New/Sortable Box Score  |  Traditional Box Score

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Alexas Brown knocked down a game-winning fade away jumper as the buzzer sounded to give the Slippery Rock University women's basketball team an 89-87 win over Urbana University in its season opener Friday night at Morrow Field House.

Slippery Rock (1-0) took an 87-85 lead with just over 30 seconds to play on a pair of free throws from Erinne Cunningham, but Urbana (0-1) matched the effort with a pair from DeVonyea Johnson with 28 seconds left to tie it at 87-87.

Rock head coach Tanya Longo called a timeout with 19 seconds left to set up the final play. The ball found Brown after the inbounds pass and never left her hand until the final second when she drove the lane and lifted a jumper that bounced off the iron and in as the buzzer sounded.

Slippery Rock closed the game with a 9-2 run over the final two minutes after trailing 85-80 with less than two minutes to play.

The 87 points is more than the Slippery Rock team scored in any game last season. The Rock only eclipsed the 70 point marker in two games in all of 2011-12.

Slippery Rock finished the game shooting 46.3 percent from the field (31-of-67) and was 48.3 percent from beyond the 3-point arc (14-of-29). The Rock was 13-of-25 (52.0 percent) from the free throw line and finished the game with 38 rebounds.

Urbana shot 46.7 percent from the field (28-of-60), 38.9 percent from long range (7-of-18) and was 24-of-28 from the free throw line (85.7 percent). The Blue Knights grabbed 41 total rebounds in the game, but turned the ball over 24 times.

Slippery Rock placed five players in double digit scoring, led by Erinne Cunningham with 24 points, including six 3-pointers. D'Asia Chambers added 21 points and six rebounds and Brown finished with 14 points and eight assists. Danielle Garroutte added 11 points off the bench and Simone Aladenoye chipped in added 10 points and six rebounds as a reserve. Jazmyne Frost grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.

Urbana was led by Ciara Geiger, who matched Cunningham for a game-high 24 points. Johnson added 19 points, while Kennedy Boggs chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds off the bench and Kate Francisco added 12 points.

The season opener for both teams was back and forth throughout, with neither team able to establish a large lead. The game saw eight total ties and five lead changes.

Urbana scored the first five points of the game before Slippery Rock took over with an 8-0 run to lead 8-5 just three minutes in. SRU led 27-23 with 8:53 to play in the opening half before going on an 8-2 run to open up a 35-25 lead, the largest advantage either team would have all night.

Urbana chipped away at the margin and closed the half trailing 48-45.

The Blue Knights opened the second half on a 5-1 run to take their first lead of the game after less than a minute had come off the clock.

Slippery Rock battled back to tie the game at 54-54 with 16:39 to play, before Urbana scored the next four points to go back out in front. The visitors would not relinquish their advantage in the half until Cunningham's free throws with 33 seconds left.

The lead never grew to more than six points as Slippery Rock continued to answer each scoring effort from Urbana, setting up the wild finish.

SRU trailed 85-80 with 1:54 to play but Chambers knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 85-83 and then grabbed an offensive rebounded and layed it in to tie the game. Cunningham's free throws with 33 seconds left capped a 7-0 run for The Rock, who closed the game on a 9-2 run over the final two minutes.

Slippery Rock will play in two more non-conference games before opening Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference action. The Rock will travel to Wheeling Jesuit Nov. 13 for a 6 p.m. game and will visit the University of Charleston Nov. 17 for a 6 p.m. matchup.