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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team will look to snap its five-game losing streak 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division rival Clarion University.
 
GAME 16 DETAILS
Opponent: Clarion University
Date: Jan. 13 | 5:30 p.m.
Location: Tippin Gym | Clarion, Pennsylvania
Game Notes: Link
Live Stats: Link
In-game Updates: Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: Series tied 37-37
Last Played: Feb. 22, 2015 (Slippery Rock won 77-71 in overtime at Clarion)
 
THE OPENING TIP
• SRU enters Saturday's game slotted eighth in the PSAC West standings at 7-8 overall and 4-6 in league play.
 
• Clarion comes into Wednesday sixth in the division standings at 6-11 overall and 6-5 in conference play.
 
• The Rock and Clarion are two of the top 3-point shooting teams in the league. SRU leads the PSAC in 3-point percentage (39.2) and fourth in 3-pointers made (105) while Clarion is first in 3-pointers made (116).
 
• With 12 league games left in the season, SRU is 1.5 games back of sixth place in the PSAC West, the top six teams in the division at the end of the season qualify for the conference tournament.
 
• Slippery Rock has won two straight games over Clarion to tie the all-time series at 37-37.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Slippery Rock cut a 22-point first half deficit down to just four points with six minutes to play in regulation, but had its comeback bid come up short Saturday in an 81-70 loss at Indiana (Pa.). Ciara Patterson scored a career-high 26 points for SRU.
 
ROCK LEADERS
Points Per Game: Lexi Carpenter (15.6), Audrey Stapleton (11.3), Patterson (11.1), Erica Aiello (9.9)
 
Field Goal Percentage: Stapleton (.478, 65-136), Megan Hardiman (.473, 26-55), Morgan Henderson (.404, 23-57), Mallory Heinle (.403, 27-67)
 
3-Point Field Goals Made: Patterson (21), Aiello (19), Stapleton (18), Hardiman (14), Heinle (12), Krista Pietropola (12)
 
Free Throw Percentage: Carpenter (.909, 70-77), Stapleton (.846, 22-26), Hardiman (.789, 15-19), Patterson (.769, 30-39), Aiello (.750, 36-48)
 
Rebounds Per Game: Hardiman (5.3), Carpenter (4.5), Henderson (4.0), Pietropola (3.9)
 
Assists Per Game: Carpenter (5.1), Aiello (2.8), Patterson (2.3)
 
Steals Per Game: Patterson (1.9), Carpenter (1.5)
 
Blocks Per Game: Sorriyah Ranger (0.8)
 
ACTIVE STREAK LEADERS
Category: Player (Streak/Games)
Consecutive Starts: Aiello (68, sixth longest in school history)
Consecutive Free Throws Made: Heinle (14)
At least one steal: Heinle (seven)
At least five rebounds: Heinle (six)
At least two offensive rebounds: Carpenter (two)
At least five Assists: Carpenter (five)
At least 10 points: Carpenter (four)
At least 30 minutes played: Carpenter (two)
 
ONE OF THE TOP SHOOTING TEAMS IN THE NATION
Slippery Rock continued to climb up the national rankings in 3-point and free throw percentage after another outstanding shooting effort against Indiana (Pa.) in which Slippery Rock went 10-for-22 (45.5 percent) from 3-point range and 14-for-17 (82.4 percent) from the foul line.
 
Slippery Rock now ranks fifth in the nation in free throw shooting percentage at 78.2 percent (215-275) and eighth in 3-point shooting at 39.2 percent (105-for-268). Both percentages rank first among all PSAC teams in addition to their lofty national rankings. Winona State is the only other team in the country to rank in the top 10 in both categories.
 
SRU has not finished the season ranked in the top 10 in the nation in both categories since 2001-02 when it ranked seventh in free throw percentage and 10th in 3-point accuracy. If Slippery Rock can continue its marksmanship both percentages would be single-season program records.
 
PATTERSON'S BIG DAY AT IUP
After scoring 29 points combined in Slippery Rock's previous four games, Patterson exploded for 26 points on an efficient 9-for-14 effort from the field overall, 4-for-7 mark from 3-point range and a 4-for-5 showing from the foul line.
 
Patterson's 26 points was the 10th highest scoring total by a Rock player dating back to 2008-09 (seven seasons). Former Rock great D'Asia Chambers scored more than 26 points eight times and current SRU graduate assistant coach Jazmyne Frost scored 29 points once.
 
THE REGION'S BEST
Carpenter produced another fine all-around game against Indiana recently when she went for 12 points, seven rebounds and a career-high nine assists. Through the first 14 games of her Rock career, Carpenter is averaging 15.6 points, 5.1 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per games. Those numbers put her in the rarest of company in the Atlantic Region.
 
Only three other players in the region average at least 15 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game; California's Miki Glenn (20.5 points, 6.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals), Virginia Union's Kiana Johnson (27.2, 9.3, 4.9, 4.3) and West Chester's Brittany Sicinski (16.2, 5.1, 5.1, 1.3).
 
The Atlantic Region consists of 43 schools and over 550 players from the PSAC, Mountain East Conference and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
 
CHOICE COMPANY
As her career comes to a close, Aiello is approaching a milestone that only two other players in Slippery Rock history have accomplished.
 
Through 93 career games, Aiello has amassed 730 points, 320 assists and 201 rebounds. With 13 games remaining in the regular season (not counting any potential postseason games), she needs 70 points (5.4 per game) and 30 assists (2.3 per game) to become the third player in program history to record 800 points, 350 assists and 200 rebounds.
 
Jackie Altenweg (1998-02) (1,449 points, 361 assists, 410 rebounds) and Annette Bergman (1989-93) (872 points, 417 assists, 228 rebounds) have also accomplished the feat at Slippery Rock.
 
SCORING EXPLOSION
Aiello comes into the Clarion game fresh off of her top two scoring performances of the season. She had a season-high 18 points against East Stroudsburg followed by 17 at Indiana. Those two games account for two of the top six single-game scoring totals in her career.
 
Aiello, who also needs three assists against the Golden Eagles to move into a tie for sixth place in program history for assists in a career, achieved the high point totals over the last two games off of a combined 12-for-25 (48 percent) mark from the field that includes an impressive 7-for-12 (58.3 percent) effort from 3-point range.
 
HELPING OUT ON THE BOARDS
Heinle has grabbed 42 rebounds (7.0 per game) in Slippery Rock's last six games, the most of any Rock player by 14 rebounds. Carpenter (28 rebounds), Pietropola (23 rebounds) and Henderson (21 rebounds) have been SRU's other top rebounders over the last six games as well.
 
Prior to being held scoreless against IUP, Heinle had also scored 10 or more points in three consecutive points in addition to her work on the glass.
 
CAREER vs. CLARION
Megan Hardiman has a knack for playing some of her best basketball vs. Clarion. In five career games against the Golden Eagles, Hardiman has averaged 10.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Two of her games have resulted in double-doubles including an 11-point, 10-rebound contest at Clarion a season ago.
 
FAMILAR FACES
The only two Clarion and Slippery Rock players to played basketball at the same high school are Rock sophomore Lindsay Homan and Clarion freshman Taylor Moltz. Both players hail from Oil City, Pennsylvania and played their high school basketball at Venango Catholic.
 
SCOUTING CLARION
Like Slippery Rock, Clarion also is in need of a win after losing three out of its last four games. The Golden Eagles rank 11th in the league in scoring (64.9) and 17th in points allowed (70.9). No team in the PSAC relies on the 3-pointer more than Clarion as evidenced by its league leading 379 attempts and 116 makes. Tania Holmes and Delrika Jones-Carey have been the Eagles' top two players this season. Holmes is averaging 11.9 points and 8.8 rebounds while Jones-Carey has produced 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds a contest.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
Slippery Rock and Clarion have evenly split 74 games in a series that dates back to the 1976-77 season. Slippery Rock swept the season series last year with one of the wins being a 77-71 victory in overtime at Clarion.
Most SRU Points Scored: 104 (1990-91)
Least SRU Points Scored: 36 (1987-88)
Largest SRU Win: 53 (82-29, 1976-77)
Most Clarion Points Scored: 113 (1990-91)
Least Clarion Points Scored: 29 (1976-77)
Largest Clarion Win: 36 (87-51, 2004-05)
Average Points Scored by SRU (Last 10 games): 63.3
Average Points Scored by Clarion (Last 10 games): 71.0
At Slippery Rock: Slippery Rock leads 20-16
At Clarion: Clarion leads 21-15
Neutral Site Games: Slippery Rock leads 2-0

UP NEXT
Slippery Rock returns home for the first of two straight games when it hosts California (Pa.) 5 p.m. Saturday at Morrow Field House. Slippery Rock then plays Pitt-Johnstown at home 6 p.m. Jan. 20.