Pitt-Johnstown mounted a late fourth quarter charge before succumbing to IUP in a 79-67 overtime loss on Wednesday night at the Sports Center.

The Mountain Cats were outscored 14-2 in the extra period and fell to 2-21 (0-16 PSAC).

Sophomore Belle Bosch led the way with a team-high 16 points and six rebounds. Freshman M'laya Ainsworth provided 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. Junior Riley Childress pitched in 11 points, a game-high six assists, four rebounds and three steals.

Trailing 63-54 with three and a half minutes left, Ainsworth connected on a layup that sparked a furious 11-0 rally that put the Mountain Cats on top. Bosch nailed two free throws to tie the game at 63-all with about a minute left, and Camille Dominick's layup made it 65-63 with just 19 seconds remaining in regulation.

But IUP answered with a layup just nine seconds later to extend the game. The Hawks then scored the first 13 points in the extra period to take the lead for good. Ainsworth's layup with just 41 seconds left were the only points the Mountain Cats mustered in overtime.

While the Mountain Cats finished 41.3% from the field, they were 8-for-15 from the floor in both the first and fourth quarters. The Hawks were 54.5%, which included a 4-for-4 mark in overtime.

Pitt-Johnstown shot 8-for-13 from the free-throw line, while IUP was 18-for-26.

The Mountain Cats were down 14-7 with less than four minutes to go in the opening quarter before mounting a late run to take the lead. Childress capped a 12-4 run with a layup in the waning seconds to give Pitt-Johnstown a 19-18 advantage heading into the second.

Pitt-Johnstown held a slim 33-32 lead at the break.

Shamia Strayhorn poured in a game-high 26 points for the Hawks, who improved to 17-4 (12-3 PSAC). 

Pitt-Johnstown will host Slippery Rock on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Sports Center in the first game of a doubleheader with the men's team as part of Winterfest Weekend.