SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team dropped a 90-75 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division decision to Indiana University (Pa.) Saturday night at Morrow Field House.
 
The game was close throughout the night, SRU led by one point late in the third quarter and the Crimson Hawks led by just five points with 5:30 to play in regulation before a 23-13 IUP run over the remainder of the game gave Indiana the 15-point win.
 
Slippery Rock (11-14, 7-12 PSAC West) shot 45.2 percent from the field overall and forced 14 turnovers, but Indiana connected on 10 3-pointers and outrebounded Slippery Rock 45-27. Indiana finished the contest with 23 second chance points.
 
Lexi Carpenter and Ciara Patterson led Slippery Rock Saturday. Carpenter went for 26 points, five rebounds and six assists while Patterson poured in 20 points in addition to pulling in four rebounds.
 
Megan Hardiman chipped in 13 points while also recording five rebounds and making two steals. Erica Aiello had six points and Mallory Heinle finished with four points and five rebounds to round out The Rock's top performers.
 
Slippery Rock also held advantages over Indiana in points off turnovers (12-6), points in the paint (40-28) and bench scoring (10-5).
 
SRU opened up a quick 7-2 lead two minutes into the contest before IUP closed the opening quarter on a 18-9 run to take a 20-16 lead into the second quarter. Slippery Rock and Indiana continued to trade baskets in the second quarter and Carpenter sent SRU into halftime on a high note by hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut the IUP lead to a mere two points at 42-40 at the break.
 
The Rock completely erased the Crimson Hawks' advantage over the first seven minutes of the third quarter with an 11-8 run that was capped off by a Hardiman layup. However, the lead was short-lived as IUP's Megan Smith made a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to give Indiana a lead that it would never relinquish.

Slippery Rock regrouped to tie the game one more time with 1:54 to go in the third quarter, but was unable to recapture the lead over the final 11:54 as Indiana outscored The Rock, 35-20 over the final stretch to secure the win.
 
Leslie Stapleton scored a game-high 28 points while Smith had a double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds to pace the Crimson Hawks.
 
Slippery Rock continues its three-game homestand 5:30 p.m. Wednesday against Clarion.