SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team pushed its winning streak to four games with a 65-62 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division victory over Clarion University Saturday afternoon at Morrow Field House.
 
With the win, Slippery Rock improves its record to 10-3 overall and 5-2 in league games while Clarion drops to 2-9 overall and 1-5 in the PSAC West.
 
SRU has now recorded two separate winning streaks of at least four games in a single-season for the first time in the last 23 years. Additionally, the 2021-22 team is now tied for third place in program history for most wins in the first 13 games of a season. Only the 1999-00 (12) and 1982-83 (11) Rock teams had more wins in their first 13 contests.  
 
Saturday's game was a true team victory as The Rock was forced to play without star center Jamiyah Johnson for the final nine minutes of regulation in addition to being without the services of fellow starters Kennedy Middleton and Isabellah Middleton for large portions of the game due to foul trouble.
 
Despite not playing virtually the entire fourth quarter, Johnson, the nation's leading rebounder, still easily finished with her 13th double-double of the year via a 22-point, 12-rebound, three-steal, one-block performance. Johnson was a near perfect 9-of-11 from the field overall and 4-of-6 from the foul line.
 
Isabellah Middleton also finished in double figures with a 13-point showing. Middleton was crucial for The Rock down the stretch with 11 points and two rebounds in the fourth quarter alone.
 
As she has done throughout The Rock's current winning streak, Kennedy Middleton did a little bit of everything while helping SRU to the triumph. She scored eight points, dished out seven assists, grabbed four rebounds, blocked one shot and made one steal while committing just two turnovers.
 
Daeja Quick overcame a rough shooting performance to guide The Rock's offense with nine assists all the while grabbing six rebounds over 39 minutes on the court.
 
Reserve Bella Long played the best game of her collegiate career as the reserve deep threat connected on all three of her 3-point attempts to end the game with nine points to go with three rebounds, one block and one assist.
 
Fellow reserve Kaylin Venick also provided The Rock with quality minutes off the bench, finishing the day with four points and one rebound in 18 minutes.

Saturday's game was a back-and-forth contest throughout with 14 lead changes and 10 ties. Neither team led by more than six points for the duration of the contest.
 
Capped off by a steal and fastbreak layup by Kennedy Middleton, Slippery Rock jumped out to an 8-2 lead to force a Clarion timeout four minutes into competition. Clarion answered the early surge by going on 13-6 run of its own over the following seven minutes to take a one-point advantage, 15-14, early in the second quarter.
 
From there on it was anyone's contest as the two evenly matched teams traded baskets and brief runs over the remainder of the game.
 
However, it appeared as if the momentum was permanently swung in Clarion's direction early in the fourth quarter when Kennedy Middleton picked up her fourth foul of the game followed by Johnson receiving her second technical foul a minute later, leaving the contest with SRU clinging to a one-point lead, 53-52, with 8:56 remaining in regulation.
 
To their credit, The Rock did not fold. Led by Isabellah Middleton, Slippery Rock withstood Clarion's upset bid and closed the game by scoring 12 of the final 22 points to hold on for the three-point victory.
 
Isabellah Middleton shouldered the offensive load in the game's waning moments by scoring nine of The Rock's final 12 points courtesy of three field goals and three clutch free throws over the last 4:43. Deleah Gibson was responsible for the other points over the stretch by way of a crucial 3-pointer midway through the quarter.
 
Defensively, Slippery Rock forced Clarion into eight turnovers in the fourth quarter. The Golden Eagles failed to record a field goal attempt in five of their final six offensive possessions with the lone shot being a desperation heave by Sierra Bermudez at the buzzer.
 
SRU concluded the game forcing Clarion into 24 turnovers overall. The Rock has now forced opponents into 20 or more turnovers in five consecutive games. Slippery Rock converted those miscues into 19 points. SRU's defensive performance also included five blocks and eight steals.
 
Offensively, The Rock shot 41.9 percent (26-of-62) from the field overall and 60 percent (9-of-15) at the foul line. SRU's foul shooting excelled in clutch situations (9-of-11 in the second half).
 
Clarion shot 40 percent both from the field overall (20-of-50) and from 3-point range (8-of-20) while making 73.7 percent (14-of-19) of its free throws. The Golden Eagles also enjoyed a modest 36-35 over SRU in rebounding. Cory Santoro scored 24 points in the losing effort.
 
Slippery Rock remains at home when it hosts Seton Hill University 1 p.m. Jan. 15 at Morrow Field House in search of a fifth straight win.   
 
 
 


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