Box Score

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa.—Freshman Alex Beatty led all scorers with 23 points Thursday night as the Slippery Rock women's basketball team recorded a 20-point, 76-56 win over visiting Penn State-Beaver in Morrow Field House.

The win was the first in three home games for The Rock and improved its season record to 2-4.

The loss was only second sustained by Penn State-Beaver in eight games this winter.

Senior Nikki Presto scored 12 points, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out a game-high seven assists for The Rock. Junior Grace Palucis added 11 points, six rebounds, six assists and a game-high four steals; senior Chere' Marshall scored nine points and had three steals and freshman Emilee Vitez snared eight rebounds and had three steals. 

Penn State-Beaver was led in scoring by Heather Sandusky with 21 points and Jasmine Green with 20 points. Shelby Parks grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds for the Lady Lions.

SRU started the game with a 6-0 run, highlighted by two layups by Marshall, before Penn State-Beaver outscored the hosts by an 18-11 margin to take an 18-17 lead with 11 minutes left in the first half.

Less than a minute later, though, Beatty hit a jumper to give the lead back to the home team and start a 12-2 Rock run that gave the hosts a 29-20 lead with 7:45 left before halftime.

The Rock enjoyed a 10-point, 38-28, advantage at the intermission.

Penn State-Beaver scored the first six points of the second half to cut the lead to four, 38-34, before Beatty and Presto each nailed a 3-pointer to key an 8-2 Rock run that pushed the lead back to double digits at 46-36.

The Rock was up by 12, 56-44, with 11:14 left in the game after Palucis hit a jumper to start a 10-2 Rock run that pushed the lead to 20 points, 66-46, with nine minutes left.

Penn State-Beaver never closed the margin to less than 15 minutes the remainder of the game.

SRU finished the game shooting 43.1% (28-65) from the floor, 48% (12-25) from three point range and 72.2% (8-11) from the foul line. Beatty recorded six three-pointers on the night.

The Lady Lions shot 39% (23-59) from the floor, 27.8% (5-18) from three point range and 29.4% (5-17) from the free throw line. 

The Rock scored 32 bench points to PSU-Beaver's one. The Rock also recorded seven blocks with the Lady Lions also only recording one. 

The Rock returns to action Tuesday, when it hosts Pitt-Johnstown in the final game of a three-game homestand. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.

SRU then meets LeMoyne and Lake Erie on back-to-back days Dec. 11-12 in the Mansfield tournament before having a holiday recess until Jan.3, when the Green and White will host Cheyney in a 1 p.m. game.