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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team will begin the 2019-20 season this weekend with two games at the PSAC-CIAA Challenge Friday against Johnson C. Smith University and Saturday against host Elizabeth City State University.
 
SRU will officially begin its season 4 p.m. Friday against Johnson C. Smith followed by an 8 p.m. tipoff against Elizabeth City State on Saturday.
 
GAME 1 DETAILS
Opponent: Johnson C. Smith University
Date: Friday, Nov. 8 – 4 p.m.
Location: The R.L. Vaughan Center | Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Live Video: Link
In-game Updates: Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: SRU leads 2-0
Last Played: Nov. 10, 2018 (SRU won 71-60 in Erie, Pennsylvania)
 
SERIES HISTORY
Slippery Rock and Johnson C. Smith have met twice all-time with both contests resulting in a pair of Rock victories including a 71-60 victory a year ago at the PSAC-CIAA Challenge in Erie, Pennsylvania.
 
GAME 2 DETAILS
Opponent: Elizabeth City State University
Date: Saturday, Nov. 9 – 8 p.m.
Location: The R.L. Vaughan Center | Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Live Video: Link
In-game Updates: Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: ECS leads 1-0
Last Played: Nov. 11, 2018 (ECS won 80-79 in Erie, Pennsylvania)
 
SERIES HISTORY
Last year's game between The Rock and Vikings at the PSAC-CIAA Challenge was the first in the series. Slippery Rock led Elizabeth City State. SRU held a six-point lead with 56 seconds to play in the fourth quarter before a furious Viking rally led to an 80-79 win for Elizabeth City State.
 
SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
• 2018-19 Overall Record: 12-16
• 2018-19 PSAC West Record: 9-12
• 2018-19 PSAC West Finish: Tied for sixth place
• 2018-19 Postseason: N/A
• 2019-20 PSAC West Preseason Poll: Seventh place
• Head Coach: Bobby McGraw | Sixth season (57-82)
 
QUICK HITS
• The 2019-20 season marks the fifth consecutive year in which Slippery Rock has taken part in the PSAC-CIAA Challenge. Slippery Rock has tallied a combined record of 5-3 in PSAC-CIAA Challenge games.
 
• Slippery Rock is 4-1 in season-openers under sixth-year head coach Bobby McGraw. Included in the four season-opening wins were two victories over Johnson C. Smith in 2016-17 (80-79) and 2018-19 (71-60).
 
• In two games against Johnson C. Smith, senior guard Brooke Hinderliter has averaged 17.5 points. 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 assists per game.
 
• A year ago in a tight 80-79 loss to Elizabeth City State, Hinderliter went for 25 points, four rebounds, three steals, one assist and one block. Senior guard Madison Johnson and junior guard Daeja  Quick chipped in eight points apiece while senior forward Karington Ketterer pulled down eight rebounds.
 
• Slippery Rock will likely field a starting lineup of four seniors for the majority of the year. The last time SRU had four seniors start at least 20 games came in 1995-96 (Pam Andersen: 29, Lisa Beinecke: 29, Beth Dansberger: 29, Marisa Groman: 29).
 
REMARKABLE TURNAROUND
Slippery Rock has won 57 games in five years under head coach McGraw. It took The Rock nine seasons to reach just 63 victories prior to McGraw's arrival. More impressive than SRU's overall win turnaround under McGraw has been its performance in league games. The Rock has won 41 PSAC contests in McGraw's five-year tenure. Comparatively, it took the program 12 years prior to McGraw's arrival to compile 41 league victories. The Rock's +23 conference-win total in McGraw's first five seasons (41) compared to the five-year total immediately preceding his arrival (13) ranks fourth in the PSAC behind only East Stroudsburg (+32), Cal U (+30) and Indiana (+29).
 
A LOOK AT THIS YEAR'S TEAM
The Rock brings back nine players from a year ago to go with six newcomers. Overall, Slippery Rock returns 66.7 percent of its offensive production from last year's team which finished the year ranked fifth in the PSAC in scoring at 70.9 points per game, the 12th highest single-season average in program history and most since averaging 77.7 points per game in 1999-00.
 
On the sidelines, McGraw will be joined by third-year assistant coach Chenara Wilson along with first-year graduate assistant, and former Rock great, Krista Pietropola as well as third-year student assistant Alexis Deyarmin.
 
QUOTABLES: COACH McGRAW ON HIS 2019-20 TEAM
On Brittany Andrews: "Brittany is another contributor from last year who was playing the four for us at 5'8" last season. She'll be on the wing this year playing her natural position. Her minutes will go up."
 
On Olivia Fusaro: "Olivia had 15 and five last year at IUP when they were No. 1 in the country and it wasn't in mop-up time. We expect big things from her this year."
 
On LeeAnn Gibson: "LeeAnn is the toughest player, male or female, that I've ever coached. It's why she's a three-year captain."
 
On Kasch Harris: "Kasch is as steady of a backup point guard as there is in the PSAC. She knows her role and is a great teammate. Kasch always gives us everything she's got and will continue to do so."
 
On Hinderliter: "She's poised to become the school's all-time leading scorer. Brooke's earned every single point she's scored playing in the toughest division in the country. She doesn't set personal goals, but it would be nice for her to achieve that after the hard work she's put in. Brooke will be our leader."
 
On Johnson: "Madison is a Division I type talent. She'll be playing her natural position this year so we expect great things from her."
 
On Ketterer: "Karington is built like a cage fighter and plays like one as well. By the end of season last year she was playing starter minutes. She's improved immensely. Karington is a great teammate. She's one of those players who if you ask her to run through a wall she will run through a wall for you."
 
On Quick: "Daeja is incredibly hard to guard. There's not too many players who can stay in front of her. She's a former all-conference player at the University of the District of Columbia and Freshman of the Year in the ECC. Daeja had a tremendous summer. I'm specifically proud of the way she's came in as a returner. She's done everything we've asked her to do. Her leadership has been outstanding in the preseason."
 
SENIOR LEADERS
The heart of the 2019-20 Slippery Rock women's basketball team comes from its senior class of Gibson, Hinderliter, Johnson and Ketterer as all four project to be starters this year.
 
Hinderliter, one of the top players in program history, is a two-time All-PSAC West honoree who is coming off of a junior year in which she averaged 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game a year ago while shooting 44.3 percent from the field overall and 83.2 percent at the foul line. She enters her senior year ranked 12th in program history in points scored (1,201), 19th in steals (98), 20th in rebounds (462) and 25th in assists (161).
 
As a junior, Johnson provided The Rock with value as both a starter (nine games) and as SRU's top reserve (18 games). She was tied for third on the team in scoring at 8.6 points per game while also ranking third in rebounding (4.7 per game) and fourth in assists (1.1 per game). 
 
One of two four-year members of the program along with Hinderliter, Gibson will begin her third year as a captain in The Rock's starting lineup this season. A year ago, Gibson came back from a preseason injury to start 16 of 19 games played while averaging 6.8 points per game on a team-best 54.1 field goal percentage to go with 4.4 rebounds per game. 
 
Ketterer served as The Rock's top interior reserve as a junior after transferring to The Rock from Pitt-Johnstown prior to last season. She appeared in 28 games, making two starts, to average 2.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game while ranking second on the team in blocked shots with 17.
 
JUNIOR LEAD GUARD DUO
Slippery Rock's top two point guard this season come from its junior class in the form of Quick and Harris.
 
Quick made an immediate impact for The Rock a season ago. A transfer from the District of Columbia, Quick started 23 of 28 games played for SRU en route to producing 8.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game. She was one of four players, along with Hinderliter and the now-graduated duo of Ciara Patterson and Morgan Henderson, to average over 27 minutes played per game.
 
Harris started five of 25 games played a year ago and averaged 2.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game over 11.8 minutes per contest.
 
ROUNDING OUT THE RETURNERS
Andrews did a commendable job for in her first season for SRU In 2019-20. Her first collegiate season saw her appear in 26 games off the bench. Often forced to play inside a year ago, Andrews will play predominantly at her natural position on the wing in 2019-20.
 
Fusaro showed flashes of her great potential as a true freshman. She appeared in 20 games a year ago with her best performance coming against The Rock's toughest competition in the form of a 15-point, five-rebound, one-steal showing on the road at No. 1 Indiana (Pa.).
 
Junior Nylla Sydnor-Crooks sat out a season ago and will look to compete for playing time as a junior.
 
NEW FACES
New to the program this season are sophomore forward Carol Weber, sophomore guard Emily Grandy and the freshmen quartet of forward Anyah Curd, guard Chelsea DeSalve, guard Croline Gibson and guard Lindsay Frabotta.
 
As a senior at Youngstown Ursuline, Curd averaged a double-double of 10 points and 10.2 rebounds per game to go with 3.0 blocks a contest.
 
Gibson averaged 19.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 4.7 steals per game as a senior at Laurel.
 
Frabotta registered per game averages of 16 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.2 steals, 3.9 blocks and 3.0 assists as a senior at New Castle. DeSalve graduated as DuBois' fourth all-time leading scorer.
 
Grandy transferred to The Rock from Carlow University where she averaged 5.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. Weber joins the program after spending last season at SRU as a student.
 
TOUGH NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
As has always been the case under McGraw, The Rock will once again play a tough non-conference schedule this season. Slippery Rock's six non-league opponents combined for a .509 (88-83) winning percentage a year ago, the fourth highest among the nine PSAC West teams.
 
Team (Combined Non-Conference Opponent Winning %)
1-Mercyhurst (.610 / 111-71)
2-California (.588 / 107-75)
3-Edinboro (.532 / 57-50)
4-Slippery Rock (.509 / 88-83)
5-Seton Hill (.508 / 82-80)
6-Gannon (.474 / 82-91)
7-Indiana (.452 / 76-92)
8-Clarion (.378 / 65-107)
9-Pitt-Johnstown (.337 / 55-108)
 
BEST ALL-AROUND PLAYER IN THE REGION?
Hinderliter enters her senior season as one of the top all-around players in the Atlantic Region. Coming into the season she is the only active player among all athletes from the PSAC, CIAA and MEC to have recorded at least 1,200 points, 400 rebounds, 150 assists and 90 steals over her career.
 
NCAA ACTIVE FREE THROW PERCENTAGE LEADERS
Through the first 84 games of her career, Hinderliter ranks 12th among all active players in the NCAA, regardless of division, in career free throw shooting percentage at .830 (322-for-388).
 
DIVISION II ACTIVE SCORING LEADERS
Hinderliter also begins the season ranked 21st among all NCAA Division II athletes in career points scored with 1,201.
 
JOHNSON C. SMITH PRIMER
• 2018-19 Overall Record: 16-13
• 2018-19 CIAA Southern Division Record: 13-5
• 2018-19 CIAA Southern Division Finish: Second
• 2018-19 Postseason: CIAA Tournament (First Round)
• 2019-20 CIAA Southern Division Preseason Poll: Sixth place
• Head Coach: Stephen Joyner | Eighth season (115-82)
 
SCOUTING JOHNSON C. SMITH
• Malia Rivers is Johnson C. Smith's leading returning scorer at 9.5 points per game. The Bulls also bring back their top rebounder from a year ago in DeNajah Porter (8.2 rpg).
 
• The Johnson C. Smith attack figures to be bolstered by the addition of transfers Emani Clough (Monmouth), Alexxus Sowell (Savannah State) and Tracey Kemp (Cape Fear CC).
 
• Sophomore guard Rayeesha Hewlett led Johnson C. Smith against The Rock a year ago with 15 points, five rebounds and three steals.
 
ELIZABETH CITY STATE PRIMER
• 2018-19 Overall Record: 16-16
• 2018-19 CIAA Northern Division Record: 5-12
• 2018-19 CIAA Northern Division Finish: Sixth
• 2018-19 Postseason: CIAA Tournament (Semifinals)
• 2019-20 CIAA Northern Division Preseason Poll: Fourth place
• Head Coach: Antonio O. Davis | Third season (24-36)
 
SCOUTING ELIZABETH CITY STATE
• The Vikings return a pair of All-CIAA honorees in senior Naterria Luster and sophomore Asia Deal. Luster led the Vikings last season, averaging 16 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while Deal averaged 13 ppg as the third leading scorer for the Vikings.
 
• Prior to playing The Rock, Elizabeth City State will host Gannon University 6 p.m. Friday.
 
• Transfers for the Vikings this season include Sydnee Neal (Chowan), Ny'Asia Davis (Florida A&M) and Kamille Pickems (FSU-Jacksonville).
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock continues its tour through the CIAA when it travels to Bowie State University 5:30 p.m. Nov. 15.
 
 

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