Box Score
Olivia McCabe tallied a game-high 24 points, but Pitt-Johnstown was unable to overcome a 16-point fourth quarter run from Clarion University and were defeated 82-73 in PSAC West Division competition Monday in the Pitt-Johnstown Sports Center. The game was originally scheduled for Jan. 23 but was postponed for two days due to inclement weather.
 
Along with her 24 points, McCabe also grabbed seven rebounds and contributed two assists. Jasmine Harper and Olivia Rizzo also scored in double-digits, recording 13 points and 11 points respectively for the Lady Cats, who have lost eight of their last nine games, falling to 7-13 overall and 4-10 in conference play with the loss.
 
Harper also grabbed three rebounds, which places her 12 boards behind Helen Young (1999-03) for 11^th-place on the Lady Cat All-Time Rebounding list with 710. Her offensive production of 13 points moved her up two spots on the Lady Cat All-Time Scoring list to 21^st-place with 1,188 points, passing Samantha Conner (2002-06) and Carrie Thomas (1995-99).
 
It was a tale of two halves for Pitt-Johnstown when it came to shooting as the Lady Cats were able to shoot 14-for-24 (58%) from the field and 3-for-6 (50%) from three-point territory in the first half, but shot just 1-for-10 from beyond the arc, 9-for-30 overall, in the second.
 
Clarion shot over 40% from both the field and around the perimeter but outdid themselves in the second half by shooting over 60% from both. While both teams had over 20 turnovers, it was the Golden Eagles who capitalized on them the most, outscoring Pitt-Johnstown off of turnovers, 30-20.
 
At the game's start, the Lady Cats were down 5-4 with 7:22 left in the opening period, but a layup from McCabe at 7:15, a jumper from Laurel O'Barto at 6:46 and two free throws from Jamie Tabon at the 6:20 first quarter mark gave Pitt-Johnstown a 10-5 lead. Tabon finished the game with eight points and five rebounds while O'Barto totaled five points, six rebounds and two steals.
 
Kayla DeCriscio finished off what ended up being a nine-point run with a basket from beyond the arc after an assist from O'Barto. Pitt-Johnstown led 13-5 with 6:01 remaining in the quarter.
 
Clarion then followed with an 11-point run of their own that lasted for 4:04, until the 1:23 mark in the period. The Lady Cats were held without a basket for 5:11. It wasn't until there was 1:09 remaining that Dominique Smith a hit jumper, but the Lady Cats still trailed, 16-15.
 
The Golden Eagles' Ashley DeLeonibus made two free throws with 39 seconds left to finish off the period, giving Clarion an 18-15 advantage heading into the first half's final ten minutes.
 
Clarion amounted a 23-19 lead after a three-pointer from Tania Holmes with 8:17 to go in the half, but Pitt-Johnstown soon overcame the lead. Rizzo made a three-point shot 13 seconds later to position the Lady Cats within a point of the lead, and was followed up by a layup from Tabon to take a 24-23 lead at the 7:42 second quarter mark.
 
Two free throws Clarion's Jen Straw 20 seconds later helped the Golden Eagles regain a one-point lead, but Rizzo was able to follow with another shot from behind the arc at the 7:11 mark to make the score 27-25, in favor of Pitt-Johnstown.
 
The Golden Eagles were able to tie the game at 30 points, scoring five the next eight points. A steal and assist by Jordan Bekelja and a layup from Delrika Jones-Carey led to the tie.
 
With 4:43 left to go until halftime, Tyra Polite hit a three-pointer to give the Golden Eagles a 33-30 advantage. McCabe tied the game at 33 with a layup, but Bekelja made another shot from three-point territory to help Clarion was again regain the lead, 36-33 with just another three minutes remaining.
 
The Golden Eagles would ride out the second quarter with the lead, but two free throws from McCabe with three seconds left after being fouled by Nicole Maxson would cut Clarion's halftime lead from four to two points, 43-41.
 
McCabe opened the second half the way she closed the first, making two free throws, this time to give the Lady Cats a 43-42 advantage 38 seconds into the second half. McCabe scored again at the 8:15 third quarter mark to put Pitt-Johnstown ahead 46-43, but Clarion's Bekelja and Jones-Carey both made layups by the 7:23 mark to retake the lead, 47-46.
 
The lead changed three more times in the quarter, McCabe made another pair of free throws at 1:35 and a layup with 43 seconds left in the period, but Polite hit a three-pointer with 15 seconds to go in the period to tie the game at 59 points heading into the final quarter.
 
Rizzo opened the period with a successful shot from beyond the arc, her ninth points of the game, 39 seconds into the period with UPJ leading, 62-59. After Tabon made a free throw at the 8:47 mark, Polite made a layup and three-point shot a minute later to help Clarion reclaim the lead, 64-63.
 
Polite's baskets started a 16-point run, which spanned for just over four minutes, which ended with the Golden Eagles building a 12-point advantage with 4:36 remaining in the game, 75-63.
 
Pitt-Johnstown scored the next seven points, however, with Harper scoring five of the seven points for her team to cut Clarion's lead to 75-70, but a layup from DeLeonibus gave her team a seven-point lead with 1:26 left. This made the point differential too large of a deficit with too little time left on the clock.
 
Polite led the Golden Eagles with 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists while Bekelja recorded a double-double, 16 points and 11 rebounds, as Clarion advances to 7-13 overall and 7-7 in conference play with the win.
 
The Lady Cats are to host Seton Hill University Saturday at 1 p.m. in a PSAC West Division doubleheader with the Mountain Cats at the Pitt-Johnstown Sports Center. On Feb. 3 at 5 p.m., the team is to then travel to California University (Pa.) for a doubleheader with the Mountain Cats