SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa.- Sophomore guard Ciara Patterson scored 19 points to lead four Slippery Rock University women's basketball players in double figures Wednesday night as The Rock cruised to a 69-55 win against Pitt-Johnstown in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division action from Morrow Field House.
 
Slippery Rock led for all 40 minutes Wednesday night.
 
The victory improves The Rock's record to 9-9 overall and 6-7 in league play. Pitt-Johnstown drops to 7-12 overall and 4-9 in conference competition with the loss.
 
Patterson led the way with her 19 point, five-rebound, two-assist performance. Patterson has now scored at least 15 points in four consecutive games. Patterson went 8-for-14 from the field and 3-for-5 in 3-point range.
 
Senior guard Erica Aiello and junior guard Lexi Carpenter each recorded 12 points while sophomore forward Mallory Heinle added 10. Carpenter also dished out five assists and grabbed four rebounds. Heinle and senior forward Megan Hardiman each pulled down six rebounds to lead SRU's efforts on the boards.
 
Slippery Rock jumped out to a 12-0 lead through the opening seven minutes of the first quarter thanks to eight points from Patterson. UPJ broke their scoring drought with a 3-pointer by Agnese Aramina that sparked the Mountain Cats' 7-4 to trim their deficit to nine points at16-7 heading into the second quarter.
 
Heinle drilled back-to-back triples to start the second quarter for The Rock before UPJ scored a basket at the 8:27 mark for what would be its last points over the next six minutes as The Rock's defense clamped down to hold Pitt-Johnstown to just five points in the second quarter to take a commanding 31-12 lead at the break.
 
Patterson led all scorers at the half with 10 points. The 12 points were the fewest allowed by Slippery Rock in a half this season.
 
Pitt-Johnstown narrowly outscored Slippery Rock, 43-38, in the second half, but The Rock's lead was never seriously threatened as SRU sailed to 14-point victory.
 
Slippery Rock shot 39.7 percent (23-for-58) from the field, while Pitt-Johnstown hit 36.0 percent (18-50) of its attempts. Slippery Rock also forced Pitt-Johnstown into 20 turnovers while committing just 12 miscues of its own.
 
SRU also held advantages over the Mountain Cats in steals (8-6), assists (12-10), points off turnovers (14-12), points in the paint (26-22) and fast break points (10-2).
 
Jasmine Harper led the Mountain Cats with 15 points. Olivia Rizzo added 13 points and a team-high four assists.
 
Slippery Rock continues its PSAC West schedule when it heads to Gannon Saturday for a 1 p.m. game against the Golden Knights.