The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg women's basketball team dropped a 61-35 decision to Saint Elizabeth University on Saturday afternoon at the Purchase College SUNY Gymnasium to close out the Panther Classic.
Jocelyn Bielak led the Bobcats offensively with a game-high-tying 13 points and eight rebounds, earning a spot on the Panther Classic All-Tournament Team. Tiana Moracco added eight points, a game-high 12 rebounds, four assists and five steals. Violet Trump also reached double figures on the glass, pulling down 10 rebounds to go along with seven points and a blocked shot.
Pitt-Greensburg opened the contest with a layup from Trump before Saint Elizabeth responded with five straight points. Addison Musto knocked down a three-pointer midway through the opening quarter to tie the game at five, but the Eagles closed the period on a 12-0 run to take a 17-5 advantage.
Saint Elizabeth extended its lead to 23-5 early in the second quarter before the Bobcats began to find some offensive rhythm. Bielak scored six points during the period, while Musto connected on her second three-pointer of the afternoon to cut the deficit to 25-14 with 3:17 remaining in the half. The Eagles carried a 27-14 lead into the break.
The Bobcats put together their strongest offensive quarter in the third, scoring 12 points behind six from Bielak and four from Moracco. Pitt-Greensburg closed the period with a 6-2 stretch, including baskets from Bielak and Moracco, to trim the deficit to 44-26 heading into the final quarter.
Bielak opened the fourth-quarter scoring for the Bobcats with a layup, cutting the Saint Elizabeth advantage to 16 points. However, the Eagles maintained control down the stretch to secure the 61-35 victory.
Despite the loss, Pitt-Greensburg held a 53-50 advantage on the boards, including 18 offensive rebounds. Moracco, Trump and Kaprice Johnson combined for 32 rebounds, with Johnson collecting 10 boards in addition to two steals.
Musto finished with six points on a pair of three-pointers, while the Bobcats totaled 13 steals as a team.
Pitt-Greensburg struggled to find consistency offensively, shooting 21.7 percent from the field and 9.5 percent from beyond the arc. Saint Elizabeth capitalized on 30 Bobcat turnovers, scoring 21 points off those miscues.
Ty'la Holmes paced Saint Elizabeth with 13 points, while Amaya Carruthers added 11 and Alana Nickels chipped in 10.
With the result, Pitt-Greensburg moves to 0-2 on the season, while Saint Elizabeth improves to 1-1.
The Bobcats will return to action on Monday, November 9, when they travel to Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) for an exhibition contest. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m.
