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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team will face one of its toughest road tests of the season 5:30 p.m. Wednesday when it travels to play at No. 16 California University (Pa.) in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division contest.
 
GAME 13 DETAILS
• Opponent: California University (Pa.)
• Date: Wednesday, Jan. 9 – 5:30 p.m.
• Location: California, Pennsylvania – Convocation Center
• Video: LINK
• Live Stats: LINK
• All-Time Series: California leads 56-26
• Last Played: Feb. 26, 2018 (Cal. won 81-70 at home in the PSAC Tournament)
 
SERIES HISTORY vs. CALIFORNIA
The Vulcans have won the last 34 games against SRU to extend their lead all-time to 56-26. The Rock's last win against California came during the 2001-02 season in the form of a 70-60 home victory.
 
In three against California last year, junior guard Brooke Hinderliter averaged 12 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while senior forward Morgan Henderson went for 11.7 points and 4.3 rebounds. Redshirt senior guard Ciara Patterson has also scored 14 points per game over her career against the Vulcans.
 
LAST MEETING vs. CALIFORNIA
Slippery Rock played close with the Vulcans for three of four quarters, but ultimately came up short in an 81-70 season-ending loss in the first round of the PSAC Tournament at California on Feb. 26, 2018. Hinderliter (20 points, three steals), Henderson (16 points, six rebounds) Madison Johnson (11 points) and LeeAnn Gibson (10 points) were all productive in the loss.
 
SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
• Overall Record: 6-6
• PSAC West Record: 4-2
• PSAC West Standings: Fourth
• Home Record: 3-2
• Away Record: 1-3
• Neutral Site Record: 2-1
• Streak: L2
• Last Five Games: 3-2
• Head Coach: Bobby McGraw | Fifth season (51-72)
 
LAST TIME OUT
Slippery Rock suffered its second loss in as many games in an 80-56 loss at Mercyhurst University on Jan. 5. The Rock led for nearly the entire first half, but was outscored by the Lakers 25-8 in what turned out to be a decisive third quarter. Hinderliter had 19 points and seven rebounds in the loss for The Rock (Box Score).
 
QUICK HITS
• Slippery Rock is 5-1 this season when heading into halftime with a lead.
 
• After starting the year -100 (326-226) in rebounding margin over its first seven games, Slippery Rock has recorded a margin of +15 (210-195) over its last five games.
 
• Slippery Rock is averaging 26.7 free throws per game over its last four contests.  
 
• Wednesday's game will only be Slippery Rock's fourth true road game this season. The Rock has won just one of their rue road games this season, a 75-68 victory against East Stroudsburg on Dec. 3.   
 
• Wednesday will also be Slippery Rock's second game against a nationally ranked team this season; earlier in the year SRU played at then second-ranked Ashalnd.
 
• SRU is still fourth in the PSAC West standings with a league mark of 4-2 despite its two-game losing streak. Seton Hill, Pitt-Johnstown and Mercyhurst are in a logjam for fifth place in the PSAC West standings with matching 3-3 records. The top six teams in the PSAC West and East divisional standings at the end of the season qualify for the conference tournament.
 
KEEP IT UNDER 70
70 has become a magic number for The Rock this season, as they are 6-0 when allowing under 70 points and 0-6 when allowing at least 70 points. 
 
In six wins this season, Slippery Rock is allowing 65.8 points per game, with opponents shooting 37.6 percent from the floor and 31.1 percent from 3-point range. However, in six losses this season, SRU is allowing 85.8 points per game, with opponents shooting 44 percent from the floor and 36 percent from 3-point range.
 
BACK TO NORMAL AT THE FOUL LINE
After suffering through one of the worst free throw shooting performances at The Rock over the last five years against Seton Hill, Slippery Rock returned to form from the charity stripe against Mercyhurst by making 75 percent (22-for-29) of of its free throws. For the season, Slippery Rock ranks fifth in the PSAC in free throw shooting at 71.1 percent.
 
HENDERSON CONTINUES REBOUNDING STREAK
Henderson continued her streak of double-digit rebounding games with 10 more boards against Mercyhurst. Over the last four games, Henderson is averaging 13.8 rebounds per game.
 
If Henderson reaches 10 rebounds against Cal. she'll tie Sasha Sales for the most consecutive double-digit rebounding games by a Rock player since the 2008-09 season (11 years). On the season, Henderson leads The Rock, and ranks fifth in the PSAC in rebounding with 8.4 per game.
 
TURNOVER BATTLE STILL A PLUS FOR THE ROCK
Despite the loss, Saturday's game against Mercyhurst continued a season-long trend for The Rock of committing a miniscule amount of turnovers. SRU finished the Mercyhurst contest with just 13 turnovers, marking the seventh time this season that Slippery Rock has committed 13 or less turnovers in a game.
 
For the season, SRU is averaging just 13.8 turnovers per game, the third lowest average in the PSAC. Nationally, Slippery Rock ranks 28th of 301 Division II teams in turnovers per game. Slippery Rock has finished the season averaging under 15 turnovers per game for a season just twice in program history; 1988-89 (14.7) and 2015-16 (13.5).
 
A LOOK AT THE STARTERS
The Rock's primary starting lineup of Hinderliter, Patterson, sophomore guard Daeja Quick, Gibson and Henderson have accounted for over 77 percent of The Rock's offense this year.
 
• Hinderliter, the PSAC's seventh leading scorer at 18.9 points per game, shoots 47.5 percent from the floor and 83.9 percent at the foul line to go with 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. She is seventh in the PSAC in both free throw and field goal shooting percentages.
 
• Patterson is The Rock's second leading scorer with 12.5 points per game. She is also SRU's primary deep threat with 27 made 3-pointers and the team leader in steals at 18 (1.5 spg) in addition to being one of the team's top perimeter defender and shooting 81.8 percent at the foul line.
 
• Quick, SRU's top distributor at 2.8 assists per game, has scored in double figures in six of the last nine games to push her season average to 10.0 ppg. She has eight assists to four turnovers in her last three full games played.
 
• Gibson has gone for 7.3 points and 4.8 rebounds over her last four games played. In addition to her aforementioned rebounding prowess, Henderson also scores 8.1 points per game while shooting 40.2 percent from the floor.
 
OFF THE BENCH
The Rock's top reserves through the first 12 games of the season have been Johnson, redshirt sophomore guard Kasch Harris, sophomore guard Skyla O'Connor, sophomore forward Brittany Andrews and junior forward Karington Ketterer.
 
Johnson has been The Rock's primary offensive spark off the bench this season at 5.8 points per game. She has also come on strong on the glass as of late with a minimum of four rebounds in four of The Rock's last five games.
 
O'Connor is one of SRU's top perimeter defenders. She produced a season-high three steals against Mercyhurst. Harris (13.9 mpg, 2.5 ppg, 1.1 apg), Andrews (1.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg) and Ketterer (12.8 mpg, five blocks) all play at least 10 minutes per game as well.
 
A RARE FEAT
Slippery Rock's veteran trio of Hinderliter (917), Patterson (678) and Henderson (651) have all scored at least 650 points over their careers. 
 
This accomplishment has only been done six other times in program history and not since the 2001-02 season when Jackie Altenweg (1,449), Shelbey Wardman (1,461) and Melissa McKavish (780) were playing together.
 
CLOSING IN ON 1,000
Hinderliter will enter the California game with 917 career points, already the 14th most in program history. At her current rate of 18.9 points per game, she will become the 13th player in Rock history to achieve 1,000 career points within SRU's next five games. When she does so she will become only the second player over the last 14 years to score 1,000 points at The Rock; D'Asia Chambers also scored 1,313 points over 96 games from 2011-15.
 
In addition to her already impressive career point total, Hinderliter also currently ranks fifth in program history in offensive rebounds (161) and fifth in free throws made (265).
 
WELCOME TO THE 500 / 500 CLUB
With five points and 10 rebounds against Mercyhurst, Henderson became just the 15th player in program history to reach 500 points and 500 rebounds in a career with 651 points and 502 rebounds, respectively. Henderson is the first Rock player to record 500 points and 500 rebounds in a career since D'Asia Chambers, who tallied 1,313 points and 723 rebounds from 2011-15.
 
The next SRU player on deck to achieve the career accomplishment is Hinderliter, who'll enter Wednesday's game with 917 points and 386 career rebounds.
 
CALIFORNIA (PA) PRIMER
• Overall Record: 11-1
• WBCA Top 25: 16th
• PSAC West Record: 5-1
• PSAC West Standings: Second
• Home Record: 6-0
• Away Record: 5-1
• Neutral Site Record: 0-0
• Streak: W1
• Last Five Games: 4-1
• Head Coach: Jess Strom | Eighth season at CAL (176-47)
 
CALIFORNIA NOTES
• California (Pa.) enters Wednesday's ranked 16th in the nation in the latest WBCA Coaches poll and has won 11 of its last 12 games.  The Vulcans are averaging 76.5 points per game while surrendering just 59.5 points per game on defense.
 
• The Vulcans rank second in the PSAC in field goal percentage, third in scoring and third in points allowed while leading the league in turnover margin (+10.17) and turnovers forced (25.8 per game).
 
• After missing last season, Seairra Barrett has returned to form in 2018-19. She is the team's top scorer, and second in the PSAC overall, in points per game (24.8).  Barrett is also shooting 52.6 percent from the floor and leads the team in steals and blocks with 42 and 11, respectively. 
 
• Gina Vallecorsa is second on the team in scoring averaging 9.8 points per game and is shooting 48.8 percent from three-point range.
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock returns home Saturday to host the nation's top ranked team in Indiana University (Pa.). The opening tip at Morrow Field House is set for 1 p.m.




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