SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team withstood a late run by Mercyhurst University to earn a 68-66 victory on the road Wednesday night in Erie, Pennsylvania.
 
With the win, Slippery Rock improves to 11-12 on the season overall and 9-9 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division. Mercyhurst drops to 9-14 overall and 7-10 in league games in the loss. Wednesday's win was huge for Slippery Rock for a multitude of reasons.
 
With four games remaining in the regular season, SRU is now 1.5 games ahead of Mercyhurst and 2.5 games ahead of Pitt-Johnstown for sixth place in the PSAC West standings. The top six teams in the PSAC West standings at the end of the regular season qualify for the conference tournament.

Slippery Rock also now owns a 2-0 lead in the season series over the Lakers, the first tiebreaker in determining seeding for the conference tournament is head-to-head record. Additionally, the victory snapped The Rock's five-game losing streak.
 
SRU registered one of its most efficient shooting performances of the season. The Rock made 26-of-57 field goals (45.6 percent) and 8-of-17 3-pointers (47.1 percent). Slippery Rock was limited to just 12 free throw attempts, eight of which were successful. The 12 foul shots were the second fewest in a game this season for The Rock.
 
Defensively, SRU forced Mercyhurst into a 31.7 field goal percentage overall (20-for-63) and a 29.2 percent (7-for-24) effort from beyond the arc. Mercyhurst kept itself in the game by converting 19-of-21 free throw attempts (90.5 percent).
 
Slippery Rock scored seven of the game's first 10 points and closed out the first quarter with a quartet of 3-pointers from Brooke Hinderliter, Mallory Heinle, Krista Pietropola and Sierra Fordham to send The Rock into the second period leading 21-11. In addition to its 3-point barrage, SRU also played stout defense in the opening 10 minutes, forcing four turnovers and holding the Lakers to a 14.3 field goal percentage.
 
Slippery Rock's quality offense carried over into the second quarter as did its dominating defense which continued to force Mercyhurst into hurried shots in addition to four more turnovers, resulting in a 36-25 halftime lead for SRU.
 
The Rock ended the first half shooting an impressive 50 percent from the field and 75 percent from long range. Defensively, Slippery Rock forced Mercyhurst into eight turnovers and a field goal percentage of just 23.3 percent.
 
SRU remained the aggressors to start the third quarter by pushing its lead out to a seemingly comfortable 17 points at 44-27 with 6:30 remaining in the period. However, in eerily similar fashion to the game between Slippery Rock and Mercyhurst on Jan. 4 in which the Lakers cut a 20-point third quarter deficit down to just three points in a near comeback-victory, MU once again rallied back to push The Rock to the edge.
 
The Lakers ended the third quarter on a 15-7 run to trim Slippery Rock's lead down to 51-42. Mercyhurst continued its comeback bid well into the fourth quarter and with 4:50 remaining in regulation found itself trailing by just two points, 57-55. However, as was the case in the first meeting earlier in the season, Slippery Rock once again preserved down the stretch to eke out the victory.
 
Leading by just two points late, Fordham stuck a deep 3-pointer that stretched The Rock's lead back out to 60-55 and from there the two teams traded baskets to the final horn. Slippery Rock led by five points in the game's waning moments until Eliza Oswalt made an ultimately meaningless 3-pointer with four seconds remaining in regulation to cut The Rock's margin of victory to a mere two points, 68-66.
 
Hinderliter ended the game with 18 points, eight rebounds, one steal and one block. She was 7-for-12 from the field overall, a perfect 2-for-2 from long range and 2-for-3 at the foul line.
 
For the fourth time in the last six games, LeeAnn Gibson reached double figures with a 10-point, five-rebound performance. Morgan Henderson and Fordham produced nine and eight points, respectively, with Henderson also pulling down six rebounds.
 
The Rock's reserve trio of Pietropola, Heinle and Skyla O'Connor all provided quality minutes for SRU as well. Pietropola had six points, six rebounds and one block. Heinle knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and O'Connor accounted for seven points in just seven minutes.
 
Amber Renz accounted for 19 points while Oswalt chipped in 17 points to lead the Lakers in the loss. Mercyhurst out-rebounded SRU, 40-35, and committed 11 turnovers compared to Slippery Rock's 15.
 
Slippery Rock will look to continue its strong finish to the season when it returns home to host Clarion University 1 p.m. Saturday at Morrow Field House.
 
 
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