The Pitt-Johnstown men's and women's basketball teams will conclude a two-game home stand with a PSAC doubleheader against Mercyhurst, Monday evening in the Sports Center.  The women will tip-off against the Lakers at 5:30 p.m., with the men's game to follow at 7:30 p.m.

    Tenth-year Head Coach Mike Drahos, who enters the game with 99 career wins, and his Pitt-Johnstown squad made it three straight wins and improved to 11-6 overall and 8-3 in the PSAC West after a lopsided, 75-48, victory over Slippery Rock, Saturday afternoon in the Sports Center.  Ashley Norling posted game-highs of 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Peyton Alazaus scored 13 points and Cassidy Crawford chipped-in 12 points.  Olivia Fasick added 10 points, six rebounds, and a game-high eight assists.  The Mountain Cats also downed Seton Hill, 73-53, on Wednesday behind Alazaus' career-high 32 points.
    Fourth-year Head Coach Brooklyn Kohlheim and the Mercyhurst Lakers are 11-7 overall and 6-5 in the PSAC West after suffering a 68-41 setback to No. 25 Gannon on Saturday.  Jayde Boyd scored nine points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, and Julia Buchman, Danielle Grim, and Grace Centrulla all scored eight points against the Golden Knights.  On Wednesday, the Lakers secured a 61-51 at California (PA).
    Pitt-Johnstown and Mercyhurst met twice during the 2021-22 season and each team came away with a win.  On Jan. 31 in Erie, Norling had 18 points and seven rebounds, and Kylah Franklin added 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds to help the Mountain Cats hold on for a 59-58 victory.  The Lakers then earned a 65-45 win in the Sports Center on Feb. 21 behind Boyd's game-highs of 24 points and 11 rebounds.  Alazaus and Crawford each scored eight points for Pitt-Johnstown.

    Head Coach Bob Rukavina's (34th-year) Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats come in at 12-5 overall and 8-3 in the PSAC West following Saturday's 72-68 over Slippery Rock in the Sports Center.  John Paul Kromka's game-high 23 points on 8-12 shooting and 7-7 from the line paced four Mountain Cat double figure scorers.  Andrew Shull netted 15 points, while Joe Batt and Ryan Smith each scored 10 points.  On Wednesday, Pitt-Johnstown suffered a 79-71 loss at Seton Hill, despite Kromka's 17 points and game-high 15 rebounds.
    Kromka, Pitt-Johnstown's all-time leader in blocks with 283, ranks fifth on the Mountain Cat All-time Scoring List (1,699 points), fourth on the all-time rebounding list (844 rebounds) and 14th on the Pitt-Johnstown All-Time List. (276 assists).  Drew Magestro is currently tied with Quinton Davis (2005-09) for seventh-place on the all-time 3-point field goals list with 174.
    Mercyhurst, under 19th-year Head Coach Gary Manchel, brings a four-game winning streak into the game and is 13-2 overall and 9-2 in the PSAC West following Saturday's 72-58 home victory over Gannon.  Nicholas Lang scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Jeff Planutis and Michael Bradley added 14 and 12 points, respectively for the Lakers.  Mercyhurst also held on for a 66-65 win at California (PA) on Wednesday.
    Last season, Mercyhurst was able to take all three meetings between the teams.  After winning on their home court on Jan. 26 and holding off the Mountain Cats in the Sports Center on Feb. 16, the Lakers earned an 83-77 victory in the PSAC Quarterfinals in Erie on March 2.  Batt's game-high 28 points and seven rebounds and Ryan Smith's 15 points paced five Pitt-Johnstown double-figure scorers.  The Lakers were led by MiyKah McIntosh's 21 points and Planutis' 19 points and seven rebounds.

    The Pitt-Johnstown men and women travel to PSAC games at Edinboro on Wednesday and California (PA) next Saturday.  The Mountain Cats will return home for Winterfest Weekend and host a conference doubleheader against Clarion on Feb. 4 starting at 1 p.m.