Andy Zuchelli and Andrew Shull each recorded 17 points, and Pitt-Johnstown went a nearly-perfect 30-of-31 from the free throw line to grind out an 86-81 overtime victory over Frostburg State in the opening game of the Indiana (PA) IRMC Thanksgiving Classic on Saturday afternoon.
Despite shooting 35% from the floor, the difference was more than made up for at the charity stripe, especially in the overtime period where the Mountain Cats sank all 13 free throw attempts to give head coach Bob Rukavina his 550th career win.
The starting backcourt duo of Zuchelli and Shull also accounted for four rebounds, four assists and two steals apiece. Ryan Smith had 11 points, three rebounds and three assists. Freshman Gavin Headings recorded 12 points, all coming after the first half, and had nine rebounds and four assists.
Freshman Vinnie Cugini knocked down all seven of his free throw attempts and finished with 13 points and nine rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench. Nick Watts chipped in seven points and six rebounds in 13 crucial minutes.
The Mountain Cats had to persevere after not scoring a field goal in the final four and a half minutes.
Headings kept Pitt-Johnstown in control with four free throws in that span, but the only field goal in the final three and a half minutes came on Zane Mccarty's layup that tied it at 65-all with just six seconds remaining. Heading's three on the ensuing possession was off the mark as time expired to send the game into an extra five minutes.
Pitt-Johnstown never trailed in overtime after Zuchelli knocked down a pair of free throws to grab the lead for good with 4:12 to play. The Mountain Cats went up by as many as 10 twice, the last time coming via two free throws from Shull with a minute and a half to go.
Mccarty cut it to 84-81 on a three with eight seconds left, but Shull sealed it with two more free throws.
Three straight free throws from Watts down the stretch in the first half allowed the Mountain Cats to take a 34-32 lead into the break. They ran the lead up to as many as seven in the second half when Headings put in a second-chance layup to make it 42-35 at the 16:28 mark of the first half.
Pitt-Johnstown had a 34-26 advantage in points in the paint to go along with a 24-8 edge in fast break points.
Pitt-Johnstown battles St. Thomas Aquinas on Sunday at 3 p.m.
