SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team played even with 10th ranked California University (Pa.) for four quarters, but the Vulcans were able to pull away late and escape Morrow Field House with a narrow 71-62 victory Saturday afternoon.
Slippery Rock drops to 7-6 overall and 5-3 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division competition with the loss. The nationally ranked Vulcans improved to 13-1 overall and 8-0 in league games in the win.
Saturday's game featured 11 lead changes and five ties. Neither team led by more than nine points during the entirety of the game.
SRU trailed the Vulcans by one point at 30-29 heading into halftime before coming out of the break to score six of the third quarter's first eight points and take a 35-32 lead with 7:28 remaining in the period.
LeeAnn Gibson,
Madison Johnson and
Brooke Hinderliter accounted for two points apiece during the spurt. The Vulcans closed the quarter on an 18-9 run to take a 50-44 advantage into the fourth quarter.
California proceeded to stretch its lead out to eight points to open the fourth quarter before SRU rallied with an impressive 8-0 run to tie the game at 56-56 with just 3:58 remaining in regulation.
Morgan Henderson scored four of The Rock's eight points during the run.
However, The Rock's upset bid ended there as California scored two straight baskets and benefited from a questionable flagrant foul call on a fast break opportunity to open up a 62-56 advantage with 2:41 left to play. The Vulcans went on to go 9-for-14 from the free throw line down the stretch en route to its nine-point win.
Henderson led three Rock players in double figures against California with a 15-point, four-rebound effort. She went 6-for-9 from the field overall and 3-for-4 at the foul line. Henderson is averaging 14.3 points per game over The Rock's last four games.
Hinderliter recorded a double-double of 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Johnson also finished with 12 points in addition to a pair of steals.
Sierra Fordham came off the bench to provide The Rock with eight points, four assists and one steal over 21 minutes.
Skyla O'Connor rounded out Slippery Rock's top performers with six points on a 3-for-5 showing from the field.
For the game, Slippery Rock shot 39.4 percent (26-for-66) from the field overall and 60 percent (9-for-15) from the free throw line. 17 of The Rock's 37 rebounds came on the offensive glass. SRU held a 16-2 edge over California in second chance points and a 46-21 advantage in points in the paint.
Parsons, the PSAC's leading scorer, led the Vulcans to the with 30 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. As a team, California shot 43.4 percent (23-for-53) from the field and 79.3 percent (23-for-29) at the foul line. Both teams committed 19 turnovers.
Slippery Rock will now turn its focus to its Jan. 8 game at No. 3 Indiana (Pa.).
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