Ashley Norling's career-highs of 29 points and 17 rebounds was not enough to prevent West Virginia State from pulling away from the Mountain Cats in an 86-77 win on Monday night at the Walker Convocation Center in Institute, West Virginia.

Makalyn Clapper provided 13 points and eight rebounds for Pitt-Johnstown (3-2). Peyton Alazaus had 12 points. Cassidy Crawford added 11 points, six rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes.

After trailing 38-31 at halftime, the Mountain Cats methodically fought back to tie the game at 51 after Clapper drilled a 3-pointer at the 3:56 mark of the third quarter. A 5-0 run that included a triple from Olivia Fasick, who notched seven assists and six rebounds, gave Pitt-Johnstown a 56-51 advantage.

The Yellow Jackets responded by ending the third on a game-altering 14-3 run to go up 65-59.

Another 3-pointer from Clapper cut the Mountain Cats' deficit to three less than a minute into the fourth, but West Virginia State went on a 10-2 spurt to build a double-digit lead midway through the quarter that it would never relinquish.

The Mountain Cats jumped out to a 7-0 lead to open the game, but the Yellow Jackets controlled the final seven minutes of the quarter to bounce back and lead 22-14 at the end of one. Pitt-Johnstown did a better job defensively in the second by grabbing 19 rebounds to West Virginia State's six and outscoring the Yellow Jackets 17-16.

Pitt-Johnstown outrebounded West Virginia State 49-42.

Destiny Fields powered the Yellow Jackets (4-1) with a team-high 21 points on 10 of 12 shooting.

The Mountain Cats open up PSAC play with a visit to Bloomsburg set for Friday at 5:30 p.m.