Pitt-Johnstown took nationally ranked Gannon down to the wire before suffering a hard-fought 91-83 loss on Wednesday night at the Highmark Events Center.
The Mountain Cats slipped to 9-10 (5-7 PSAC). The Golden Knights, who came in ranked 9th in the D2CSC poll and No. 23 in the NABC poll, moved to 16-3 (11-0 PSAC).
Baden Forup recorded his second double-double of the season with game-highs of 26 points and 12 rebounds. Both were season-high marks for the sophomore forward, who was 10-of-15 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line in 29 minutes.
Sophomore guard Vinnie Cugini provided 15 points and two steals. Adam Bilinsky contributed 13 points, six rebounds and three assists, while Nick Watts added 11 points and five rebounds in just 15 minutes of action. Meanwhile, graduate transfer Sean Dillon scored four points and is just eight away from 1,000 for his career.
The Mountain Cats were down by as many as 10 on two separate occasions in the second half before battling back.Â
Forup capped a crucial 8-1 flurry with an and-one that vaulted the Mountain Cats to a 72-70 lead with less than five minutes remaining.Â
After Gannon took a one-point edge, Elijah Sechler responded with a pair of free throws that made it 76-75 with 3:28 to go. It marked the last time the Mountain Cats found themselves in front as the Golden Knights went ahead for good just 11 seconds later.
Cugini trimmed the deficit to 85-83 with 34 seconds left, but just five seconds later, a controversial lane violation allowed Gannon to go back up by two possessions and salt the game away from that point.
Despite the outcome, the Mountain Cats enjoyed one of their most efficient nights of the season with a 54% (32-of-59) performance from the field, which included a 56% mark over the final 20 minutes. They also outscored the Golden Knights 60-48 in the paint.
The Mountain Cats began the game on a furious 12-2 run that was punctuated by a jumper from Bilinsky. They were down eight with less than two minutes to play in the first half before heading into the locker room down 42-37.
Tasman Goodrick and Ernest Shelton each had 22 points for the Golden Knights, who will complete the season-series with a visit to the Sports Center on Saturday, Feb. 22.
Pitt-Johnstown will have a week off before hosting Seton Hill on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the second game of a doubleheader with the women's team.
