Boxscore
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. -- Senior guard
Amanda Nero scored a team-high 16 points and senior post player
Sasha Sales grabbed 21 rebounds Wednesday night to lead The Rock effort in a 74-71 loss at Pitt-Johnstown.
Senior post player
Alissa Schake chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds for The Rock, who saw their season record fall to 3-5, while junior wing player
Julie Molloy added 10 points.
Sales (pictured above) finished with eight points and junior guard
Nikki Presto had six points, six rebounds and five assists.
The lead changed hands 15 times during the opening half of action before The Rock scored 10 of the last 13 points in the period to take a 40-34 lead into intermission.
SRU remained in the lead for the first 15-plus minutes of the final period and held a pair of nine-point advantages, only to see UP-J roar back and trim the margin to one point on three separate occasions.
The Lady Cats eventually took the lead, 68-67, with 4:15 left to play. The lead then changed hands four times in the final four minutes before the hosts scored the last four points of the game to secure the win.
The Rock finished the game shooting a respectable 46.7% (28 of 60) from the field, hit two of five 3-point shots and 68.4% (13 of 18) from the foul line.
Pitt-Johnstown won the game despite shooting only 38% (27 of 71) from the field. The Lady Cats' effort was aided by 10 3-point field goals in 29 attempts (34.5%) and a 10 of 12 (83.3%) effort at the foul line.
Behind Sales' lead, The Rock held a 48-34 rebounding advantage but was hampered by 23 turnovers compared to 13 for the hosts.
The Rock returns to action Dec. 31, when it will visit Seton Hill for a non-conference game.
