's Basketball Championship.  The top two teams from each division earned a first-round bye.  The highest remaining seed from the Western Division will host the 2022 semifinals and finals. The tournament winner earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament.
 
Pitt-Johnstown, ranked sixth in the NCAA Atlantic Region at 20-8 overall and 16-6 in the PSAC West, is coming off of a 72-64 loss at No. 3 Indiana (PA) on Saturday.  Drew Magestro's 21 points, including five 3-pointers led the Mountain Cats.  Fred Mulbah had 14 points and a team-high seven assists, while John Paul Kromka tallied 12 points and five rebounds, and Joe Batt added 10 points and four rebounds for Pitt-Johnstown.
 
Kromka's 17.6 points and 8.1 rebounds lead three Mountain Cats averaging in double figures in scoring.  Mulbah is averaging 15.5 ppg. and leads the PSAC in assists 7.5 apg., and Batt is averaging 11.1 ppg and 5.4 rpg.  The Mountain Cats are also getting 9.4 ppg. From Magestro and 9.3 ppg. from Ryan Smith.
 
Gannon is seeded sixth in the PSAC West at 14-12 overall and 11-11 in conference-play.  The Golden Knights have won their last two games, including an 87-83 home win over California (PA) on Saturday.  Lance Amir-Paul's 24 points and Demetrius Mims' 18 points and eight rebounds paced four Golden Knights who scored in double figures.
 
Five Gannon players are averaging in double figures in scoring, led by Paul's 18.6 ppg. and 6.4 rpg. and Mims' 12.5 points and 6.5 rpg.
 
Pitt-Johnstown and Gannon split a pair of games this season, with each team winning on its home floor.  On January 29, Kromka's basket lifted the Mountain Cats to an 81-79 victory in the Sports Center.  Kromka (22 pts., 8 rebs.), Mulbah (17 pts.), Jared Jakubick (16 pts.), and Smith (14 pts.) all scored in double figures for Pitt-Johnstown.  Paul's 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Ike Hester's 21 points paced Gannon.  The Golden Knights evened the season series with a 67-66 win in Erie on February 7.  Kromka collected 17 points and nine rebounds, and Magestro had 14 points for Pitt-Johnstown.  Braden Olsen's 23 points and nine rebounds led the way for Gannon.