JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A rocky start in conference play is becoming a distant memory for the Gannon women's basketball team.

Gannon claimed its seventh win in a row, including its fifth straight in the PSAC, on Saturday afternoon when the Golden Knights rolled past Pitt-Johnstown 67-48 at the UPJ Sports Center.

The No. 23-ranked Golden Knights (13-2 overall) opened the PSAC season with back-to-back road losses in early December. Since then, coach Cleve Wright's team is unbeaten and has ascended into a second-place tie in the PSAC West with a 5-2 record.

Gannon's next game will take place Wednesday evening at home against first-place IUP (6-1), which suffered its first conference loss on Saturday against Mercyhurst.

Senior forward Sam Pirosko again led GU with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Pirosko moved her career point total to 1,131 as she passed former teammate Tori Obenrader (Fryburg, Pa./North Clarion) (1,128 points) for 21st on Gannon's career scoring list.

Senior guard Emma Wright (Fairview, Pa./Talawanda) had 12 points and eight rebounds, and senior post player Delaney Dogan (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex) added 12 points and six rebounds.

Pirosko scored nine of her points in the first quarter as Gannon built a 22-14 lead. Senior guard Ali Benim (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) added five points late in the quarter to help GU surge ahead.

Pirosko added six more points in the second quarter as the Golden Knights expanded the advantage to 43-23.

The Gannon dominance continued in the third as they took a 57-33 lead into the final quarter.

Gannon was particularly effective on the boards as the Knights outrebounded the Mountain Cats 43-26, including an 18-8 edge on the offensive boards.

GU shot 40.7 percent (24-of-59) from the field and 88.2 percent (15-of-17) from the free-throw line.