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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team will wrap-up Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crossover play, and look to snap a three-game losing streak, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday when it hosts East Stroudsburg University at Morrow Field House.
 
GAME 14 DETAILS
Opponent: East Stroudsburg University
Date: Jan. 6 | 5:30 p.m.
Location: Morrow Field House | Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Game Notes: Link
Live Stats: Link
In-game Updates: Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: Slippery Rock leads 10-6
Last Played: Dec. 17, 2013 (East Stroudsburg won 70-68 at SRU in double overtime)
 
THE OPENING TIP
•  SRU enters today's game slotted fifth in the PSAC West standings at 7-6 overall and 4-4 in league play.
 
• East Stroudsburg, which is coming off of an upset victory against No. 13 California (Pa.), has won four straight games to improve its record to 5-7 overall and 3-5 in conference competition, which is good enough for sixth place in the PSAC East.
 
• Slippery Rock is 4-1 against PSAC East teams this season.
 
• Slippery Rock has lost four straight games just once under head coach Bobby McGraw.
 
• Only seniors Erica Aiello, Megan Hardiman and Rebecca Olkosky remain on Slippery Rock's roster from when they last played East Stroudsburg in 2013-14; a game in which ESU won 70-68 in double overtime. ESU returns eight players from its 2013-14 roster, six of which saw time in the SRU-ESU game.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Slippery Rock could not overcome an uncharacteristic 24 turnovers and an efficient shooting Bloomsburg squad in an 81-65 loss on the road to the Huskies. Audrey Stapleton led Slippery Rock with career-highs of 18 points and three steals.
 
CROSSOVER SUCCESS
Slippery Rock is 4-1 this season against PSAC East schools; SRU defeated Mansfield (87-62), Lock Haven (58-49), West Chester (70-63) and Cheyney (71-66) earlier in the year before losing to Bloomsburg. Slippery Rock has already assured itself of its first winning record against PSAC East schools since going 4-3 against eastern division foes in 2006-07.
 
A win against ESU would tie this year's team with the 2005-06, 2003-04, 2001-02 and 2000-01 teams for the most wins in a season against PSAC East schools.
 
ROCK LEADERS
Points Per Game: Lexi Carpenter (15.8), Stapleton (12.2), Ciara Patterson (10.5), Aiello (8.8)
 
Field Goal Percentage: Stapleton (.508, 61-120), Hardiman (.480, 24-50), Mallory Heinle (.411, 23-56), Carpenter (.396, 65-164)
 
3-Point Field Goals Made: Patterson (17), Stapleton (16), Hardiman (13, Aiello (12), Heinle (11), Krista Pietropola (11)
 
Free Throw Percentage: Carpenter (.915, 54-59), Stapleton (.833, 20-24), Hardiman (.824, 14-17), Aiello (.762, 32-42)
 
Rebounds Per Game: Hardiman (5.6), Pietropola (4.2), Henderson (4.1), Carpenter (4.0)
 
Assists Per Game: Carpenter (4.7), Aiello (2.9), Patterson (2.5)
 
Steals Per Game: Patterson (2.0), Carpenter (1.6)
 
Blocks Per Game: Sorriyah Ranger (0.8)
 
HOME SUCCESS
Since the start of the 2014-15 season, Slippery Rock is 12-10 in games played at Morrow Field House. It took Slippery Rock four seasons to reach 12 home wins prior to the current coaching staff and players' arrival.
 
IMPORTANCE OF A QUICK START
Slippery Rock is an impressive 7-1 this season when leading or being tied at halftime. However, playing from behind has not been The Rock's forte as evidenced by its 0-5 record when trailing after two quarters of play.
 
On the year, Slippery Rock has outscored its opponents 419-395 (+24) in the first half of games this season. In comparison, East Stroudsburg is being outscored 322-321 (-1).
 
FAMILAR FACES
Before coming to Slippery Rock, Stapleton spent her freshman season in 2013-14 at East Stroudsburg, starting 10 of 28 games played and averaging 3.8 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. She had eight points, two rebounds and two steals in ESU's double overtime victory against SRU.
 
COMING INTO HER OWN
Heinle is in the midst of her best stretch of basketball in her young college career (38 games). Through her first 34 games, Heinle averaged 2.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.5 steals per game while shooting 33.3 percent (31-for-93) from the field overall, 41.7 percent (10-for-24) from 3-point range and 62.9 (17-for-27) percent from the foul line.
 
However, in her last four games she has posted per game averages of 11.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals while shooting 42.9 percent (15-for-35) from the field, 45.5 percent (5-for-11) from 3-point range and 70.6 percent (12-for-17) at the foul line.
 
Most recently, Heinle went for 15 points and seven rebounds at Bloomsburg.
 
ONE OF THE PSAC'S BEST
Carpenter continues to show that she is one of the top players in the entire 18-team PSAC. She comes into the East Stroudsburg game ranked ninth in the league in scoring (15.8), eighth in assists (4.7), second in free throw shooting (91.5 percent), 17th in steals (1.6) and 20th in shooting percentage overall (39.6 percent).
 
Carpenter, who went for 16 points, five rebounds and five assists against Bloomsburg despite playing through foul trouble most of the game, is on pace to score 429 points this season, which would rank 21st in Rock single-season history.
 
PRECISION SHOOTERS
Slippery Rock is ranked 12th in the nation in free throw shooting percentage at 77.1 percent (182-236) and 13th in 3-point shooting at 38.7 percent (89-for-230). Both percentages rank first among all PSAC teams in addition to their lofty national rankings.
 
Carpenter ranks second in the PSAC in free throw shooting at 91.5 percent (53-for-57). Stapleton (83.3 percent / 20-for-24), Hardiman (82.4 / 14-for-17), Aiello (76.2, 32-for-42), Patterson (75.0, 24-for-32) and Pietropola (75.0, 6-for-8) all shoot 75 percent or better from the foul line.
 
Slippery Rock's most accurate 3-point shooters include Hardiman (59.1 percent / 13-for22), Stapleton (48.5 / 16-for-33), Heinle (45.8 / 11-for-24), Patterson (37.0 / 17-for-46) and Pietropola (35.5 / 11-for-31).
 
CLIMBING THE RECORD BOOKS
With 15 games remaining at Slippery Rock, not counting any potential postseason contests, Aiello is quickly climbing up several career record categories at The Rock.
 
Aiello moved into ninth place at Slippery Rock in career assists after tallying five at Bloomsburg to push her total to 316. She needs just two more assists to move into sole possession of eighth place ahead of Kim Sabol (317 / 1985-89). She also ranks 10th in career minutes played (2,445) and will move into ninth place with 37 more minutes of playing time. Aiello's 66 consecutive starts is the sixth longest streak in program history.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
10: Number of offensive rebounds by Pietropola in the last four games. She leads SRU with 21 offensive rebounds on the season.
 
+41: Patterson's team-high plus/minus total through 13 games. Plus/minus looks at a team's point differential when a player is on the floor compared with when he's not.
 
BEST SHOOTER IN THE REGION
Stapleton is the only player in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region, which consists of schools from the PSAC, Mountain East Conference and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, that is currently shooting at least 50 percent from the field, 48 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent from the foul line.
 
Stapleton is currently shooting 50.8 percent (61-for-120) from the field overall, 48.5 percent (16-for-33) from 3-point range and 83.3 percent (20-for-24) from the foul line.
 
After scoring just 17 points over SRU's first three games, Stapleton has scored at least 12 points in nine of the last 10 games to raise her scoring average to 12.2 points per game.
 
(Minimum 100 field goal attempts, 25 3-point attempts and 20 free throw attempts)
 
SCOUTING EAST STROUDSBURG
Allison Howard has been the Warriors' top player through the first 11 games of the season. She leads ESU in scoring (15.1), field goal percentage (41.2), 3-pointers made (17) and rebounding (7.7). Michelle Boggs' 1.9 blocks per game ranks second in the PSAC. ESU enters the game ranked 14th in the league in scoring (63.3) and ninth in points allowed (65.3).
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
Slippery Rock is 10-6 all-time against East Stroudsburg. The Rock and the Warriors last played in 2013-14. The game went to double overtime before East Stroudsburg pulled out the 70-68 victory. Slippery Rock is 6-3 against the Warriors in games played at Morrow Field House.
 
Most SRU Points Scored: 96 (2000-01)
Least SRU Points: 49 (2004-05)
Largest SRU Win: 36 (96-90, 2000-01),
Most ESU Points Scored: 85 (2007-08)
Least ESU Points Scored: 40 (2005-06)
Largest ESU Win: 13 (85-72, 2007-08)
Average Points Scored by SRU: 71.0
Average Points Scored by ESU: 63.0
At Slippery Rock: Slippery Rock leads 6-3
At East Stroudsburg: East Stroudsburg leads 3-2
On A Neutral Court: Series tied 1-1
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock takes to the road for a pair of games starting 1 p.m. Saturday at Indiana (Pa.). The Rock then heads to Clarion for a 5:30 p.m. contest on Jan. 13.