SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Spurred on by its best defensive performance of the season, the Slippery Rock University women's basketball team defeated Kutztown University, 68-54, Sunday afternoon at Morrow Field House.
 
The victory, which was SRU second straight win, improves The Rock's record to 2-2 on the season overall and a perfect 2-0 mark in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference competition. Kutztown falls to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in league games with the loss.
 
Slippery Rock is now 10-4 in games against teams from the PSAC East dating back to the 2015-16 season.
 
SRU overcame its own rough shooting performance, just 36.5 percent (23-for-63) from the field, with a smothering defensive effort that forced the Golden Bears into 19 turnovers and shooting percentages of 26.9 (18-for-67) from the field overall and 22.7 (5-for-22) from 3-point range.
 
Krista Pietropola came off the bench to provide The Rock with 20 solid minutes as she scored 13 points, grabbed seven rebounds and matched a career-high with four steals. Pietropola went 5-for-7 from the field overall, 2-for-4 from deep and 1-for-2 from the free throw line.
 
Madison Johnson and Brooke Hinderliter also finished in double figures with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Hinderliter grabbed five rebounds in addition to her scoring total, three of which came on the offensive glass. Through four games in 2017-18, Hinderliter ranks fourth in the PSAC in offensive rebounds per game (4.3).
 
Mallory Heinle came just shy of a double-double with eight points and seven rebounds to go with two blocks. Morgan Henderson matched Heinle for the team lead in blocks with two rejections of her own while corralling a game-best 10 rebounds.
 
The reserve duo of LeeAnn Gibson and Skyla O'Connor combined for 11 points, nine rebounds and four steals against the Golden Bears.
 
Slippery Rock set the tone of for the day with a dominating first quarter in which it outscored Kutztown 20-4. KU made just one of its 13 field goal attempts in the opening 10 minutes while SRU shot a blistering 50 percent (8-for-16) from the floor in the opening quarter. Eight different players scored points for The Rock in the first quarter.
 
Kutztown battled back throughout the game to trim The Rock's lead to under 10 points several times over the final three quarters, but never seriously threatened to overtake SRU as Slippery Rock cruised to a 14-point victory.

For the game, Slippery Rock held advantages over Kutztown in total rebounds (48-47), blocks (5-2), points off turnovers (17-13), points in the paint (34-18), second chance points (17-9), fast break points (17-9) and fast break points (10-6).
 
Kalee Fuegel came off the bench to go for 14 points, six rebounds and four steals to lead the Golden Bears.
 
The Rock will step away from conference competition for two non-league games starting 2 p.m. Wednesday at West Liberty University.
 
 
 
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