Postgame Interview  |  Highlights

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Daeja Quick and Brooke Hinderliter each scored 23 points to go with a smothering defensive performance by the Slippery Rock University women's basketball team in a 90-63 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division victory Wednesday at home against Mercyhurst University.
 
Slippery Rock improves to 10-13 on the season overall and 8-9 in the PSAC West while Mercyhurst falls to 8-15 overall and 5-11 in league games.
 
Wednesday's game was a big one for Slippery Rock. With four conference contests remaining in the regular season The Rock is now tied for fifth place in the PSAC West standings with Pitt-Johnstown and is a full game ahead of Gannon. The top six teams in the PSAC West at the end of the regular season qualify the conference tournament. SRU has earned bids to the PSAC Tournament in two of the last four years.
 
Slippery Rock darted out to a 17-3 lead against the Lakers and never looked back on the way to a 27-point victory, its second largest win of the year. SRU led for 39:30 of a possible 40 minutes Wednesday.
 
While Mercyhurst was able to cut The Rock's initial lead down to just four points late in the first quarter, the Lakers were never ever to get completely out of the early hole as SRU ended the first half on an 18-6 run to take a 42-24 lead into the break before spending the majority of second half leading by 20 or more points.
 
Slippery Rock's 90 points were a season-high and its third highest total in the last decade (265). As impressive as its offensive output was it was The Rock's defense that shined Wednesday as SRU forced 16 turnovers and held Mercyhurst to a 32.2 percent (19-for-59) shooting percentage.
 
The Rock's guard duo of Quick and Hinderliter led four Rock players in double figures.
 
Quick played one of her best games in a Rock uniform, scoring 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and a 5-of-8 showing at the foul line to go with two rebounds and a pair of assists. Hinderliter was an automatic 9-for-12 from the field, 1-for-2 from 3-point range and 4-for-5 from the foul line on the way to a 23-point, eight-rebound effort.
 
Madison Johnson came off the bench to supply The Rock with a near double-double of 15 points, eight rebounds and one steal. Johnson missed just two shots the entire game, finishing 4-for-6 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line. In addition to tallying 14 points, Ciara Patterson also dished out a season-high five assists and made three steals.
 
Morgan Henderson, who was playing in her 107th career game on Wednesday, fought through foul trouble to block a career-best four shots and is now fourth in Rock history in career rejections with 63. Fellow starter LeeAnn Gibson pulled down six rebounds, four of which came on the offensive glass.
 
The reserve forward pairing of Karington Ketterer and Brittany Andrews combined to produce 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks to round out The Rock's top performers.
 
As a team, Slippery Rock registered its second best shooting performance of the year at 52.5 percent (31-for-59) overall and 75.9 percent (22-for-29) from the foul line. SRU, which committed only 13 turnovers, also controlled the glass against the Lakers, finishing with a +10 rebounding margin (42-32). Additionally, The Rock held a 28-11 advantage over Mercyhurst in points off turnovers.
 
Lauren Lapertosa scored 11 points for the Lakers in the loss.
 
Slippery Rock returns to the road to play at Clarion University 1 p.m. Feb. 16. SRU defeated Clarion, 86-61, at home earlier in the season.
 
 

 
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