Box Score
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Shippensburg University closed the game on 21-7 run over the final 7:54 to defeat Slippery Rock University, 61-47, in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crossover game Saturday evening at Morrow Field House.
With the loss, Slippery Rock falls to 4-8 overall and 1-7 in PSAC play. Shippensburg improves to 6-6 overall and 3-5 in league action.
Saturday's game was close throughout and remained that way until the second to last media timeout of the game. With 7:54 to play, the game was tied at 40-40 before Shippensburg put together a 12-0 run over the next 5:26 to open up a 52-40 lead with 2:28 to play. The Lady Raiders pushed that run out to 18-1 to lead 58-41 with just over a minute to play before cruising to the win.
Slippery Rock was led by
Danielle Smith with 14 points and seven rebounds, while
Jasmine Cooper finished with a double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds.
Paris Thomas added 10 points to cap the top scorers.
Coming off one of their best shooting performances a night before, The Rock struggled from the field and finished with a 31.0 percent efficiency (18-58), including 15.8 percent from the 3-point arc (3-19). SRU was slightly better at the free throw line, hitting on 72.7 percent of its attempts (8-11).
Shippensburg was led by Dana Wert with a game-high 20 points, while Sarah Strybuc added 18 points and Monar Baker chipped in 14.
The Lady Raiders, coming off a dismal shooting night Friday in a 42-40 loss at Mercyhurst, continued to struggle from the field for much of the night before coming on strong to finish the game shooting 39.6 percent (19-48), including 35.7 percent from the 3-point line (5-14). The visitors made 72.0 percent of their free throw attempts (18-25).
Shippensburg scored the first six points of the game and increased its lead to seven points early in the first half at 11-4 with 14:54 to play before the break.
The Rock battled back to tie the game at 13-13 with 11:38 to play in the period, but Shippensburg answered with a 5-0 run to take an 18-13 lead with 6:37 to play.
Slippery Rock responded with its own run of 6-0 to take its first lead of the game, 19-18, with 3:04 to play before the intermission. From there, the teams traded buckets with Shippensburg knocking down the final shot of the half to lead 24-22 at the break.
For the first time all season, Slippery Rock failed to earn a single free throw attempt in the opening half.
The teams again traded baskets to open the second half and Slippery Rock regained the lead, 32-31, with 15:04 to play. From there, Shippensburg answered with a 9-0 run to open up a 40-32 lead with 11:12 to play.
Again, The Rock answered the call with their own run, this time of 8-0, to tie the game for the eighth time at 40-40 with 7:54 to play.
Slippery Rock went woefully cold from the field over the next 5:26 as Shippensburg put together a 12-0 run to put the game out of reach.
Saturday's loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Slippery Rock, which will look to get back into the win column when Lock Haven visits Morrow Field House Jan. 11 for a 6 p.m. tip. That game will mark the opening of the PSAC-West schedule for both teams.
