Pitt-Johnstown flipped the script midway through the second half and then preserved its lead with a handful of clutch shots down the stretch to hold off Edinboro for an 82-75 victory on Senior Day on Saturday afternoon at the Sports Center.
The Mountain Cats erased what was once a 13-point deficit late in the first half to improve to 6-17 overall (4-13 PSAC). Before the game tipped off, graduating players Andy Zuchelli, Grant Timmerson and Colin Cote were all honored for their commitment to the program.
It was one of the most balanced scoring efforts of the season for the Mountain Cats on a day when they shot 46% (29-for-63) overall, heavily aided by a 53.6% (15-for-28) performance over the final 20 minutes.
Nick Watts collected a game-high 18 points in 23 minutes off the bench to pair with four rebounds and three assists. Will Kromka provided 16 points and seven rebounds, while freshman Gavin Headings added 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots.
Freshman Vinnie Cugini had 12 points and five boards, and Elijah Sechler supplied 11 points and dished out six assists. Zuchelli recorded 11 points, six rebounds and six assists.
After JJ Eubank's 3-pointer trimmed the lead to 68-63 with six minutes left, Sechler drilled a 3-pointer a minute later with the shot clock winding down to push the lead back eight. The Mountain Cats went up by as many as 10 and maintained a lead of at least six points the rest of the way.
Pitt-Johnstown led 50-48 before a game-altering 10-3 flurry capped by a traditional three-point play from Kromka made it 60-51 with 10:35 remaining. The Mountain Cats forced 19 turnovers and accumulated 29 points off those miscues. They held a slight 39-38 edge on the glass and had a 20-10 advantage in second chance points.
It wasn't all smooth sailing to start as Edinboro went on an 8-0 run to take a 35-22 lead with 5:38 left in the first half. Pitt-Johnstown capped the first half on a 12-4 run and went into the break down 39-34.
Madior Seye totaled a team-high 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Scots, who slipped to 6-17 overall (5-12 PSAC).
Pitt-Johnstown visits Indiana (Pa.) on Wednesday night for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off from the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.
