Lexi Margolis scored 14 points and Camille Dominick added 11 points to help Pitt-Johnstown stay within six late in the third quarter, but eighth-ranked Indiana (PA) was able to hold off the Mountain Cats, 68-60, in Wednesday's PSAC West opener at the Kovalchick Center in Indiana.  With the loss, Pitt-Johnstown slipped to 5-9 overall and 2-5 in conference-play.
 
Along with Margolis and Dominick, Pitt-Johnstown seven points from Riley Childress and M'laya Ainsworth, and five points each from Sophia Ott, Lydia Miller, and Aubree Price.
 
Seven early points from Childress and a bucket in the paint from Price at the 2:59 mark of the first quarter gave the Mountain Cats a 12-9 advantage.  IUP responded with three-pointers from Teresa Maggio and Marin Martin and took a slim, 15-14, lead into the second quarter.
 
The Crimson Hawks came out and hit seven of their first 12 shots to begin the second quarter to go in front, 31-20.  Price connected for a 3-pointer with 1:20 to go to cut the Pitt-Johnstown deficit to eight, but Nyshae' Weaver's basket with time running out gave IUP a 33-23 halftime lead.
 
After Weaver's layup on IUP's opening possession of the second half extended the lead to a dozen, the Mountain Cats scored the next six, including a short jumper from Dominick, to make it a six-point game at 7:26 of the third quarter.  The Crimson Hawks used a putback from Martin to rebuild the lead to 45-31 just under four minutes later.  Pitt-Johnstown got an Ainsworth free-throw and Dominick's conventional 3-point play to get to within 10, but Ellie Wilkerson hit a pair of late free-throws to push it out to 51-39.
 
The Mountain Cats kept battling as got it down to eight with :29 remaining on a Margolis 3-pointer, but time ran out on the Pitt-Johnstown comeback.
 
Pitt-Johnstown shot a solid 46.8% (22-47), including 5-14 from behind the arc and a perfect 11-11 from the free-throw line.  IUP ended the night shooting 45.6% (26-57), but was held to just 3-12 from 3-point range and 13-14 from the line.
 
Weaver finished with game-highs of 21 points and 10 boards, while Maggio and Wilkerson had 12 and 11 points respectively, the help IUP remain unbeaten and improve to 13-0 overall and 7-0 in the PSAC.
 
The Mountain Cats return to the Sports Center on Saturday to host a PSAC Western Division doubleheader with the men's team against Slippery Rock at 1 p.m., before traveling to Edinboro on Wednesday and Clarion on Jan. 17 for back-to-back conference games.