Jan. 17, 2007

Final Stats
Cumulative 2006-07 statistics

Edinboro, Pa. - The Rock's season-long, hot-and-cold routine was in prime form during Wednesday night Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division contest at Edinboro.

SRU shot a red-hot 66.7% (18 of 27) in the first half of action en route to a 42-26 halftime advantage, only to then shoot an ice-cold 20% (5 of 25) in the final 20 minutes.

The Rock did not make a field goal in the final 14-plus minutes of action.

Somehow, though, The Rock was able to secure the victory.

Led by an 11-point, 11-rebound "double-double" effort by Nijha McNeely, The Rock escaped with a 64-61 win to improve its overall record to 7-9 and even its PSAC-West mark at 1-1.

Seventh-year head coach Laurel Heilman and The Rock -- which has not yet won back-to-back games this winter -- will now have a week off before it seeks to end that drought in a 6 p.m. home game Jan. 24 vs. division rival Indiana U. of Pa.

With the loss to The Rock, Edinboro saw its record fall to 8-8 overall and 0-2 in division play.

The "somehow" in The Rock win came via the foul line, where SRU made 14 of 19 shots in the final 14-plus minutes.

That allowed SRU to withstand a 0-for-18 effort in field goal attempts after Chere' Marshall's jumper in the paint had given the guests a 52-36 advantage with 14:35 left to play.

Nikki Presto scored 10 points to join McNeely as the only Rock players to have a double-figure scoring night.The Rock's point guard, Presto also grabbed eight rebounds and handed out four assists, each of which was the second-best total on the team.

Jessica Schake chipped in nine points and Marshall finished with eight points and a team-high five assists.

The Rock won the rebounding battle against the taller Fighting Scots by a 42-30 margin.