Box Score
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The 18th-ranked Indiana University (Pa.) women's basketball team overcame an eight point halftime deficit and pulled away in the second half for a 57-42 win over Slippery Rock Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division action at Morrow Field House.
The Rock (5-13, 2-12 PSAC) put a scare into the Crimson Hawks (16-2, 12-2 PSAC) by posting a 27-19 advantage at halftime and holding the visitors to just 25 percent shooting at the break. The tide turned in the second half as IUP held SRU to just six made field goals and a 20 percent shooting efficiency en route to a 38-15 advantage on the scoreboard.
Erinne Cunningham was the lone SRU player to record double figures, leading the team with 15 points, including four 3-pointers.
Danielle Smith added nine points and nine rebounds and
D'Asia Chambers chipped in six points off the bench.
Slippery Rock finished the game shooting 29.8 percent, connecting on 17-of-57 attempts from the floor, including 6-of-19 from behind the 3-point line (31.6 percent). The Rock made just four trips to the free throw line, making two attempts.
Indiana was led by Sarah Pastorek with a game-high 19 points and 11 rebounds. Marita Mathe and Leslie Stapleton each added 10 points for the Crimson Hawks.
IUP shot 53.6 percent in the second half to finish with a 41.7 percent efficiency for the game, connecting on 20-of-48 attempts, including 6-of-14 from long range and was nearly perfect at the free throw line, hitting 11-of-12.
The teams traded baskets to open the game before Indiana opened up a 10-5 lead with 13:30 to play in the first period. The Rock pushed back and tied the game at 16-16 with 5:23 to play and capped a 12-0 run when
Paris Thomas hit a 3-pointer to five SRU a 25-16 lead with 3:15 to play in the half.
IUP closed the half with a 3-2 run to send it to the break with the hosts leading 27-19.
Slippery Rock was 11-of-27 from the field in the first half and 4-of-8 from long range, while Indiana was just 5-of-20 from the field and 1-of-5 from behind the 3-point arc.
The tides turned quickly in the second half as Indiana opened with a 10-2 run to tie the game at 29-29 with 15:20 to play.
A 4-0 run by SRU made it 33-29 with just under 14 minutes to play before The Rock went cold and IUP pulled away.
The Crimson Hawks put together a 9-0 run to open up a 38-33 lead with 11:35 to play and pushed that run out to 25-6 to take a 54-39 lead with 3:49 to play. SRU would get no closer the than 13 the rest of the way.
Indiana's defense held Slippery Rock to just one made field goal and four total points in the final 10:27 of action.
Saturday's game marked the third consecutive game against a ranked opponent for SRU, which dropped contests against No. 3 Edinboro and No. 20 Gannon in its previous two games. The win for Indiana was the 10th consecutive for the Crimson Hawks in the series.
Slippery Rock will look to snap its current four game losing streak when it travels to Clarion Wednesday for a 5:30 p.m. PSAC West matchup.
