Gabrielle Smith scored a game-high 25 points and pulled down seven rebounds, but Salem (WV) University got hot and outscored Pitt-Johnstown by 20 points in the second half to turn a three-point halftime deficit into an 86-69 non-conference victory, Wednesday evening in Salem, W.Va.  The Mountain Cats slipped to 4-4.
 
Pitt-Johnstown opened-up 17-12 lead on Smith's basket, before Salem outscored Pitt-Johnstown 6-1 over the final 4:14 of the opening quarter to tie it at 18.
 
Alli McGrath scored five of the Mountain Cats' first seven points to start the second quarter that rebuild the lead to 25-18.  The Tigers answered with a 16-7 run, capped by Tamia Tart's 3-pointer, to take its first lead of the night at 34-32, but Pitt-Johnstown got a pair of free-throws from Smith and one from Abbie Pechin to take a 39-36 halftime advantage.
 
Maddie Shanahan's free-throw and a Tori Moreland jumper increased the Mountain Cats' lead to 45-38 four minutes into the third quarter.  Salem battled back again.  This time Reeva Jackson's layup and a Nia Bishop free-throw with :39 left in the quarter put the Tigers up by three, and Salem went into the fourth quarter in front, 57-54.
 
Salem held the momentum and got seven straight points from Endia Jones to extend the lead to 67-58 two minutes into the fourth quarter.  Three-pointers from Daniela Villalobos and Bishop pushed the Tigers' lead to 73-60 two minutes later.
 
Salem never let Pitt-Johnstown get the deficit under double digits the rest of the way and went on to the 17-point victory.
 
Along with Smith, Pitt-Johnstown also got 20 points and nine rebounds from McGrath and 15 points and a career-high 11 rebounds from Shanahan.  Maurina Nunn had seven rebounds for the Mountain Cats.
 
Pitt-Johnstown shot 39.3% (22-56) from the field and held then Tigers to 38.6% (32-83) shooting.  However, Salem connected on 9-of-34 of its 3-pointers, while the Mountain Cats were 0-7 from behind the arc.  Pitt-Johnstown was 25-36 from the free-throw line, and the Tigers shot 13-22 from the charity stripe.
 
Bishop's 20 points and Jones' 16 points and seven rebounds paced four Salem players who scored in double figures and helped the Tigers improve to 2-7 on the year.
 
Pitt-Johnstown will make its 2018-19 home debut with a PSAC game against Kutztown as part of a doubleheader with the men's team on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Sports Center.  After breaking for Finals Week, the Mountain Cats will host a non-conference doubleheader against Cheyney on December 18 and a PSAC doubleheader with the men's team against Millersville on December 19.