SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team etched itself into the win column for the first time this season with a 49-32 win over Shippensburg University Tuesday at Morrow Field House.
 
Winning their first game of the season, The Rock improved to 1-6 overall and 1-3 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The Raiders suffered their fifth consecutive loss, falling to 1-9 on the year and 0-4 within the conference.
 
Slippery Rock's victory marked the first win as a collegiate head coach for Ryenn Micaletti.
 
Tuesday's game marked the first time that Slippery Rock has held an opponent to under 40 points since defeating Penn State Allegheny, 65-24 on Nov. 24, 2014, a span of 225 games.
 
Regan Atkins led Slippery Rock by matching her career-high of 19 points, adding two blocks, two rebounds, an assist and a steal in the effort. Atkins shot 7-of-12 from the floor including a personal-best 4-of-7 from beyond the 3-point arc.
 
Both Kristina Donza and Gabby Jackson contributed nine points and two steals, while Donza recorded a game-high three assists.
 
Endya Robinson and Kaylin Venick were The Rock's top rebounders, each pulling in five. Venick also came away with a pair of steals.
 
Slippery Rock was on full display right from the get-go, rolling to a 13-2 lead in the first four minutes. Atkins, Donza and Jackson all hit a 3-pointer to commence the game in SRU's best offensive run of the season.
 
The Rock did not score in the final 5:56 of the opening frame, but the Raiders were only able to muster a pair of field goals, leaving the score at 13-6.
 
Shippensburg got on the board 17 seconds into the second quarter, only to be held scoreless for the following 8:57. Within that window, SRU tallied 11 points despite two separate three-minute scoring droughts of its own.
 
Deryn Moye, who wound up with three points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal, hit a 3-pointer with 18 seconds remaining in the half, to give Slippery Rock its first halftime lead of the season, a 27-9 margin.  
 
Shippensburg saw its best quarter offensively in the third, starting with a 5-0 run to cut the deficit to 27-14. Jackson got The Rock back on the board contributing to her 3-of-3 3-point shooting night.
 
The two sides traded baskets until the final 2:37 of the third quarter, in which Slippery Rock grew a 10-4 run. The Rock concluded the third quarter with a bang, seeing Atkins dial up back-to-back three-pointers and convert an and-1 opportunity in a 58-second span. 
 
The Rock was outscored 10-6 in the fourth quarter, cushioned from their built-up lead that ended up in a 49-32 advantage.
 
SRU shot more than 40 percent for the second-straight game, wrapping up the night going 18-of-44 from the floor (.409). A 1-of-15 (.067) second quarter plagued the Raiders, who wound up shooting 13-of-46 (.283).
 
The Rock went 9-of-24 from 3-point range (.375), compared to Shippensburg's 2-of-14 (.143) showing. Both teams struggled in their limited trips to the free-throw line, as Shippensburg made 4-of-10 (.400) and The Rock, 4-of-7 (.571).
 
Graduate student Treasure George came the closest to a double-double tonight, giving Shippensburg 12 points and nine rebounds, accounting for 37.5 percent of the Raiders' scoring and 25.7 percent of their rebounds. Bella Chimienti scored eight points and had three of Shippensburg's six steals.
 
Despite the victory, Slippery Rock was outrebounded, 35-28. The Rock held the upper hand in forcing turnovers, 23-20.
 
Following their three-game homestand, The Rock gets back in action 1 p.m. Dec. 30 on the road at Lock Haven University. Slippery Rock defeated the Bald Eagles a year ago at home, 61-57.




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