Boxscore

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Senior guard Nikki Presto recorded her second “double-double” of the season Wednesday night but could not lead the Slippery Rock University women’s basketball team to victory.

Visiting Mercyhurst handed The Rock its fourth straight loss, 57-51, in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division opener for both teams despite Presto’s 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Senior guard Julie Molloy added 14 points for The Rock, who saw their season record drop to 3-11.

The Rock will seek to snap its losing streak Saturday when it travels to Edinboro for a 1 p.m. division game.

The Rock then hosts Gannon in a 6 p.m. division game next Wednesday.

Amy Achesinski scored 12 points and snared six rebounds to lead Mercyhurst (9-4) and Katie Carbee grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.

The Rock shot a frigid 30% (16-53) from the field, including a 29% (6-21) efficiency from 3-point range, and sank 13 of 15 free throws (87%).

Mercyhurst shot 44% (18-41) from the field, 36% (8-22) from 3-point range and 68% (13-19) from the foul line.

The Lakers had a 35-31 rebounding advantage to help offset a 20-14 turnover disadvantage.

The guests also enjoyed a 20-8 advantage in scoring by substitute players.

The low-scoring contest included seven lead changes and five ties.

Freshman forward Tynesha Lee’s conventional three-point play at the buzzer gave The Rock a 25-23 lead at the intermission.

That marked the fifth time the lead changed hands in the final 10 minutes of the opening period. No team held a lead of more than three points throughout the opening half.

The Rock led at the intermission despite shooting a frigid 29% (8-28) from the field, including a 27% (3-11) effort from beyond the 3-point arc. SRU hit six of seven (86%) free throws in the first 20 minutes.

Mercyhurst shot 42% (8-18) from the field, including a 31% (4-13) efficiency from long range, and sank three of four free throws.

The Rock benefitted from 14 Lakers turnovers, which directly resulted in 14 of the Green and White’s 25 first-half points. Mercyhurst, on the other hand, converted five Rock miscues into only three points.

That advantage helped The Rock withstand a 19-14 rebounding advantage for the guests in the first half of action.

The score was tied on four occasions and the lead changed hands a total of six times in the opening 20 minutes.

The fifth and final deadlock of the game was a 27-27 stalemate with 15:30 left in the game. The Rock then went on a minor, four-point run to hold a 31-27 lead, only to see Mercyhurst come right back with a 10-0 run to take a 37-31 lead with 10:30 remaining.

The Rock was never able to overcome that run, even though the Green and White did trim the margin to one point, 52-51, on a trey by Molloy with 90 seconds left to play.

Mercyhurst scored the final seven points of the game to set the final margin.