JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Pitt-Johnstown trailed by just three at halftime, but could not climb all the way back in an 82-68 setback to Slippery Rock in a PSAC West contest on Saturday afternoon at the Sports Center.

The Mountain Cats slipped to 9-7 (3-5 PSAC).

Baden Forup secured his team-leading ninth double-double of the season with a team-high 16 points, 12 rebounds and a career-best seven assists. 

Will Kromka contributed 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Adam Bilinsky, who played all 40 minutes, added 14 points, two rebounds and two assists. Jay Rose hit three of the Mountain Cats' eight 3-pointers and supplied 14 points in 22 minutes off the bench.

Forup's and-one just 33 seconds into the game gave the Mountain Cats their first and only lead of the game. Slippery Rock tied it 3-3 less than a minute later and then took the lead for good on a basket by Isaac James.

Despite going down by as many as 11 in the first half, the Mountain Cats went on a 9-2 run over the final three minutes to head into halftime trailing 39-36.

Pitt-Johnstown clawed back to within two, 41-39, when Kromka drilled a three at the 18:44 mark. Bilinsky's layup a little more than two minutes later cut it to 46-44, but it marked the last time the Mountain Cats were within one possession.

Rose trimmed it to 65-61 with less than eight minutes to go before Slippery Rock eventually pulled away. The Mountain Cats finished 47.3% (26 of 55) from the floor, 40% (8 of 20) from beyond the 3-point arc and 61.5% (8 of 13) from the free-throw line.

Dame Givner scored a game-high 28 points for Slippery Rock, which moved to 13-3 (6-2 PSAC).

Pitt-Johnstown will visit Edinboro for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off on Wednesday, Jan. 14.