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University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Athletics

PITT-JOHNSTOWN MOUNTAIN CATS

Women's Basketball

DeCriscio Has Career-Night, but Lady Cats Fall in Season-Opener at D&E

Elkins, WV

Box Score
Kayla DeCriscio hit eight 3-pointers and poured in a career-high 24 points, and Kelsey Sleighter added 22 points, but Davis & Elkins erased a six-point halftime deficit and dealt the Lady Cats 91-80 non-conference road loss in Head Coach Mike Drahos' Pitt-Johnstown debut.
 
It was the Kayla DeCriscio show to get things started.  DeCriscio hit seven 3-pointers and finished with 21 first half points to give Pitt-Johnstown a six-point halftime advantage.
 
After falling behind 6-0 early, Kelsey Sleighter collected eight points, and Rachel Johnson knocked down a pair of free-throws at 12:25 to cap a 16-2 Lady Cat run and put Pitt-Johnstown in front 16-8.
 
Davis & Elkins battled back to knot it at 22 with just over seven minutes left in the half on a Stephanie Wooten jumper, but DeCriscio continued to knock down long range shots to keep Pitt-Johnstown in front.
 
DeCrsiscio's seventh 3-pointer of the half made it 42-36.  Dominique Smith then followed with a 3-pointer of her own with 48 seconds to go to increase it to 50-43, before Ashley Magallanez's free-throw cut the Senators' deficit to 50-44 at the break.
 
Just like in the opening half, Davis & Elkins netted the first six points and tied it at 50 on an Alicia Lentz jumper, but DeCriscio and Sleighter each connected again from 3-point range to rebuild it to 62-56 at the 13-minute mark.
 
The Senators came back to tie it on three occasions, before Wooten's 3-pointer gave the Senators a 73-70 advantage with 4:45 to play.
 
Davis & Elkins never relinquished the lead and went on to secure the 11-point victory.
 
Decriscio's 24 points on 8-17 shooting from behind the 3-point line led all scorers.  Sleighter added 22 points and five rebounds, while Smith finished with nine points off the bench.  Pitt-Johnstown also got eight points and 13 rebounds from Jasmine Harper and six points and a game-high 14 rebounds from Johnson in the loss.
 
Pitt-Johnstown was unable to overcome 34% shooting and 30 turnovers.  The Lady Cats finished just 25-74 from the field and 15-25 from the free-throw line.  However, Pitt-Johnstown made 15 of it 41 3-pointers.  Davis & Elkins shot 41% (36-88) from the floor, 3-18 from 3-point range, and 26-23 from the charity stripe.
 
Wooten's 21 points and Lentz's 18 points and nine rebounds paced the Senators, who I proved to 1-2.
 
Pitt-Johnstown will host Washington Adventist (MD) University to open the home schedule on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., before traveling Indiana University (PA) to start conference-play on November 20.
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