Liv West scored 15 points and Lexi Margolis added 13 points to help Pitt-Johnstown cut a late fourth quarter double digit deficit in half, but Edinboro held off the Mountain Cats for a, 69-60, PSAC Western Division victory in Edinboro on Wednesday.
 
West and Margolis combined for 28 points and 11 rebounds, while Angel Ezirim collected 11 points to pace Pitt-Johnstown, now 6-10 overall and 3-6 in conference-play.  M'laya Ainsworth and Camille Dominick also collected for points each.
 
The Mountain Cats got off to a fast start and used 3-pointers from West and Margolis, sandwiched around an Aubree Price layup, to climb out to an 8-1 lead just over two minutes in.  Edinboro battled back to cut it to one on a Rachael Manfredo jumper with :25 left in the first quarter, but Ainsworth scored with time running out to give Pitt-Johnstown an 18-15 advantage.
 
The defenses stepped up and scoring came at a premium in the second quarter.  Four straight points to start the quarter gave the Fighting Scots the lead for the first time since it was 1-0.  Pitt-Johnstown came back with a short jumper from Sophia Ott at 4:33 to regain the lead, 20-19, before Edinboro scored the final seven points, including Bailie Brinson's bucket in the paint and five free-throws, to put the Fighting Scots on top, 26-20, at the break.
 
After Ezirim knocked down a 3-pointer four minutes into the third quarter to get the Mountain Cats to within four at 30-26, Edinboro got hot and used seven points apiece from Ava Haddad and Taylor Blunt in 16-4 run over the final 6:05 to build a 46-30 lead.
 
Pitt-Johnstown just couldn't get the offense restarted after shooting 50% in the opening quarter and the Fighting Scots were able to extend it to 20 on a Carla Brown 3-pointer midway through the final quarter.  The Mountain Cats bounced back and got as close as nine on Lydia Miller's 3-pointer with :02 remaining, but time ran out on the Pitt-Johnstown comeback.
 
The Mountain Cats, who held a 17-rebound advantage on the glass, closed out the night shooting 38.9% (21-54) from the floor with five 3-pointers.  Edinboro shot 44.9% (22-49) and 5-12 from behind the arc.  The Mountain Cats were 13-17 from the line, and the Fighting Scots made 20 of their 33 attempts.
 
Haddad's game-high 24 points paced three Fighting Scots who scored in double figures.  Blunt had 15 points and five rebounds, and Manfredo finished with 13 points.
 
Edinboro is now 10-7 overall and 7-1 in the PSAC.
 
The Mountain Cats traveling to a PSAC West game at Clarion on Saturday, before returning home to host a conference doubleheader with the men's team against nationally-ranked Gannon on Jan. 24 for Winterfest Weekend and Faith and Family Night.  Tip off is set for 1 p.m. in the Sports Center.