SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team snapped a 29-game losing streak to Indiana University (Pa.) with a 52-48 victory Wednesday at Morrow Field House.
 
With the win, The Rock improves to 11-8 overall and 6-7 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference while Indiana moves to 13-5 on the season and 8-5 in league competition. Wednesday's win marked The Rock's first against Indiana since the 2007 season.
 
After leading for much of the first half, Slippery Rock took a 28-23 lead into halftime. Coming out of the break, Slippery Rock and Indiana traded baskets with the Crimson Hawks chipping away at The Rock's lead forcing an eventual 35-35 tie with 4:55 left in the third. However, SRU used a 6-3 run to close out the quarter leading of IUP 41-38.
 
Indiana continued its search for a comeback win by opening the fourth quarter with an 8-2 run of its own that lifted the Crimson Hawks ahead of The Rock, 46-43, with 7:33 remaining in regulation.
 
Slippery Rock and Indiana continued to trade buckets over the following five minutes before a series of made baskets by Deleah Gibson and Kaylin Venick put SRU back on top at 49-48 with 48 seconds left in regulation.
 
SRU proceeded to seal the victory over the final moments of the contest thanks to a defensive effort that held IUP scoreless for the remainder of the game combined with the duo of Gibson and Alyssa Gillin connecting on 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch on the way to the four-point win.
 
Isabellah Middleton led all scorers for the night with 19 points to go along with nine rebounds, two assists and one steal. Gibson also ended the game in double figures with 16 points, five rebounds four steals, two blocks and one assist.
 
Kennedy Middleton tallied seven points, six rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block in the win. Venick registered four points, two rebounds and two steals.
 
Rounding out SRU's leaders was Jordan Kauffman with three points and two rebounds, Kelley McKnight with two points and four rebounds and Gillin with a career-high three blocks and three steals to go with two rebounds and one point courtesy of her clutch foul shot late.
 
For the game, Slippery Rock shot 29.7 percent (19-of-64) from the field, 76.5 percent (13-of-17) from the foul line while making just one 3-pointer. SRU forced IUP into 29 turnovers, the most by a Rock opponent since Penn State-Beaver committed 30 miscues during the 2014-15 season.
 
Indiana ended the contest shooting 34.6 percent (18-of-52) from the floor, 64.3 percent (9-of-14) from the free throw line and 16.7 percent (3-of-18) from long range. Teirra Preston paced the Crimson Hawks with 14 points, 14 rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks.
 
Slippery Rock begins a two-game PSAC West road trip first at Clarion 1 p.m. Saturday followed by Gannon University 5:30 p.m. Feb. 1. The Gannon game will mark the second half of The Rock's 2022-23 PSAC West schedule.






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