Angel Ezirim scored a team-high 16 points to lead the Pitt-Johnstown women's basketball team to a 63-59 victory over Point Park University in the 2026-27 season opener Monday afternoon at the Sports Center.
Ezirim shot 6-of-12 from the field and 4-of-7 at the free-throw line. She also grabbed eight rebounds, four of them offensive, and added three steals and a block. Aubree Price filled the stat sheet with 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists, four steals and a block, and Anye Washington gave the Mountain Cats a spark off the bench with 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting.
Pitt-Johnstown (1-0) controlled the paint and the turnover battle. The Mountain Cats outscored the Pointers (0-1), 40-26, inside and turned 19 Point Park turnovers into 18 points. Pitt-Johnstown also finished with 12 steals and five blocks, including three from Camille Dominick, and won the second-chance points battle, 15-8.
The Mountain Cats led by as many as eight in the first quarter, but Point Park came back with a 16-point second quarter and went up by five, 21-16, on a three-pointer from Amaya Richardson. Pitt-Johnstown answered and closed the half on a 7-2 run. Brycelyn Stryckning hit a three-pointer and a layup, and Price scored with 17 seconds left to give the Mountain Cats a 32-28 halftime lead.
Pitt-Johnstown extended its advantage to 36-28 early in the third quarter on a layup from Ezirim. Alyssa Altemus added a fast-break layup that made it 40-32, and the Mountain Cats took a 45-41 lead into the fourth quarter. Pitt-Johnstown's bench outscored Point Park's, 25-11, with Gianna Gallucci and Stryckning each adding five points.
Point Park pulled within 55-56 with two minutes left, but Ezirim scored on a layup and added a free throw on the next possession to make it 59-55. Lily Fatool hit two free throws with 58 seconds left, and Price sank two more with 16 seconds remaining to seal it. The Mountain Cats went 8-of-9 at the line in the fourth quarter.
Mya Taylor led Point Park with a game-high 20 points, and Grace Middleton added 16. Carmen Vasquez had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Pitt-Johnstown travels to the Clarion Tip-Off Tournament to face Malone (OH) on Saturday at 5 p.m. and Lake (OH) Erie University on Sunday at 3 p.m., before returning home to host a non-conference game against Chestnut Hill on Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. in the Sports Center.
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