The Pitt-Johnstown men's and women's basketball teams return home to a PSAC Western Division doubleheader against California (PA), Saturday afternoon in the Sports Center.  The women will tip-off the doubleheader against the Vulcans at 1 p.m. with the men's game to follow at 3 p.m.
 
            Pitt-Johnstown, under first-year Head Coach D'wan Shackleford-Vickroy, slipped to 2-15 overall and 0-10 in the PSAC following Wednesday's, 84-62, setback at 22^nd-ranked Indiana (PA).  Belle Bosch led the way for Pitt-Johnstown with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Lexi Margolis, Kate Myers, and Hayden Keith all scored nine points for the Mountain Cats.  Riley Childress had six points and a game-high five assists.
            Head Coach Jess Strom (14^th-year) and the California (PA) Vulcans evened their record at 8-8 overall and 5-5 in the PSAC with Wednesday evening's, 85-74, home win over Clarion.  Talia Gilliard's 26 points and six rebounds and Iyahnna Williams' 22 points paced four Vulcans who scored in double figures.  Sierra Bermudez finished with 11 points, and Alicia Young tallied 10 points for Cal U.
            Cal U swept a pair of PSAC West games from the Mountain Cats in 2023-24.  On Jan. 24 in California, Cassidy Crawford scored a game-high 27 points and Peyton Alazaus added 23 points to become Pitt-Johnstown's 40^th 1,000-point scorer, but the Vulcans held on for an 89-86 overtime victory.  Cal U went on to complete the season sweep with a 55-41 win in the Sports Center on Feb. 21 behind 25 points and nine rebounds from Dejah Terrell.  Crawford's 15 points and five rebounds led the Mountain Cats.
 
            Pitt-Johnstown, under 36^th-year Head Coach Bob Rukavina, slipped to 8-9 overall and 4-6 in the PSAC after an 84-73 loss at Indiana (PA) on Wednesday.  Ryan Smith had 21 points and Sean Dillon added 13 point and six rebounds to lead five Mountain Cat double-digit scorers.  Baden Forup had 11 points and a game-high seven rebounds, while Vinnie Cugini and Will Kromka scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.  On Saturday, Smith's game-high 20 points guided Pitt-Johnstown to a 68-65 conference victory at Clarion.
            Smith enters the game ranked 25^th on the Mountain Cat All-time Scoring List with 1,089 points.  Dillon, who transferred to Pitt-Johnstown prior to this season after scoring 819 points at Seton Hill, needs 33 points to become a 1,000-point scorer.
            Head Coach Danny Sancomb's (7^th year) California (PA) Vulcans made it three straight victories and are now 10-8 overall and 5-5 in the PSAC after a 90-74 home win over Clarion on Wednesday.  Cam Polak scored a game-high 35 points and Donald Whitehead, Jr. collected 23 points to pace the Vulcans.  Cal U also got seven points and a game-high 14 rebounds from Kadyn Hannah.
            Pitt-Johnstown and Cal U have met 51 times since the 1971-72 season, and the Vulcans hold a narrow, 26-25, advantage.  Last season, Cal U picked up a pair of conference wins against the Mountain Cats.  On Jan. 24 in California, KJ McClurg and Jermaine Hall, Jr. had 25 and 24 points, respectively to lead the Vulcans to a, 95-74, win.  Andy Zuchelli's 20 points paced four Mountain Cat double figure scorers. On Feb. 21, Cugini scored 16 points and Zuchelli added 12 points and seven rebounds, but Cal U was able to complete the season sweep with an 86-71 victory in the Sports Center.
 
            Both Pitt-Johnstown teams travel to a PSAC West game at nationally-ranked Gannon on Wednesday, before hosting a conference doubleheader against Seton Hill on Jan. 29 in the Sports Center.