Belle Bosch collected 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, but Edinboro climbed out to an early lead and dealt the Pitt-Johnstown women's basketball team a, 79-55, PSAC Western division setback, Saturday afternoon in Edinboro. The Mountain Cats fell to 2-20 overall and 0-15 in conference-play.
Along with Bosch,
M'laya Ainsworth finished with 11 points and six boards to led Pitt-Johnstown.
Lexi Margolis had nine points, six rebounds, and five assists, while
Sophia Ott and
Riley Childress chipped-in six and five points, respectively for the Mountain Cats.
Gabbie McDuffie's jumper four minutes in gave Edinboro an early six-point advantage, but Pitt-Johnstown answered with an 8-2 spurt over the next three minutes to knot it at 13 on a Ainsworth layup and Ott's free throw. The Fighting Scots scored the final seven points, including a pair of late free-throws from Morgan Gentile, to go in front, 20-13, after one quarter.
The Mountain Cats got a bucket in the paint from Ott and
Lydia Miller's free-throw quickly narrow it to 20-16 to begin the second quarter. However, Edinboro shot 50% in the period and used seven points from McDuffie and a basket from Ashten Boggs at 1:15 to outscore Pitt-Johnstown, 20-6, over the last 9:19 and build a 40-22 halftime lead.
Margolis knocked down two 3-pointers to open the second half that helped Pitt-Johnstown claw back to within a dozen at 42-30, but the Fighting Scots push it back out to 18 on Gentile's layup at 5:17 and Edinboro took a 60-41 lead into the fourth quarter.
After Margolis's third 3-pointer of the afternoon got the Mountain Cats back to within 17 at 64-46 at the 8:03 mark, Edinboro didn't let Pitt-Johnstown get any closer and locked down its fifth straight victory.
The Mountain Cats, who outrebounded the Fighting Scots, 41-38, were held to 33.3% (21-63 shooting, including 7-26 from 3-point range, while Edinboro shot an even 50% (33-66) from the field, 4-14 from behind the arc, and 9-14 from the free-throw line. Pitt-Johnstown hit sox of its eight free-throws.
McDuffie tallied a game-high 22 points and eight rebounds, while Gentile (17 points), Ava Haddad (12 points), and Boggs (11 points) all scored in double figures for the Fighting Scots, now 19-4 overall and 14-2 in the PSAC.
Pitt-Johnstown returns home to host PSAC doubleheaders with the men's team against Indiana (PA) Wednesday evening and Slippery Rock Saturday afternoon in the Sports Center.
