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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team will play at No. 24 California University (Pa.) 7 p.m. Monday in the first round of the 2017-18 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament.

WATCH ON YOUR TV
• Fans can watch the game live and on-demand on the PSAC Digital Network, with the broadcast being produced by California.
• Search for "PSAC" in the app stores on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV (4th generation), Roku and Android TV devices.
 

Slippery Rock (12-15, 10-12) at California (23-5, 18-4)
Date and Time	Monday, Feb. 26 - 7 p.m.
Location	California, Pa. - Convocation Center
Video	Link
Live Stats	Link
In-Game Updates	Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series	California leads 55-25
Last Played	1/27/18 (Cal. won 61-41 at Cal.)

TICKETS
Tickets for Monday's game can be purchased at the door at a price of $10 for adults and $5 for minors. All students with a valid  ID from a PSAC school get in free.

PSAC TOURNAMENT STRUCTURE
The top six teams in both the West and East divisions qualify for the PSAC Tournament with the the top two seeds in each divisions receiving a first-round bye. The first two rounds consist of inter-division play while the semifinals will feature two PSAC West vs. PSAC East games. The final four and finals will be hosted by the highest remaining PSAC West seed that makes the semifinals.
 
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Slippery Rock enters the PSAC Tournament as the sixth seed out of the Western Division after finishing the regular season with a 12-15 overall record and a 10-12 mark in league play. The nationally ranked Vulcans went 23-5 overall and 18-4 in conference games to earn the third seed in the PSAC West.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Vulcans hold a 55-25 lead over Slippery Rock in the all-time series. The Vulcans swept the season series this year, first defeating SRU at Morrow Field House on Jan. 6 in a close 71-62 game followed by a 61-41 win three weeks later at home.
 
SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
Overall Record: 12-15
PSAC West Record: 10-12
PSAC West Seed: Sixth
Home Record: 6-7
Away Record: 6-7
Neutral Court Record: 0-1
Last Five Games: 2-3
Head Coach: Bobby McGraw | Fourth season at SRU (45-65)
 
SCOUTING THE ROCK
Last Time Out: Slippery Rock concluded the regular season with a 60-50 loss at Gannon (Box Score).
 
• To appreciate just how far the Slippery Rock women's basketball program has come it's imperative to look at its past. Over a seven-season stretch from 2007 to 2014, Slippery Rock won just 43 games and failed to make a single PSAC Tournament. Conversely, head coach Bobby McGraw has already guided SRU to 45 wins and two PSAC Tournament berths in just four seasons.
 
• Slippery Rock's 12 victories this season are the third most in a single-season by a Rock team in the last 14 years; the two highest win totals over that stretch was 13 in 2005-06 and again during McGraw's second season in 2015-16.
 
• In addition to setting two single-season statistical program records already, the 2017-18 Rock squad is also the first team in program history to win 10 conference games.
 
• The Rock's 45 wins in the last four years are tied for the second highest four-year victory total at SRU over the last two decades.
 
• Slippery Rock's defense has made the opposition work for every basket this season as its 37.2 field goal percentage defense ranks third in the PSAC and is a single-season school record.
 
• The Rock's 105 blocks this season are the most in Slippery Rock history and the fourth highest total in the PSAC this year. Nine of the 11 players to see the floor this season for The Rock have produced at least five blocks. The trio of Mallory Heinle (26), Morgan Henderson (18) and Krista Pietropola (17) have combined for 61 rejections. Heinle's 26 blocks are the sixth most in SRU single-season history.
 
• Slippery Rock made the most of its opportunities at the free throw line this season, shooting 73.6 percent and ranking third in the 18-team PSAC from the charity stripe overall. Slippery Rock is a near automatic 75.1 percent (1,225-for-1,632) at the foul line over the last three years.
   
• Slippery Rock grabbed 358 offensive rebounds (13.3 per game) during the 2017-18 regular season. SRU needs eight more offensive rebounds over the remainder of the season to tie the single-season school record of 366 set in both 2016-17 and 2000-01.
 
• In what has already been a career-year for her, Morgan Henderson had arguably her best game of the season against Gannon. Henderson recorded a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds against the Golden Knights. The junior forward scored in a variety of ways with three 3-pointers, four foul shots and six points in the paint. Henderson is shooting a team-best 47.6 percent from the field this season while ranking third in both scoring (9.0 ppg) and rebounding (5.3 rpg).
 
• Despite a relative off-game against Gannon, Brooke Hinderliter, one of the top guards in the Atlantic Region, still leads Slippery Rock with per game averages of 13.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.5 offensive rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals. Hinderliter is on pace to be the first player in program history to lead SRU in five statistical categories.

• Hinderliter had a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds against California in The Rock's first game of the season against the Vulcans.
 
• LeeAnn Gibson has found a home in The Rock's starting lineup as a sophomore. Gibson, who has started 22 of 27 games played and is one of SRU's top defenders, has scored 10 or more points in four of the last six games. Her points per game average has climbed nearly two points from 4.7 to 6.5 over the last 14 games on an efficient 47.7 shooting percentage to go with 4.8 rebounds per game.  
 
• Madison Johnson, who is a threat to get to the basket from anywhere on the court any time she has the ball, is The Rock's second leading scorer with 9.1 points per game. There have only been four transfers to score more points in their first season at The Rock than Johnson, who come to SRU from NCAA Division I St. Francis, has over the last eight years.
 
• No Rock player has averaged more rebounds per game over the second half of the season than Krista Pietropola has. Over the last 14 games, Pietropola has pulled down 6.7 rebounds per game. In addition to being a dependable rebounder, Pietropola also has the ability to knock down shots from long range as evidenced by her 84 career 3-pointers made.
 
• Monday's game will be the 109th in the career of senior forward Mallory Heinle. Only one player, Missy McKavish who appeared in 110 games at SRU, has played in more games during their Slippery Rock careers. Heinle, who ranks sixth in program history in offensive rebounds and 10th in blocks, has averaged 4.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game over 21.3 minutes a contest as one of The Rock's most important reserves this season.
 
• Senior guard Sierra Fordham has seen four years of hard work translate into a career-year in 2017-18 that has included personal-bests in points, assists, steals, games played, games started and minutes played.
 
• Skyla O'Connor ranks third among all PSAC West freshmen in steals with 26 in 2017-18 behind only Seton Hill's Courtney Cecere (29) and California's Bianca Jasper (40).
 
• A victory against California would give Slippery Rock its first PSAC Tournament victory since the 1995-96 season. SRU's lone PSAC Tournament championship came in 1985-86.  
 
CALIFORNIA PRIMER
Overall Record: 23-5
PSAC West Record: 18-4
PSAC West Seed: Third
Home Record: 14-0
Away Record: 8-5
Neutral Court Record: 1-0
Last Five Games: 4-1
Head Coach: Jess Strom | Fifth season at SRU (164-44)
 
SCOUTING THE VULCANS
• Winning in California has proven to be a daunting task as the Vulcans have compiled a 60-4 mark when playing at home over the last four years. California has won two of the last three PSAC Tournament championships.
 
• While the Vulcans rank towards the middle of the pack of the PSAC in scoring (67.1 ppg), they excel on defense by forcing a league-best 23.7 turnovers per game and holding opponents to just 56.8 points per game.
  
• Shatara Parsons is the heart and soul of the California attack. The PSAC West Athlete of the Year candidate averages 21.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 2.6 blocks per game. In two games against SRU this season Parsons has gone for 27.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 blocks per game.
 
• Mia Cushon and DJ Hahn supplement Parsons' offensive output with 14.5 and 9.5 points per game, respectively for the Vulcans.
 
UP NEXT
The winner of Slippery Rock – California will play at No. 11 Edinboro University 7 p.m. Wednesday at McComb Field House in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. 



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