Pitt-Johnstown gave the No. 1 ranked team in the country all it could handle and then some, but it fell just short in the closing seconds of a 76-71 setback to unbeaten IUP on Saturday afternoon at a raucous Sports Center.

Andrew Shull poured in a game-high 23 points, which included a 6 of 8 performance from beyond the arc, for the Mountain Cats, who dropped to 11-4 (7-2 PSAC). Ryan Smith provided 14 points and snatched a team-high eight rebounds. John Paul Kromka supplied 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and three blocks.

In what was a tightly contested game throughout, a 3-pointer by Shull put the Mountain Cats up 66-65 with just 4:02 to play. After four straight points from IUP, Joe Batt, who added 12 points, knotted the game at 69-all with just a minute and a half to go.

Two free throws by Jared Jakubick made it a one-point game with 45 seconds left, but IUP scored on a layup just 16 seconds later to go on top 74-71. The Mountain Cats had two opportunities on their final possession to re-tie the game, but both 3-point attempts clanked harmlessly off the rim, leading to the Crimson Hawks eventually snatching the board.

Jaylen Stewart, who scored all of his 17 points in the second half, hit two free throws with six seconds to play to seal the game.

The Mountain Cats controlled the tempo in the first half and took a lead that grew to as large as nine after a 3-pointer by Shull made it 18-9 with 10:58 to play. The Crimson Hawks made two free throws with 24 seconds left in the half, but Pitt-Johnstown went into the break up 36-32.

The Cats finished the half 11 of 26 from the field, while holding the Crimson Hawks to just a 34.2% (11 for 32) clip.

Guard Shawndale Jones matched Stewart with a team-high 17 points for IUP, which improved to 15-0 (9-0 PSAC) and maintained its place at the top of the PSAC Western Division.