INDIANA, Pa. — Pitt-Johnstown clawed back to within five points with less than four minutes remaining, but couldn't complete the comeback in a hard-fought 80-70 loss to Indiana (Pa.) in the PSAC West opener for both teams on Wednesday night at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.
The Mountain Cats slipped to 9-6 (3-4 PSAC).
Junior forward Baden Forup strung together a memorable performance that saw him eclipse 1,000 points for his career on a layup at the 17:03 mark of the second half. Forup, who came into the night needing just 10 points to reach the milestone, netted 381 points at Capital University (OH) and has amassed 625 points thus far at Pitt-Johnstown.
He finished with 16 points and set a new career-best with a game-high 16 rebounds to notch his team-leading eighth double-double of the season.
Jay Rose knocked down three 3-pointers and provided a team-high 18 points off the bench. Will Kromka contributed 16 points and five rebounds while playing a team-high 37 minutes.
The Mountain Cats fell into a 15-point hole early in the second half before ripping off a 10-0 run capped by a layup from Forup that made it 58-53. They eventually cut it to 62-58 on Rose's three at the 10:38 mark.
Down 72-60, Rose brought Pitt-Johnstown back with a personal 8-0 run that trimmed it back to a four-point game with less than six minutes remaining. Forup later went 1-for-2 at the free-throw line to make it 74-69, but that was as close as the Mountain Cats would get to tying it over the final five minutes.
Forup's layup to tie the game at 2-all in the opening two minutes was the only time the contest was tied. The Mountain Cats were down by as many as 10 in the first half, but closed to within one possession on two separate occasions with less than two minutes to go.
Despite shooting 50% (15 of 30) from the floor in the half, Pitt-Johnstown trailed 45-38 at the break.
The Mountain Cats racked up 20 bench points compared to the Hawks' eight and held IUP to just 40% (14 of 35) shooting in the second half, which included a 2-for-14 mark from distance.
Dallis Dillard had a game-high 31 points for the Hawks, who moved to 10-2 (5-1 PSAC).
Pitt-Johnstown will host Slippery Rock in a 3 p.m. tip-off on Saturday, Jan. 10 in the Sports Center.
