Coaches don’t believe in moral victories, but Chris Klimchock of the Pitt-Greensburg men’s basketball team might be convinced otherwise.

Two weeks ago, the Bobcats played at Robert Morris in an exhibition game and hung with the Division I Colonials for a half. UPG trailed by only six at the break before Robert Morris’ size and athleticism took over en route to an 81-57 victory.

Klimchock, in his fifth season at the helm of the Bobcats, came away impressed by his team’s effort.

“I think just their toughness and resilience to play in a Division I game in their gym like that,” he said. “I think we showed we’ve got a good group of players here. … I thought for most of the game we competed.”

Added senior guard Matthew Marinchak: “We hung with some Division I guys who were way taller and bigger than us. I think it kind of just helped show as long as we work together and believe in each other, we can compete with anybody.”

That isn’t news to anyone in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference. The Bobcats were voted by the AMCC coaches as the preseason favorite to win the league, and senior forward Trent Rozich was named the league’s preseason player of the year.

UPG returns almost all of the key players from last year’s team that finished 12-4 in the conference. The Bobcats looked like a good bet to win the AMCC tournament, riding a streak of nine wins in a row and 15 in 16 games, but were knocked off by Penn State Altoona in their opener.

“I think it stung everyone pretty well,” said Marinchak, a Ligonier Valley grad. “But now we know, being (in the tournament) two years in a row, what we need to do to overcome that hump.”

Marinchak and Rozich were the leading scorers last season, averaging 15.1 and 15.3 points, respectively. But the Bobcats have plenty of players who can score.

Also returning are senior forward Joziah Watt-Taylor (12.2 ppg last season), senior guard Jackson Byer (11.7) and senior guard Michael Bigley (10.4). Klimchock also has high hopes for several young players: sophomore swingman Ty Keffer (Southmoreland), sophomore guard Jahmir Collins and freshman guard Tony Martin.

Martin (6-foot-2) was impressive against Robert Morris, coming off the bench to score 15 points, making 4 of 6 from the field and 6 of 9 from the free-throw line. Keffer also was in double digits with 13 points. Martin and Keffer also had two steals each.

“They’re going to be three key pieces of who we are this year and how we continue to get better,” Klimchock said.

Marinchak said he has been impressed with the way the younger players have jelled with the veterans.

“The chemistry this year is pretty insane,” he said. “Last year, I thought the chemistry was pretty good. I knew it could get better, but I didn’t know it could be this good.”

Pitt-Greensburg has done nothing in the early going to suggest it is a paper tiger (er, Bobcat). Heading into Tuesday’s nonconference matchup with Division II neighbor Seton Hill, UPG is 5-0.

Byer, Marinchak, Rozich and Bigley are averaging double figures, and five other player score at least 5.0 points per game.

AMCC play opens Dec. 3 when the Bobcats host Penn State Altoona. The ingredients are there, and now, Marinchak said, it’s time for the Bobcats to put it all together and win that elusive conference title. But he said the players aren’t taking anything for granted.

“Everyone is beatable,” he said. “We lost to Carlow last year, and they didn’t finish as one of the top teams (in the AMCC). Every team is someone we want to take seriously and go in there with the same attitude.”

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