Host West Chester outscored the Pitt-Johnstown women's basketball team 19-8 in the fourth quarter and held off a late comeback by the Mountain Cats, who dropped their PSAC opener 62-54 Friday night in a crossover game

The Mountain Cats are 2-4 overall and 0-1 in the PSAC West, while West Chester is 3-3 overall, 1-0 in the PSAC East. 

The Golden Rams scored the final five points of the game after Pitt-Johnstown erased an eight-point deficit and pulled within three points on guard Peyton Alaazas' layup and 3-pointer in the final two minutes at Hollinger Field House. 

Alazaus was one of three Pitt-Johnstown players in double figures with 17 points, including four 3-pointers. Guard Olivia Fasick had 12 points and guard Makalyn Clapper added 11 points and 9 rebounds.

Guard Kyra Jefferson had a game-high 21 points and 8 rebounds for West Chester, hitting 8 of 14 shots. Guard Alex Abbonizio added 11 points.

Pitt-Johnstown shot just 28.6 percent (18 of 63) from the floor and 24.3 percent (8 of 33) from 3-point range. The Golden Rams hit 41.7 percent (20 of 48) from the field and 25 percent (3 of 12) from beyond the arc.

West Chester, which trailed after three quarters, tied the game and then took a 50-47 lead for good at the 6:26 mark of the final stanza, thanks to Nancy Ruff's four free throws and another by Morgan Marley within a one-minute span. 

Pitt-Johnstown trailed by as many as six points in the third quarter, 35-29, but went on a 12-0 run and took a 41-35 lead on Alazaus' third 3 of the game at 2:39.

Two more 3s from Kylah Franklin and Kendyl McKissock and two free throws each from Clapper and Fasick during the four-minute stretch helped give the Mountain Cats their biggest lead of the game.

Jefferson's free throw tied the game at 43-43, but Clapper's 3 at the buzzer gave the Mountain Cats a 46-43 lead after three.

West Chester opened the second quarter with a 5-0 run before Fasick sank a 3 to cut the lead to 20-18 at 7:06. Her second 3 two minutes later cut another five-point deficit to 23-21, but the Golden Rams went on an 8-2 run for a 31-23 edge.

The Mountain Cats scored the final four points to draw within four at the half, 31-27, as Molly Wagoner and Clapper scored on layups in the final minute.

In the first quarter, Ashley Norling's layup gave the Mountain Cats an early 2-0 lead, but Alexa Abbonizio scored seven of the next nine points for West Chester and put the Golden Rams on top at 9-4 on a jump shot at the 6:36.

Down seven with 3:05 to play, Pitt-Johnstown went on a 10-2 run, highlighted by two 3s from Alazaus. Clapper's two free throws with 26 seconds left gave the Mountain Cats the lead at 15-14, but the Golden Rams bounced back for a 16-15 edge after one on Jefferson's jumper with 10 seconds left. 

Pitt-Johnstown, coached by Mike Drahos, returns to the court at 1 p.n. Saturday against Millersville in another PSAC crossover road game.