The Pitt-Johnstown women's basketball team returned to the court for the first time in 17 days Wednesday.

Poor shooting and foul problems plagued the Mountain Cats, who never led in the game while dropping a 66-52 decision to host Slippery Rock in a PSAC West matchup at Morrow Field House.

Pitt-Johnstown (4-8 overall, 2-4 PSAC) did manage to get within four points, 44-40, late in the third quarter on a 3-pointer by guard Peyton Alazaus, but they were outscored 22-12 over the final 11 minutes.

Slippery Rock (9-3, 4-2 PSAC) led by as many as 18 points in the second half en route to winning its third consecutive game.

Alazaus led Pitt-Johnstown with 15 points in its first game of 2022. Forward Ashley Norling added 13 points and seven rebounds, while guard Makalyn Clapper had 10 points, six rebounds and four assists. Forward Molly Wagoner added seven rebounds and three blocks.

In addition to foul problems, coach Mike Drahos' Pitt-Johnstown team shot just 37.3% (19 of 51) from the field, 15% (3 of 20) from 3-point range and 68.8% (11 of 16) from the free throw line.

Slippery Rock shot 39% (23 of 59) from the floor and 23.1% (23 of 59) from behind the arc. The Rockets, who improved to 14-38 in the all-time series, made 73.9% of their free throws, hitting 17 of 23. 

Guard Daeja Quick led Slippery Rock with a game-high 20 points. Center Jamiyah Johnson, who leads NCAA Division II in rebounding and double-doubles (12), finished with 15 points and 17 rebounds. Guard Deleah Gibson also contributed 13 points for coach Bobby McGraw's team.

The Rockets, who led by 10 points after one quarter, opened up a 13-point advantage at 27-14 on Quick's layup three minutes into the second period. 

The Mountain Cats clawed their way back into the game and guard Olivia Fasick's two free throws with 3:01 left pulled them within seven points at 32-25. The two teams combined to miss their final eight shots in the last three minutes as Pitt-Johnstown held a 16-13 scoring edge in the quarter.

In the opening period, Slippery Rock raced to a 12-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. Pitt-Johnstown narrowed the deficit to eight points, 15-7, at the 4:07 mark on forward Kylah Franklin's jumper. The Rockets, led by Kennedy Middleton's three field goals and seven points, stretched their lead to 19-9 after one. 

The Pitt-Johnstown women's PSAC West matchup Saturday against California (Pa.) at the Sports Center has been postponed because of COVID-19 concerns.