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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa.- The Slippery Rock women's basketball team hosts Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division opponent Gannon University for its Breast Cancer Awareness game 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Morrow Field House.
 
SPECTATOR POLICY
Fans will be required to wear masks while they are in Morrow Field House as the current University policy requires masking inside all campus buildings. Disregard for the University's masking policy will result in spectators being asked to leave the facility and could lead to the spectator policy being changed again in the future.
 
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS GAMES
Slippery Rock encourages fans to wear pink Saturday. The Rock will run a special 50/50 and will be accepting donations with all proceeds going to local breast cancer organizations. Survivors of breast cancer and families impacted by the disease will be recognized before each game. The Rock basketball teams will also wear pink warm-ups for the game.
 
FREE ADMISSION FOR DONATIONS TO BOB'S CUPBOARD
The Rock men's basketball team will be accepting donations for Bob's Cupboard at both the women's and men's games Saturday. Fans that bring any of the items listed below will receive free admission to the games. Bob's cupboard is a collaborative project between SRU's Student Government Association, the Macoskey Center and the Bonner Leader Program. It was created to provide food and other needed supplies to SRU students experiencing food insecurity. A list of Donations Needed can be found HERE.
 
WATCH ON YOUR TV - "ROCK ATHLETICS DIGITAL NETWORK" APPS
• Fans can watch Saturday's game live and on-demand for free on the Rock Athletics Digital Network, created and operated by the SRU athletic communication office.
 
• Search for Rock Athletics Digital Network in the app stores on Amazon Fire TV, Apple RV, Roku and Android TV devices. The streaming web player linked above will also integrate with Chrome Cast devices to allow viewers to cast the game to those devices.
 
GAME 25 DETAILS
Opponent: Gannon University
Date: Feb. 19 – 1:30 p.m.
Location: Morrow Field House
Live Video: Link
Live Stats: Link
In-game Updates: Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: Gannon leads 40-12
Last Played: Jan. 31, 2022 (GU won 74-62)
 
PSAC TOURNAMENT PICTURE
The top six teams in the PSAC West standings at the end of the year earn berths into the PSAC Tournament. With one week remaining in the regular season the Western Division postseason puzzle is slowly starting to take shape.
 
Four of the six tournament spots in the PSAC West have been clinched as IUP, Seton Hill, Cal U and Gannon are all guaranteed postseason berths, leaving Edinboro (10-8), Pitt-Johnstown (9-10), Slippery Rock (6-12) and Mercyhurst (5-13) fighting for the final two spots.
 
While not technically an elimination game, Saturday's game is a near must-win contest for The Rock as SRU enters the game 2.5 games behind Pitt-Johnstown for the sixth spot in the PSAC West standings with four games to play in the regular season.
 
Slippery Rock last qualified for the PSAC Tournament in 2017-18.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES vs. GANNON
Gannon holds a notable 40-12 lead in the all-time series with The Rock dating back to 1979. While Gannon has traditionally controlled the series, the last three meetings between The Rock and Golden Knights at Morrow Field House have been decided by no more than four points with SRU even winning the 2019 contest, 71-67.
 
LAST MEETING
SRU and the Golden Knights most recently met earlier this season on Jan. 31, 2022 resulting in a 74-62 GU victory at the Highmark Events Center. Deleah Gibson and Jamiyah Johnson accounted for 34 of The Rock's 62 points with 17 apiece.
 
SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
Overall Record: 11-13
PSAC West Record: 6-12
PSAC West Standings: Seventh
Home Record: 7-4
Away Record: 3-9
Neutral Record: 1-0
Streak: W1
Head Coach: Bobby McGraw | Eighth season at SRU (76-115)
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Rock snapped a 10-game losing streak when it erased a six-point deficit to force overtime and earn a 75-73 victory over Mercyhurst University in a key contest that kept its PSAC Tournament chances alive Wednesday at Morrow Field House.
 
SWEET HOME MORROW FIELD HOUSE
The Rock continues to hold a winning record for games played at Morrow Field House. If SRU were to continue its winning ways in its final two home contests of the regular season, it would end the year 9-4 marking its first season winning nine home games since the 2001-02 team who concluded the year 9-4. 
 
RETURNING TO WINNING WAYS
A win against Gannon would match Slippery Rock's second-highest total for wins in a season. Previously, SRU won 12 games in 2018-19 with the best single-season total being 13 wins in 2015-16.
 
DEFENSIVE STAND
SRU has turned its tides with the help of excellent defense as of late. The Rock tallied nine steals in each of its last two games in addition to forcing its opponent into at least 15 turnovers in four consecutive games.
 
Much of this success can be attributed to the senior duo of Johnson and Daeja Quick who have combined for 18 of SRU's 27 steals in the last three contests. Slippery Rock also matched its season-low miscues of 10 against Mercyhurst.
 
SHOOTING FOR THE STARS
Slippery Rock posted its best shooting percentage against the Lakers (.409) in eight games. The Rock are 9-2 when shooting at least 40 percent from the floor and just 2-11 when shooting under 40 percent in a game.
 
Additionally, SRU shot its second-best percentage from 3-point range at 35.3 which was spearheaded by Gibson who ended the game with three made 3's for the second contest in a row extending her season total to a team-high 38 to go along with a new career-high in points with 18.
 
OVERTIME SUCCESS
Slippery Rock set a program record of overtime games played in a single season with five as of its contest against Mercyhurst, additionally it set a new program record of overtime wins in a single season with three.
 
RECORD BREAKER WATCH
Quick after an 11-point showing against Mercyhurst, is just nine points away from her 800th career point which would give her 800 points, 250 assists, 250 rebounds and 100 steals in a career, a feat that just three other players in program history have ever done to date.
 
With four games remaining in the regular season, Johnson is nine rebounds away from breaking the single-season rebound record and could potentially do so in less games than the current leader Diane Walker who totaled 339 rebounds in 29 games during the 1985-86 season.
 
Bella Long, with her made 3-pointer against Mercyhurst, tied Lori Robinson (2002-03) for ninth place for the most 3-pointers by a freshman in program history and is one away from tying Shannon Jack (2014-15) and Lori Robinson (1993-94) for seventh.
 
AMONG THE PSAC LEADERS
Slippery Rock as a team ranks among the top eight in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in four different categories while three individuals rank in the top eight in 10 fields.
 
Team Category.......................................... Rank (Stat)
Overall Rebounding Average.................. Fourth (39.5)
Offensive Rebounding Average................. Sixth (12.1)
Defensive Rebounding Average................. Sixth (27.4)
Rebounding Margin.............................. Seventh (+2.0)
 
Individual Category.................. Player - Rank (Result)
Overall Rebounding Average..... Johnson - First (14.5)
Offensive Rebounding Average.... Johnson - First (5.6)
Defensive Rebounding Average... Johnson - First (9.0)
Made Free Throws...................... Johnson - First (102)
Minutes Per Game.......................... Quick - First (39.5)
Points Per Game....................... Johnson - Third (17.4)
Steals Per Game.............................. Quick - Third (2.3)
Field Goal %............................ Johnson - Fourth (52.5)
Minutes Per Game..................... Johnson - Sixth (36.1)
Assists Per Game........................ Quick - Seventh (4.1)
Field Goals Made................... Johnson - Seventh (121)
3-Point Field Goals Per Game......Gibson - Eighth (1.8)
 
ROUNDING OUT THE ROCK ROTATION
Slippery Rock continues to feature a consistent lineup of five players that have started the last eight contest in Gibson, Johnson, Quick, Kennedy Middleton, and Anyah Curd.
 
Johnson averages a double-double of 17.1 points and 14.4 rebounds per game in addition to 1.4 assists and 1.6 steals a contest. Quick scores 11.4 points per game to go with a team-bests of 4.1 assists and 2.3 steals a game.
 
Middleton, whose stat line showcases her versatility, averages 9.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.7 apg and 1.5 spg while Gibson posts per game averages of 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals a contest.
 
Curd provides Slippery Rock with 7.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and a team-high 1.0 blocks per game while ranking second on the team in 3-pointers made at 20.
 
Rounding out the rotation for The Rock are the freshmen trio of Long (2.7 ppg, 1.1 rpg) who continues to contribute as a 3-point threat shooting a team high 44.7 percent from long range, Kaylin Venick (1.7 ppg, 1.2 rpg) and Kelley McKnight (1.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg). McKnight came off the bench against the Lakers to provide SRU with key minutes down the stretch that included a season-high five reboounds.
 
ROCK ROTATION vs. THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Quick - 5 Games: 8.8 ppg, 5.4 apg, 2.4 rpg, 1.8 spg.
Curd - 2 Games: 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Johnson - 1 Game: 17 points, 19 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist, 1 steal
Gibson - 1 Game: 17 points, 2 assists, 2 steals
K. Middleton - 1 Game: 3 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists
K. Venick - 1 Game: 4 points, 3 rebounds
McKnight - 1 Game: 3 points, 1 rebound
Long - 1 Game: 3 points, 1 assist
Jordan Kauffman - 1 Game: 3 points
 
GANNON PRIMER
Season Stats: Link
Overall Record: 20-5
PSAC West Record: 15-5
PSAC West Standings: Second
Home Record: 10-2
Away Record: 9-3
Neutral Record: 1-0
Streak: W2
Head Coach: Cleve Wright | 14th season at GU (291-112)
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Last Time Out: Gannon recorded its 20th win of the season with a 71-58 victory over Clarion University Wednesday on the road.
 
GU is led by sophomore Samantha Pirosko who leads the league in free throw percentage at 92.6 while averaging 15.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Rounding out the leaders are Tori Obenrader who tallies 10.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 1.0 apg and Emma Wright with 10.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 2.4 apg.
 
As a team, the Golden Knights lead the conference in a multitude of categories as they are first in apg (14.64), second in scoring average (67.4) and third in field goal percentage (.426), 3-point field goal percentage (.318), free throw percentage (.787) and rebounding margin (+5.1).
 
Gannon featured four players who scored double-digits in its 74-62 victory over The Rock earlier this season in Pirosko (19), Wright (12), Obenrader (11) and Sydney Mitchell (10).
 
UP NEXT
The Rock travels to California University (Pa.) for a PSAC West matchup 5:30 p.m. Feb. 21. 
 
 

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