A slow start to the second half sent Pitt-Johnstown to a 79-58 loss to Virginia Union in the regular-season opener on Friday evening at the Slippery Rock Atlantic Region Challenge.

Jay Rose hit five 3-pointers and secured team-highs of 17 points and seven rebounds. Nick Watts added eight points and four rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench, while Adam Bilinsky came off the bench to notch seven points and five rebounds in 18 minutes.

After being down by 12 with roughly six minutes to go in the first half, the Mountain Cats pulled to within four at 37-33 on transfer guard Sean Dillon's jumper with 1:21 remaining. They went into the break trailing 41-36.

However, the Mountain Cats were held to just four points in the opening 10 minutes of the second half that allowed the Panthers to pull away. Virginia Union constructed a 54-40 lead within that timespan that proved to be an insurmountable hill to climb. 

Rose nailed a 3-pointer with 9:18 remaining to trim the deficit to 11. But the Panthers responded with six straight points to go back on top by 17 with roughly eight minutes to go.

Pitt-Johnstown will battle Shaw (NC) on Saturday at 5 p.m.