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University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Athletics

PITT-JOHNSTOWN MOUNTAIN CATS
Ali Single
43
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ-W 7-8, 4-6 PSAC
53
Winner California (PA) CAL-W 15-1, 10-0 PSAC
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ-W
7-8, 4-6 PSAC
43
Final
53
California (PA) CAL-W
15-1, 10-0 PSAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Pitt-Johnstown UPJ-W 4 10 11 18 43
California (PA) CAL-W 15 14 18 6 53

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

No. 10 California (PA) Starts Fast in 53-43 PSAC Win Over Pitt-Johnstown

California (PA)

4910For the third time in four games, the Pitt-Johnstown women's basketball team faced a nationally-ranked opponent.  On Wednesday, the Cats traveled to 10th-ranked California University (PA) and the Vulcans built a 20-point second quarter lead on its way to a 53-43 PSAC victory.  Maddie Shanahan's career-high 11 points and six rebounds led Pitt-Johnstown, which fell to 7-8 overall and 4-6 in the PSAC.
 
California (PA) took control early.  The Vulcans defense held Pitt-Johnstown to just 24% shooting in the opening half and turned 18 first half turnovers into 19-points to build a 15-point halftime advantage.
 
Shatara Parsons and Mia Cushon combined for the Vulcan's first nine points, before Pitt-Johnstown got on the scoreboard on Nicole Olkosky's short jumper at the four minute mark of the first quarter.  California (PA) got two more buckets from Parsons down the stretch to increase the Vulcans' lead to 15-4.
 
California (PA) held the momentum and outscored the Cats 14-5 over the first eight minutes of the second quarter to build the lead to 20 at 29-9 on another basket from Parsons and two more of Cushon's 15 first half points.  Pitt-Johnstown scored the final five points on buckets from Gabrielle Smith and Maurina Nunn and a free-throw by Olivia McCabe with one second remaining to cut it to 29-14 at the break.
 
The Cats just didn't have an answer for Cushon.  Cushon scored the Vulcans' first six points of the third quarter and Parsons added a layup to increase the lead to 37-14.  Olkosky's basket, followed by Alexis Hartwick's 3-pointer at the 3-minute mark got Pitt-Johnstown back to within 18, but California (PA) got two free-throws from Parsons and a late layup from Emma Suckling to rebuild the lead to 47-25 entering the fourth quarter.
 
Pitt-Johnstown settled down and continued to battle and outscored California (PA) 18-6 in the final quarter.  The Cats got a jumper from Shanahan with 28 seconds to play that narrowed it to 10.
 
Along with Shanahan, Pitt-Johnstown also got nine points and eight rebounds from Smith, five points and a game-high 11 rebounds from McCabe, and eight points from Nunn.
 
McCabe currently stands in 36th place on the Pitt-Johnstown All-Time Scoring List with 1,031 points and 13th on the All-Time Rebounding List with 713 rebounds.
 
After the slow start shooting, Pitt-Johnstown, which out-rebounded the Vulcans 39-30, finished the evening at 33.3% (15-45) from the field, 2-7 from 3-point range, and 11-15 from the free-throw line.  California (PA) shot 37.3% (22-59) from the floor, but 0-7 from behind the 3-point line.  The Vulcans were also 9-12 from the charity stripe.
 
Pitt-Johnstown returns home to the Sports Center to host PSAC doubleheaders with the Mountain Cats against Mercyhurst University on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Slippery Rock University on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
 
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