Alli McGrath scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to help Pitt-Johnstown team open up a 16-point third quarter lead on its way to a 68-56 win over Wheeling (WV) University in Saturday's 2019-20 home-opener in the Sports Center.  The Mountain Cats improved to 3-1.
 
A pair of free-throws and a short jumper from McGrath put Pitt-Johnstown up 10-3 four minutes into the opening quarter.  Wheeling cut it to three on a Lilly Ritz layup, but the Mountain Cats got a bucket from Ashley Dean late in the quarter to take a 16-11 lead.
 
Pitt-Johnstown started the second quarter with a 10-4 run, capped by Makalyn Clapper's basket to push it into double digits at 26-15.  The Mountain Cats maintained the lead and built it to 13 on Lindsay Shuke's basket in the paint, before Khira Burton hit one of two from the free-throw line with seven seconds left to cut Wheeling's deficit to 35-23 at the half.
 
McGrath's 3-pointer. Followed by a Gabrielle Smith bucket at 6:25 of the third quarter gave Pitt-Johnstown its largest lead of the day at 45-29, but the Cardinals came back and outscored the Mountain Cats 19-6 the rest of the way to make it 51-48 entering the final quarter.
 
However, Smith scored for Pitt-Johnstown to begin the quarter, and Olivia Fasick hit a 3-pointer at 3:40 to get the lead back out to eight.  Wheeling was able to get as close as four on a Lauren Lipscomb free-throw with 2:52 left, but the Mountain Cats scored the final eight points to pull away.
 
McGrath's double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds led three Pitt-Johnstown players who scored in double figures.  Smith had 16 points and five rebounds, and Fasick added 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals.  Maddie Shanahan chipped-in seven rebounds and a game-high six assists.
 
The Mountain Cats ended the afternoon shooting 40.9% (27-66) from the field, 5-19 from 3-point range, and 9-13 from the free-throw line.  Pitt-Johnstown held the Cardinals to just 31.1% (19-61) shooting, including just 3-13 from behind the arc.  Wheeling was also 15-26 from the free-throw line.
 
Ritz finished with 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, while Taliah Cashwell had 12 points and Burton had 10 points for Wheeling, which slipped to 1-2.
 
Pitt-Johnstown continues a five-game homestand with a non-conference game against West Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Sports Center, before beginning PSAC Crossover-play with doubleheaders with the men's team against East Stroudsburg on November 23 and Kutztown on November 24. Both doubleheaders will begin at 1 p.m.