Box Score

MANSFIELD, PA. – Bethany Caudill's 17 points could not carry the Slippery Rock University women's basketball team past Lake Erie, 85-73 on Saturday afternoon. SRU is now 2-7 overall, dropping both games at the Comfort Inn Classic hosted by Mansfield. 

Chere' Marshall scored 13 points and recorded two steals, while Nikki Presto scored 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Grace Palucis dished out a game-high seven assists in 33 minutes. 

Presto was also named to the All-Tournament team.  This is the second All-Tournament honor for the senior this season.

The Storm (7-4) were led by Jen Caiola with a game-high 28 points, shooting 6-12 from behind the arc. Alyssa Wagers recorded a double-double capturing 10 points and 15 rebounds. Stephanie Rogers blocked five shots and recorded 17 points in the win. 

For the second game in a row, The Rock did not have a lead in the game. 

Lake Erie lead by as many as 11 points with 13 minutes left in the first half when Alex Beatty connected on a three-point play to cut the lead to 19-11. Caiola and Renese Ames made consecutive 3-pointers to get the lead back to 12, 25-13. 

At 7:15 Caudill drained a 3-pointer to cut the lead to five, 28-23, when Sarah Wojciechowski answered with a 3-pointer of her own to push the lead back to eight, 31-23. 

With three minutes left in the first half, Caiola made another 3-point shot to give Lake Erie a 12 point, 42-30 lead. Beatty and Presto made consecutive 3-pointers in the final 30 seconds to cut the lead to four at the half, 45-41. 

The Storm held a 15 point lead when Marshall was fouled on a made layup, and converted the three point play, 72-60. Lake Erie went 7-8 from the foul line within a two minute span to give them the 12 point lead, 79-67. 

Kara Lazauskas and Marshall made the last two baskets of the game for The Rock with 2:19 left in the game to cut the lead to 80-73 when the Storm scored five points to end the game and giving them the 85-73 win. 

SRU shot 44.3% (27-61) from the floor, 38.1% (8-21) from behind the arc, and 73.3% (11-15) from the free-throw line. 

Lake Erie shot 40.9% (27-66) from the floor, 45.8% (11-24) from 3-point range, and 80% (20-25) from the foul line. 

The Rock outshot the Storm in the second half, 48.3% to 32.3%. SRU also recorded more rebounds 40-39, with the Storm blocking more shots (8-2) and recording more steals (9-5). 

SRU returns to action in January, hosting Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Crossover foe Cheyney on January 2, and Shippensburg on January 3. Both games will be at Morrow Field House starting at 1 pm.