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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Fresh off of back-to-back season-opening wins at the PSAC-CIAA Challenge, the Slippery Rock University women's basketball team will begin Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division play Wednesday when it travels to Edinboro University for a 5:30 p.m. game against the Fighting Scots.
 
GAME 3 DETAILS
Opponents: Edinboro University
Date: Nov. 18  |  5:30 p.m.
Location: McComb Fieldhouse | Edinboro, Pennsylvania
Live Stats: Link
Audio: Link
In-game Updates: Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: Slippery Rock leads 42-41
Last Played: Feb. 11, 2015 (Edinboro won 79-56 at EU)
 
THE OPENING TIP
• A victory over Edinboro would give Slippery Rock its first 3-0 start to a season since the 1990-91 campaign.
 
• Slippery Rock is 15-21 in conference-openers all-time. The last time Slippery Rock opened PSAC-West play with a win was in 2003-04 when it defeated Edinboro in overtime, 58-56.
 
• Slippery Rock holds a 42-41 lead over Edinboro in the all-time series. SRU and EU split a pair of games last year with each team winning on its respective home court.
 
• SRU is 17-23 in games played at Edinboro all-time.
 
OPENING WEEKEND RECAP
Slippery Rock picked up a pair of in-region victories when it hosted the PSAC-CIAA Challenge to start the 2015-16 season at Morrow Field House. The Rock started the year with a 68-59 win over defending CIAA Champion Virginia State before finishing the challenge by besting Chowan, 64-62.
 
2-0 FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME
Slippery Rock if off to a 2-0 start to the season for the eighth time in program history and the first time since the 1997-98 season. The 2015-16 team can become the fifth team in Rock history to start 3-0 with a win at Edinboro.
 
STRONG FIRST IMPRESSION
Junior guard Lexi Carpenter made an immediate impact in her first games in a Rock uniform. In two games last week, Carpenter produced per game averages of 18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals. She started her week with a 21-point, five-rebound, five-assist, two-steal effort against Virginia State and then came back with 14 points, five rebounds and two assists versus Chowan. Carpenter scored five points in the final 1:14 of regulation to secure the victory for The Rock against Chowan.
 
Her 21 points against Virginia State were the most points scored by a Slippery Rock player in their first game as a member of the program dating back to the 2004-05 season. The previous high belonged to Erinne Cunningham, who scored 18 points in her Rock debut Nov. 11, 2011 at the University of Findlay.
 
LIGHTS OUT SHOOTING
After a rough shooting performance in its season-opener against Virginia State in which SRU shot just 35.5 percent (22-for-62) from the field and 35.3 percent (6-for-17) from three-point range, Slippery Rock responded by hitting 47.1 percent (24-for-51) of its shots from the field and 50 percent (7-for-14) of its three-point attempts against Chowan. 
 
The last time SRU shot at least 50 percent from three-point range, minimum 10 attempts, was Nov. 20, 2013 against Clarion (10-for-20). The Rock's field goal percentage against Chowan was the 10th highest single-game total by a Rock team in the last four years.
 
ROCK LEADERS
Carpenter and senior guard Erica Aiello are Slippery Rock's top two scorers at 18.0 ppg and 10.5 ppg, respectively. Carpenter and Aiello are also tied for the team lead in assists per game at 3.5 with Aiello also totaling a Rock-high 2.5 steals per game (spg).
 
In addition to her scoring and assist totals, Carpenter ranks second for Slippery Rock in rebounds per game (rpg) (5.0) and has made an impressive 87.5 percent of her free throws (14-for-16).
 
The trio of senior forward Megan Hardiman, sophomore guard Ciara Patterson and junior guard Audrey Stapleton are all tied for third on the team at 7.5 ppg.
 
Hardiman also leads SRU in field goal percentage (.571 / 4-for-7), three-pointers made (four) and rebounding (5.5 rpg).
 
As was the case for much of last season, senior forward Sorriyah Ranger is The Rock's top shot blocker with three rejections through two games.
 
HOME SUCCESS
Since the start of the 2014-15 season, Slippery Rock is 10-7 at home overall and 6-0 in non-conference games played at Morrow Field House. Three of Slippery Rock's next four games will be played at home against Lock Haven University, Mansfield University and nationally-ranked West Liberty University.
 
DEFENSE IS THE KEY
It's no secret that one of the main factors in Slippery Rock's success is based on its defensive performance. Since head coach Bobby McGraw took over the program at the start of last year, nine of Slippery Rock's 13 wins (69.2 percent) have come when SRU has held teams to 65 points or less.
 
In those nine wins, Slippery Rock has forced its opponents into an average of 17.6 turnovers per game while also holding them to an average field goal percentage of just 32.7 percent (162-for-496).
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• .800 - Hardiman's three-point shooting percentage, which leads the entire PSAC. Her four three-pointers made through two games are also tied for third in the league.
 
 • 3 - number of assists needed by Aiello to move into 10th place all-time in the SRU record books for assists in a career.
 
 • 9 - number of three-pointers needed by Aiello to move into 11th place all-time in the SRU record books for three-pointers in a career.
 
• 4 - number of wins needed by McGraw to move into eighth place in SRU women's basketball history for wins by a coach.
 
• 47 - consecutive games played by Hardiman, the most of any current Rock player.
 
• 4 - Number of offensive rebounds from both Hardiman and Ranger to start the season, the top two totals for SRU. Ranger had 14 offensive rebounds all of last season.
 
CAREER vs. EDINBORO
Aiello and Hardiman have both played six games against Edinboro in their collegiate careers. Aiello has averaged 7.3 ppg, 3.3 apg and 2.8 rpg while Hardiman has tallied 4.2 rpg. Sophomore guard Shannon Jack gave Slippery Rock a pair of six-point and seven-point performances against the Fighting Scots as a freshman a year ago.
 
SCOUTING EDINBORO
Edinboro earned a pair of victories to start the season at the MEC-PSAC Challenge in Institute, West Virginia. The Fighting Scots defeated the University of Charleston, 82-66, and West Virginia State University, 55-51.
 
The Fighting Scots are led by two-time All-PSAC forward Aignee' Freeland, who enters the SRU game with per game totals of 22.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks while shooting 51.4 percent from the field.
 
Katie Fischer and Lauren Hippo both average double figure scoring totals as well at 11.5 ppg and 11.0 ppg. Fischer has also passed out 9.0 apg and grabbed 6.5 rpg.
 
One of the top teams annually in the region, Edinboro has had five consecutive seasons with at least 20 wins and four NCAA Tournament berths.
 
LAST MEETING
Slippery Rock had its winning streak halted at two games in a 79-56 PSAC-West loss to Edinboro Feb. 11, 2015 at McComb Fieldhouse. Edinboro jumped out to a 9-4 lead through four minutes and never looked back en route to the 23-point victory.
 
Taylor Siggers led Slippery Rock with 18 points and four rebounds. D'Asia Chambers just missed out on a double-double with nine points and seven rebounds. Ranger rounded out The Rock's top performers by producing a then career-high of three blocks.
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock begins its first of two season-long three-game homestands 1 p.m. Saturday against Mansfield University in PSAC crossover competition. SRU will then play Lock Haven University 1 p.m. Sunday before closing out its time at Morrow Field House 2 p.m. Nov. 25.