Pitt-Johnstown cut a 17-point fourth quarter deficit to five, but could not overcome 22% shooting and suffered a 63-50 PSAC Western Division loss at Slippery Rock on Wednesday.  Gabrielle Smith had 10 points and six rebounds, and Maddie Shanahan added seven points and matched her career-high with 12 rebounds to lead the Mountain Cats, who slipped to 13-11 overall and 8-10 in the PSAC West.
 
Alli McGrath and Olivia Fasick each scored nine points, while Makalyn Clapper and Mia Oterson tallied six and five points, respectively for Pitt-Johnstown.
 
Both teams got off to slow starts and combined to shoot just 3-for-26 over the first five minutes.  Slippery Rock was able to get 11 first-quarter points from Madison Johnson to climb out to a 17-11 lead.
 
After a pair of Smith free-throws to open the second quarter cut the Pitt-Johnstown deficit to four, the Rock pushed its lead out to 26-17 on Brooke Hinderliter's jumper and a LeeAnn Gibson lay-up at 2:14.  Five straight points from Oterson got the deficit back down to four a minute later, but Johnson hit two from the line with :01 remaining to give Slippery Rock a 21-22 halftime advantage.
 
The shooting struggles continued for Pitt-Johnstown in the third quarter.  Slippery Rock increased its lead to 15 on another bucket from Johnson at the 3-minute mark and took a 47-32 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
Daeja Quick's layup with 7:29 got the Rock's lead out to 17, before 3-pointers from McGrath and Fasick got Pitt-Johnstown back to within nine at 51-42 two minutes later.  Pitt-Johnstown kept clawing back.  Another 3-pointer from Fasick at 1:59 got it down to five, but baskets from Hinderliter and Gibson on Slippery Rock's next two possessions rebuilt the lead to nine, and the Rock went on to the 13-point win.
 
Pitt-Johnstown, which shot just 17% percent through the first three quarters, ended the night at 22.1% (15-68).  The Mountain Cats were 4-17 from behind the arc, and 16-22 from the charity stripe.  Slippery Rock shot 39.3% (24-61) and was 2-9 from 3-point range and 13-20 from the line.
 
Johnson finished with a game-high 20 points to help Slippery Rock improve to 7-17 overall and 4-13 in the PSAC West.  Hinderliter had a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Gibson chipped-in 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
 
Pitt-Johnstown returns home to host a PSAC doubleheader with the men's team against Clarion on Saturday at starting at 1 p.m. in the Sports Center, before visiting Mercyhurst on Wednesday for another conference game.