JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Senior forward Liv West recorded career-highs of 35 points and 12 rebounds, and Pitt-Johnstown dug itself out of a 15-point deficit to take down West Virginia State 83-79 in a non-conference victory on Tuesday afternoon in the Sports Center.
The Mountain Cats have won two of their last three games to move to 2-4 on the year after an 0-3 start.
West, who also provided four assists and two steals, connected on six 3-pointers and finished 12-for-21 from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 at the free-throw line.
The only other Mountain Cat to finish in double-figures was senior point guard Riley Childress, who knocked in three triples and went 7-for-8 from the free-throw line to rack up a season-high 20 points. She also tallied five assists and four rebounds.
M'laya Ainsworth contributed eight points, while Sophia Ott, Lexi Margolis and Alyssa Altemus all chipped in four points apiece.
Pitt-Johnstown was in a 48-33 hole with a little less than nine minutes remaining in the third before West took over. She went 6-for-7 during a personal 16-0 run that included four 3-pointers to give the Mountain Cats a 49-48 lead.
While it marked the first lead since the opening quarter, Pitt-Johnstown went into the fourth down 55-51 after Ott scored on a layup in the waning seconds.
After allowing five straight points to start the fourth, the Mountain Cats outscored the Yellow Jackets 32-19 over the final 8-plus minutes to seal it.
In a game that featured seven lead changes and four ties, including three in the final quarter, Childress hit a three with about two minutes remaining to give Pitt-Johnstown a 71-69 advantage that never faded down the stretch. West, who contributed 10 points in the fourth, then drilled a pivotal three with 1:09 left that pushed it to 74-70.
Childress went 5-for-6 at the free-throw line over the final 20 seconds to stave off any thoughts of a comeback for West Virginia State.
The Mountain Cats shot 8-for-14 from the field, including 4-for-6 from distance, and 12-for-13 at the free-throw line in the final 10 minutes. They finished 45.2% (28-of-62) from the field, 45.5% (10-of-22) and 89.5% (17-of-19) from the free-throw line. Pitt-Johnstown scored 28 points off of 22 West Virginia State turnovers, which helped wipe out a 48-33 halftime deficit.
Lillian Jackson led five Yellow Jackets in double-figures with a team-high 18 points as West Virginia State dropped to 2-3.
Following the holiday break, Pitt-Johnstown will open PSAC crossover play at West Chester for a 1 p.m. tip-off on Saturday, Dec. 6.
