Box Score
MANSFIELD, PA. – Despite Nikki Presto scoring 18 points, the Slippery Rock University women's basketball team (2-6) lost a heartbreaker to LeMoyne, 65-61 on Friday at the first day of the Comfort Inn Classic hosted by Mansfield.
Presto also recorded a team-high eight rebounds and assists. Bethany Caudill went 9-10 from the free throw line and recorded 12 points and a team-high three steals in the loss.
The Dolphins (2-5) were led by Meg Murphy scoring 21 points in 29 minutes. Brandy Wangelin and Emily Bayly both scored in double figures with 12 and 10 points respectively. Katie Hart recorded a team-high 13 rebounds while Muffy Sadler dished out 11 assists.
LeMoyne led by as many as 17 points, 34-17, with 5:53 left in the first half. Chere' Marshall hit a jumper with 4:43 left in the half and a 34-19 score. Presto hit two foul shots to pull SRU to within 13 with four minutes left in the first half.
Danielle Felice drained a 3-pointer with 1:33 left in the half and a 38-22 lead. Presto made a layup with 36 seconds left to cut the lead to 14, but Evie Josbena responded with a layup of her own with three seconds left in the half to give LeMoyne the 16 point, 40-24 halftime lead.
In the second half, Grace Palucis hit a 3-point shot at the 17:12 mark and a 46-31 Dolphin lead. LeMoyne kept the lead around 16 points until SRU made eight consecutive points in a three minute span, capped off by Caudill's 3-pointer with a 51-43 score and 8:32 left in the game.
Caudill kept The Rock in the game with four made foul shots in a 30 second span to cut the lead to six, 58-52. With 3:21 left in the game Emilee Vitez made a layup from Julie Molloy giving LeMoyne a 60-57 lead, until the Dolphins answered back with a layup from Bayly, 62-57.
Marshall missed a layup with 21 seconds left in the game and Wangelin was fouled on the rebound by Marshall, sending her to the foul line. Wangelin converted one of two, with a 65-61 score and 10 seconds left in the game.
SRU rebounded the missed second shot with Caudill missing a 3-point attempt with two seconds left in the game to secure the four-point win for the Dolphins.
SRU shot 33.9% (20-59) from the field, 28.6% (4-14) from behind the arc, and 73.9% (17-23) from the foul line. The Rock shot 41.4% in the second half, and recorded nine steals in the loss.
LeMoyne shot 37.9% (22-58) from the floor, 38.1% (8-21) from three-point range, and 76.5% (13-17) from the foul line. The Dolphins outrebounded SRU 47-33 and did not trail in the game.
The Rock returns to action tomorrow for the second day of the Comfort Inn Classic, facing Lake Erie at 1 pm. This is the second time this season the two teams will face off at a neutral site. The Storm won the first game75-64 at Pitt-Johnstown.
