CALIFORNIA, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team lost a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division game to No. 14 California University (Pa.), 61-41, Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center in California, Pennsylvania.
 
With the loss, Slippery Rock drops to 10-10 on the year overall and 8-7 in the PSAC West. The nationally ranked Vulcans improve to 18-3 overall and 13-2 in league games with the win.
 
Slippery Rock struggled offensively for the duration of Saturday's game as it finished the contest shooting just 25.5 percent (14-for-55) from the field overall while also committing 22 turnovers. SRU did out-rebound the Vulcans 45-39.
 
Sierra Fordham scored a team-best 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field, including a 1-for-2 showing from 3-point range, to go with two assists and one rebound to pace the SRU offense.
 
LeeAnn Gibson scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds and the trio of Krista Pietropola, Brooke Hinderliter and Morgan Henderson scored four points apiece. Pietropola also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds while Hinderliter produced six rebounds and two steals. Mallory Heinle came off the bench to pull down six rebounds, block one shot and make one steal.
 
As was the case for the majority of the afternoon, points were at a premium early on for The Rock. California scored the game's first six points until Skyla O'Connor snapped the run with a 3-pointer to cut the Vulcans' lead in half midway through the first quarter. However, California responded with a 7-0 run to push its lead to 13-3 before SRU ended the quarter by scoring four unanswered points to make it a 13-7 game through 10 minutes.
 
Any thoughts of a Rock comeback were dashed in the second quarter as the Vulcans scored 10 of the period's first 14 points to stretch its lead out to 23-11 midway through the quarter on the way to a 33-15 halftime advantage.
 
SRU shot just 16.1 percent (5-for-31) from the field while committing eight turnovers that led directly to 11 California points in the opening 20 minutes. Gibson accounted for six of The Rock's eight points in the second quarter. Shatara Parsons finished the first half with 15 points, nine rebounds and five blocks to lead the Vulcans.
 
The Rock and Vulcans traded baskets for the majority of the second half and California was only able to add two points to its halftime lead after SRU outscored California in the third quarter, 15-14, and playd nearly even with the Vulcans in the fourth quarter en route to the eventual 61-41 final. Nine of Fordham's 11 points came in the second half.
 
Parsons came just short of a triple-double for the Vulcans with 25 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocks. As a team, California shot 41.5 percent (27-for-65) from the field. The Vulcans concluded the game with 24 points off turnovers and 26 fast break points.  
 
Slippery Rock will begin a two-game homestand 7:30 p.m. Wednesday against No. 6 Indiana (Pa.) at Morrow Field House.
 

To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official athletic communication accounts on Twitter (@Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics), Instagram (RockAthletics) and Snapchat (@RockAthletics).