MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Millersville's first loss of the season came in a perfect storm of a Pitt-Johnstown team that couldn't miss while the Marauders couldn't make a bucket. The visiting Mountain Cats received 23 points from Drew Magestro and 21 from Fred Mulbah in the 83-51 victory. 

Despite a 6-0 start to the season, Millersville had gotten into the habit of starting games slowly, averaging just 34.7 points in the opening 20 minutes of games. Magestro scored 17 of his points in the first half, and his team made 15-of-23 shots from the field and 5-of-10 from three, making the Marauders pay for an ineffective start in which they shot 7-of-24. 

Pitt-Johnstown was also the first team to crack Millersville's usually solid defense. It finished shooting 53.8% from the field, 44.4% from three and made 19-of-21 foul shots. Millersville had held five of its first six opponents to under 40% shooting. Fewer than 24 hours earlier, Millersville out-rebounded Clarion by 33 and had grabbed no fewer than 41 rebounds in each of its first six games, but Pitt-Johnstown controlled the glass to a 42-30 advantage. 

Millersville made 11 threes and had five players score in double figures on Friday night but shot 29.3% from the field, 5-of-30 from three (.167) and 12-of-21 from the line Saturday afternoon. It was Millersville's lowest shooting percentage since a loss at Bloomsburg in February of 2017. Jaden Faulkner and Caden Najdawi shared team-high honors with 11 points apiece. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The game was ultimately decided during an 11-minute stretch in the first half in which Pitt-Johnstown turned a 9-9 game into a 36-13 lead. A Magestro 3-pointer with 15:20 to play started the 27-4 run that saw UPJ shoot 10-of-14 from the field. Magestro scored 12 of the team's points while Millersville shot 1-of-11, 0-of-7 from three and committed seven turnovers. A Millersville burst cut the deficit down to 14 points with 2:13 left in the half, but UPJ scored the final five points, getting a deep 3-pointer from Mulbah in the closing seconds. 
• A spirited start to the second half that included an alley-oop to Najdawi, a driving lay-up from Faulkner and a 3-pointer from James Sullivan quickly slashed UPJ's lead to 12. But over the next seven-plus minutes, Millersville would miss all five of its 3-pointers, allowing UPJ to push the lead back over 20. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Faulkner led Millersville with six assists and five steals. Khari Williams led MIllersville with eight rebounds. 

POSTGAME REACTION FROM COACH CASEY STITZEL
• Thoughts on the game: "Including our scrimmages, we haven't lost a game since the Shippensburg playoff game two years ago. This is the first time things haven't gone our way. Every coach will tell you early in the season that there are things you aren't doing great and winning games. What happens is you play a good team and those demons show up. We are in the beginning of December and there are things every team in the country needs to get better with. The ball didn't go in the basket. You aren't going to beat any team shooting 29%. They gapped us and gave us open threes. We didn't make them. They did a good job of boxing out. Across the board, we didn't have anyone play well. It's a good reminder for us and an opportunity to get better. You aren't going 28-0. You learn from your mistakes and sometimes losses are better than wins."

NOTES
• The 51 points were the fewest scored at home since Jan. 25, 2003. That 2002-03 club was also the last Millersville team to start the season 6-0 and it finished the season 26-6. 

UP NEXT
• Millersville travels to Division I Morgan State on Monday for an exhibition game. Tip is at 6 p.m.