Pitt-Johnstown clawed back in the opening stages of the third quarter, but Saginaw Valley State (MI) decisively pulled away shortly after to deal the Mountain Cats an 80-57 non-conference loss on Monday afternoon at O'Neill Arena.

Senior guard Peyton Alazaus recorded a game-high 20 points on 7-of-15 from the floor to pair with three assists. It wasn't enough to counter an efficient performance from the Cardinals as the Mountain Cats (3-1) fell for the first time this season.

Hayden Taylor had 12 points, and Cassidy Crawford tallied eight points and a game-high nine rebounds. The Mountain Cats finished with 10 offensive rebounds and had a 35-26 advantage on the glass.

Two free throws in the waning seconds of the first half gave the Cardinals a 34-25 lead at the break. The Mountain Cats began the third quarter on a 7-0 run and trimmed the deficit to 34-32 on a three from Taylor.

The Cardinals responded with a game-changing 20-6 rally to take their largest lead to that point at 54-38 with just two minutes remaining in the third. An 8-0 spurt to close the quarter allowed Pitt-Johnstown to close to 54-46 heading into the fourth.

Saginaw Valley State sealed the victory with an 11-2 run to go on top by 17 just three minutes into the final quarter.

Pitt-Johnstown finished 22-of-51 (43.1%) from the floor and was 9-of-13 from the charity stripe. Alazaus totaled eight points in the first period and helped create a 14-all tie after one.

The Mountain Cats have a week off in the midst of Thanksgiving break before welcoming Glenville State (WV) to the Sports Center next Monday for a 6 p.m. tip-off.