Senior Cassidy Crawford posted a double-double that consisted of career-highs of 33 points and 14 rebounds, and Pitt-Johnstown dominated throughout the second half to decisively knock off No. 22 ranked Glenville State 101-81 on Monday night in the Sports Center.
The Mountain Cats imposed their will on both ends of the floor, shooting a season-high 61% from the field and limiting the 2022 Division II National Champions to a season-low 34% shooting clip to move to 4-1 on the season in impressive fashion.
Crawford added four assists and finished 11 of 14 from the field and 11 of 12 from the free throw line in what was one of the most efficient performances from any player in recent program history. Senior Peyton Alazaus drilled four triples and tallied 20 points to go along with three rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Olivia Fasick recorded a double-double with 12 points and a team-high 11 assists, while Krista Troyer chipped in a career-high 12 points and five assists in her second career start.
Kylah Franklin scored on a layup just nine seconds into the third quarter to ignite an extended 16-4 rally that was capped by a layup from Crawford that put Pitt-Johnstown in front 54-41 with less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Franklin provided a spark off the bench with a season-high 14 points and five rebounds in 20 minutes.
The Pioneers never clawed any closer from that point on as the Mountain Cats went ahead by as many as 20 in the third on a pair of free throws by Troyer with 48 seconds left before taking a commanding 69-50 lead into the fourth.
Pitt-Johnstown attempted 25 fewer shots, but it didn't matter in the end because of a 10 for 17 performance from 3-point range and a 21 of 23 mark from the free throw line. It also controlled the interior, finishing with a 48-36 advantage in points in the paint.
The Mountain Cats did, however, have to rebound after falling behind by six with a little more than two minutes to play before halftime.
Troyer and Fasick hit clutch triples on back-to-back possessions as part of a 10-3 run to end the second quarter that gave the Mountain Cats a slim 38-37 advantage at the break.
Hya Haywood had five treys and finished with a team-high 27 points, while Lauren Calhoun supplied 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Pioneers, who dropped to 4-2 on the year after losing for just the sixth time in their last 78 games.
The Mountain Cats travel to Lock Haven for a conference crossover matchup on Friday with tip-off set for 3 p.m.
