Joe Batt matched his career high with 28 points to help West No. 3 seeded Pitt-Johnstown erase a second half deficit and retake the lead, but second-seeded Mercyhurst held off the Mountain Cats, 83-77, in Wednesday's PSAC Quarterfinals in Erie.  Pitt-Johnstown, 21-9 on the season and ranked seventh in the Atlantic Region, will now await a bid for next week's NCAA Regional Tournament.
 
Batt, who also had seven rebounds, poured in 28 points on 11-15 and 4-5 from 3-point range to pace five Mountain Cat double figure scorers.  Ryan Smith scored 15 points, while John Paul Kromka had 12 points, a game-high nine rebounds, and two blocks, and Fred Mulbah had a dozen points and a game-high six assists.  Jared Jakubick finished with 10 points and five rebounds for Pitt-Johnstown.
 
Pitt-Johnstown came out fast and hit eight of its first 11-shots to build a 16-10 lead eight minutes into the opening half on back-to-back jumpers from Batt and Kromka.
 
After missing its first four 3-pointers, Mercyhurst got hot and connected on nine of its next 14 to take an 11-point lead of its own.  Three straight from behind the arc gave the Lakers a 19-18 lead, before a Cameron Gross 3-pointer put Mercyhurst on top, 27-23.
 
The Mountain Cats bounced right back to tie it at 27 on two of Batt's 14 first half points and a Jakubick layup, but 3-pointers from Michael Bradley and MiyKah McIntosh increased it to 11.
 
Pitt-Johnstown followed with Mulbah's 3-pointer as time expired to get the Mountain Cats back to within eight at 43-25 at the half.
 
Mercyhurst increased the lead back to 10 early in the second half, but Pitt-Johnstown caught fire and used a 19-4 run over the next five minutes to regain the lead.  Batt and Mulbah combined for 11 points to cut it to one and Kromka's bucket gave the lead back to the Mountain Cats at 51-50.  Jakubick's basket, and a Smith 3-pointer pushed it out to 56-51 at 13:50.
 
Pitt-Johnstown held the lead for the next five minutes until McIntosh tie it at 62 with 8:42 remaining.  McIntosh then made one of two at the line to put the Lakers on top by one and Nicholas Land hit two from the line at 4:16 to make it 68-65.
 
Jakubick answered right back to get the Mountain Cats back to within one, but the Lakers held off Pitt-Johnstown and made free-throws down the stretch.
 
Pitt-Johnstown had a great shooting night.  The Mountain Cats shot 60% (31-51) from the field and 6-8 from 3-point range, while holding the Lakers to 43.8% (28-64).  However, Mercyhurst made 11 3-pointers and was 16-22 from the free-throw line.
 
McIntosh tallied 21 points and Jeff Planutis added 19 points and seven rebounds to lead four Lakers' double figure scorers and held Mercyhurst improve to 24-5.