ERIE, Pa. – Kennedy Middleton scored a last second layup to lift the Slippery Rock University women's basketball team to a 60-58 victory at Mercyhurst University Saturday.
 
With the win, The Rock breaks a four-game losing streak to improve their record to 9-6 overall and 4-5 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference while the Lakers move to 9-6 overall and 5-4 in the league.
 
A trio of Rock players scored double-digit points to aid in the triumph in Isabellah Middleton, who collected her fifth double-double of the season with 17 points, 13 rebounds and one block. Following were Kennedy Middleton with 15 points eight rebounds, four assists and three steals as well as Deleah Gibson who tallied 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
 
Rounding out Slippery Rock's leaders were Jordan Kauffman (4 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal), Jada Ward (4 points, 2 assists, 1 steal), Kelley McKnight (4 rebounds, 2 points), Kaylin Venick (3 rebounds, 2 points, 1 assist) and Emily Venick (3 steals, 1 point, 1 rebound).
 
Saturday's game was a back-and-forth contest throughout as the score was tied on seven occasions with neither team leading by more than nine points for the duration of the contest.
 
Slippery Rock used a 7-4 run over the final 4:25 of the second quarter and a 41.1 (12-of-29) first half shooting percentage from the floor to head into halftime trailing Mercyhurst 33-32.
 
The Rock were dominant out of the break as they held the Lakers to only five third quarter points while going on to score 15 of their own to take their largest lead of 47-38 into the final 10 minutes of competition.
 
From there it became anyone's game as the two evenly matched teams traded baskets and brief runs over the fourth quarter with Mercyhurst slowly chipping away at the SRU lead. The Lakers eventually utilized a 13-4 run to even the score 58-58 with only 13 seconds remaining in the game.
 
Slippery Rock earned possession of the ball with 11 seconds remaining and Emily Venick was able to find Kennedy Middleton who drove to the basket for a made last second layup to seal the 60-58 Rock victory.
 
SRU concluded the game out rebounding the Lakers 39-30 while offensively The Rock shot 37.9 percent (22-of-58) from the field overall, 36.8 percent (7-of-19) at the 3-point range and 64.3 percent (9-of-14) from the foul line.
 
Mercyhurst shot 37 percent (20-of-54) from the field overall and from 41.7 percent (10-of-24) long range (8-of-20) while making 80 percent (8-of-10) of its free throws.
 
The Lakers forced SRU into 21 turnovers while making 19 miscues of their own. Danielle Grim paced MU with 11 points, three rebounds, three steals and one assists while shooting 50 percent (3-of-6) from 3-point range.
 
Slippery Rock returns home to host Edinboro in a PSAC West contest 5:30 p.m. Jan. 18 at Morrow Field House. Wednesday's contest will be a celebration and memorial for the late Bobby McGraw.








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