The Pitt-Johnstown men's and women's basketball teams, battling for spots in the upcoming PSAC basketball Tournament, will host key conference games against California (PA), Wednesday night starting at 5:30 in the Sports Center.
 
The Pitt Johnstown women, 8-15 overall and 5-11 in the PSAC under second-year Head Coach D'wan Shackleford-Vickroy, is coming off of an impressive 62-53 home win over Edinboro on Saturday.  Riley Childress knocked down three 3-pointers and led the Mountain Cats with 19 points and five rebounds, while Sophia Ott added a dozen points, and Lexi Margolis finished with nine points and five rebounds.  Pitt-Johnstown also suffered a 75-60 home loss to sixth-ranked Indiana (PA) on Wednesday, despite eight 3-pointers and a game-high 26 points from Margolis last Wednesday.
 
Head Coach Jess Strom (15^th year) and the Cal Vulcans enter the game at 11-15 overall and 7-9 in the PSAC.  Cal bounced back from a 111-87 setback at Seton Hill last Wednesday with a 101-94 home win over Clarion on Saturday.  Kennedy Bankett (23 points), Kimaya Williams (22 points), and Macy Sardone (20 points) all scored 20 or more points, and Trinity Balog had a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds against the Golden Eagles.
 
The Mountain Cats and Vulcans met in California on Jan. 31 and Cal came away with an 82-58 victory.  Ott scored 20 points and Childress added 13 point to pace Pitt-Johnstown.  Bankett's game-high 34 points and Williams' 12 points, six rebounds, and nine assists led four Vulcans who scored in double figures. 
 
 
The Mountain Cat men, under Head Coach Bob Rukavina, enter the game at 11-13 overall and 5-11 in the PSAC.  The Mountain Cats look to bounce back from a pair of narrow home losses last week.  After suffering an 88-82 setback to Indiana (PA) last Wednesday, Edinboro held off the Mountain Cats, 73-71, in Coach Rukavina's 1,000^th career game on Saturday in the Sports Center.  Baden Forup posted game-highs of 23 points and 15 rebounds to record his 11^th straight and 17^th double-double of the season, and Cedric Rault had 13 points and a game-high seven assists against the Fighting Scots.  Pitt-Johnstown also got 11 points and six rebounds from Adam Bilinsky and 10 points and six boards from Will Kromka.
 
Head Coach Danny Sancomb's (8^th-year) Cal Vulcans picked up a pair of wins last week and are 17-6 overall and 14-2 in the PSAC.  After defeating Seton Hill, 84-48, last Wednesday, the Vulcans downed Clarion, 103-86, on Saturday.  Bryson Lucas recorded game-highs of 24 points and nine rebounds, while Antoine Arnett had 22 points and Brayden Reynolds had 17 points.
 
Since joining the PSAC in the 2013-14 season, the Mountain Cats hold a 14-9 advantage in the series.  The teams met in California on Jan. 31 and the Vulcans held on for a 79-68 victory.  Forup posted a career-high of 32 points on 12-15 shooting and 8-9 from the line and 17 rebounds to lead Pitt-Johnstown.  Cal got a double-double of 30 points and 12 boards from Lucas' and 13 points apiece from Jordyn Buchanan and Arnett.
 
Both teams travel to PSAC West games at nationally-ranked Gannon on Saturday and Seton Hill on Feb. 25, before returning home to celebrate Senior Day and close out the regular season with a conference doubleheader against Clarion on Feb. 28.