JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team erased an 11-point halftime deficit, but Pitt-Johnstown's Victoria Moreland connected on a jumper with 3.2 seconds left in regulation to lift the Mountain Cats to a 76-74 victory over The Rock Saturday afternoon at the Sports Center in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
 
Slippery Rock ends its season with an overall record of 9-19 and a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division mark of 6-16. The nine wins are the fourth most by a Slippery Rock team in the last 11 seasons. Pitt-Johnstown improves to 8-20 overall and 4-19 in PSAC West competition with the win.
 
With SRU trailing by 11 points, 41-30, coming out of the halftime break Brooke Hinderliter, who was held scoreless in the first half, took over the third quarter by scoring 10 points as part of a 27-point quarter that sent The Rock into the final 10 minutes of regulation leading UPJ 57-56.
 
Hinderliter went 3-for-5 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the third quarter. Helping SRU to its third highest point total in a quarter this season was Morgan Henderson with five points as well as the duo of Mallory Heinle and Sierra Fordham with four points apiece.
 
Slippery Rock and the Mountain Cats traded the lead back-and-forth seven times over the first nine minutes of the fourth quarter with UPJ eventually grabbing a narrow 74-72 lead with the ball and 47 seconds left in regulation.
 
SRU played solid defense on Pitt-Johnstown's ensuing possession and with the shot clock winding down Heinle helped trap Maruina Nunn and force a steal which she proceeded to take the length of the court and finish off with a left-handed layup to tie the game at 74-74 and force a Mountain Cat timeout with 30 seconds to play.
 
However, out of the timeout Pitt-Johnstown's Laurel O'Barto ran the clock down to five seconds before finding Moreland in the corner, who started to dribble inside before going up for a successful mid-range jumper from the left corner to give UPJ a 76-74 advantage with 3.2 seconds remaining in regulation. SRU advanced the ball to midcourt out of a timeout, but was unable to get a good look with its last possession and a desperation 3-pointer by Hinderliter sailed wide as UPJ escaped with the two-point victory.
 
Henderson had a career-day against UPJ, finishing with a personal-best 19 points to go with a team-high nine rebounds. She was 5-for-8 from the field and 8-for-10 from the foul line. Hinderliter ended what has been an outstanding freshman season with 17 points, four rebounds and two steals.
 
Heinle reached double figures for the first time in the last seven games with 13 points in addition to six rebounds and three steals. C.C. Dixon chipped in 11 points, six rebounds and two blocks while LeeAnn Gibson rounded out The Rock's top performers with four points and five rebounds.
 
For the game, Slippery Rock shot 41.4 percent (24-for-58) from the field overall, 25 percent from 3-point range (4-for-16) and 75.9 percent (22-for-29) from the free throw line. SRU forced UPJ into 17 turnovers, but committed 18 miscues of its own. 15 of The Rock's 38 rebounds came on the offensive glass to give SRU a single-season program record 366 offensive rebounds.
 
Jamie Tabon and Olivia McCabe both produced double-doubles for the Mountain Cats. Tabon had 30 points and 11 rebounds while McCabe had 18 points and 11 rebounds. As a team, Pitt-Johnstown shot 42 percent (29-of-69) from the field, 40.9 percent (9-of-22) form deep and 56.3 percent (9-of-16) from the free throw line.
 
Saturday's game was the final contest in the collegiate careers of Cassidy Wright and Lexi Carpenter. Wright had two points and two assists while Carpenter, the PSAC's leading scorer, did not play due to injury.


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