Johnstown, Pa. - Millersville and Pitt-Johnstown traded the lead 16 times and the score stood tied 11 times, but the Marauders' offense hit a wall mid-way through the second half. That allowed the homestanding Mountain Cats to open a double-digit lead and then hold on for a 77-71 win. 

Pitt-Johnstown improved to 8-3 (3-1 PSAC) and 5-0 at home while Millersville dropped to 6-5 overall and 3-2 in PSAC play. 

Jamal Washington's free throws with 11:09 to play put the Marauders up 50-47, but over the next 7:25 of game action, Millersville went 2 of 9 from the field, 0 of 4 from three and committed five turnovers. Pitt-Johnstown took advantage with a 21-4 run and pulled in front by as many as 14 at 68-54 with just over three minutes left. 

"We settled for too many threes," said Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel. "We were stressing that we get two paint touches. We've had a lot of success when we've done that. We took some quick shots and had some live ball turnovers. When we've gone through droughts and teams have gone on those runs, live ball turnovers have been a big factor. When we take care of the ball we have a good chance to score because we have talented players. Right after we went up three we had some chances to extend the lead and didn't. The run followed right after that."

Jaden Faulkner ended the drought with back-to-back buckets, and Millersville, using a 15-5 run of its own, crawled back within 73-69 with 42 seconds to play on Amadou Kaba's three consecutive free throws. But Millersville could not get the defensive stops it needed in the waning seconds. Overplaying and looking for steals, Millersville left Joe Batt open for a layup with 27 seconds left. That bucket put UPJ up two possessions. Justin Nwosu's pull-up jumper at the other end missed long, UPJ grabbed the rebound, and effectively sealed the win. 

"They switched screens, and we try to do a little too much one-on-one," said Stitzel of the team's offensive struggles. "We had been doing such a great job of sharing the ball and tonight we got a little stagnant. Give credit to (Pitt-Johnstown). They packed it in, took away our driving lanes and forced us to take contested threes. It is all learning."

With the offense misfiring, Millersville stayed in the game with a solid defensive outing, holding UPJ--the PSAC's highest-scoring offense, to its fourth-fewest points of the season and to 18 points under its average. UPJ had scored 109 and 99 in its two previous games. 

"That team is an explosive team, and we guarded pretty well," said Stitzel.  

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Millersville had shot better than 44 percent from the field in six consecutive games but connected on just 42.4 percent (25 of 59) Wednesday. Millersville also struggled mightily from the foul line, making 14 of 23 while UPJ sank 18 of 24. 
• Millersville totaled a season-low nine assists and also committed a season-high 20 turnovers. 
• Faulkner scored a career-high 20 points, added six rebounds, four assists and four steals. 
• Caden Najdawi recorded his third double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds. 
• Marcus Adkison made 6 of 14 shots for 14 points--matching his lowest scoring total of the 2018-19 season. 

NOTES
• Pitt-Johnstown has now won four in a row against Millersville since it joined the PSAC in 2014-15. 
• After a three-game road swing, the Marauders return home for their next four games--three of which are against PSAC East foes. 

QUOTABLE
• "I think we got better. I know we aren't happy with tonight, but overall, we've gotten better as a group, our culture. We've grown so much. We have been in both (of the last two losses), we know what we need to do to get better, and if we keep trending, our best basketball is ahead of us." - Casey Stitzel

UP NEXT
• Millersville returns to Pucillo Gymnasium on Dec. 29 for its first home game in 26 days. The Marauders hosts Penn State Fayette for the first ever meeting between the programs. 

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