SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team travels up I-79 for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division test at Edinboro 1 p.m. Saturday.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Live video and in-game statistics will be provided for Saturday's game by the Edinboro Athletic Communication office at the links below.
 
GAME 25 DETAILS
Opponent: Edinboro
Date: Saturday – 1 p.m.
Location: McComb Field House – Edinboro, Pennsylvania
Live Video: Link
Live Stats: Link
In-game Updates: Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: Tied 56-56
Last Played: Jan. 18, 2023 (Edinboro won, 67-63)
 
ALL-TIME SERIES vs. EDINBORO
The Rock and Fighting Scots enter Saturday's contest tied 56-56 in the all-time series dating back to 1972. Slippery Rock will look to snap a 10-game losing streak to Edinboro with a conference road win.
 
LAST MEETING
SRU suffered a narrow, 67-63, loss by Edinboro Jan. 18 at Morrow Field House. The Rock were paced by Kennedy Middleton, who scored a team-high 15 points in addition to having six rebounds, four steals and three assists while making all three of her free throw attempts for the night.
 
Isabellah Middleton posted a double-double by way of 10 points and 12 rebounds to go along with two assists and one steal.
 
Bella Long was SRU's remaining player to score double-digit points as she came off the bench to tally 11 points courtesy of three made 3-pointers as well as two rebounds.
 
SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
Overall Record: 13-11
PSAC West Record: 8-10
PSAC West Standings: Eighth
Home Record: 7-4
Away Record: 5-6
Neutral Record: 1-1
Last Five Games: 2-3
Streak: W1
Acting Head Coach: Chenara Wilson | First year at SRU (13-11)
 
LAST TIME OUT
Slippery Rock snapped a three-game losing streak in fine fashion with a 67-52 defeat of Mercyhurst University Wednesday at Morrow Field House to complete a season sweep of the Lakers.
 
Kennedy Middleton tallied a career-high 25 points to go along with 10 rebounds, five steals and four assists in addition to being an efficient 11-of-12 from the foul line.
 
Isabellah Middleton registered 25 points while also tacking on seven rebounds, three steals, one assist and one block.
 
THE RACE TO .500
With another win added to its record, Slippery Rock continues a strong campaign to compile a winning record at the conclusion of the season, a task that no roster in the last 21 years has been able to accomplish.
 
A win Saturday ensures at least a 14-14 record which would give this year's team the program's best winning percentage since 2001-02.
 
PSAC TOURNAMENT PUSH
The Rock remained mathematically alive for the chance to secure a PSAC Tournament berth with its win Wednesday.
 
The top six teams from the PSAC West at the conclusion of the regular season qualify for the conference tournament. Both Slippery Rock and Mercyhurst are behind Seton Hill (10-8) and Pitt-Johnstown (10-7) for the final two tournament spots in the Western Division.
 
A win against the Fighting Scots would lessen the gap to just one game between The Rock and the sixth place slot as the Mountain Cats and Griffins face each other this weekend and one team will suffer a loss.
 
THE BELLAH OF THE BALL
Isabellah Middleton has posted a marquee week of performances as she went back-to-back games tallying 20 points including a new career-high of 27 at California Monday. She has now registered nine 20-point games this season, the eighth most at SRU since 2002-03.
 
This week alone, Middleton has averaged 26.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while tallying five steals and shooting an efficient 15-of-18 from the foul line.
 
Middleton continues to lead SRU this season with a stat line of 17.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.2 spg and 1.3 apg.
 
KEEPING UP WITH KENNEDY
After scoring only six points against the Vulcans Monday, Kennedy Middleton tallied a career-high 25 versus the Lakers Wednesday. Middleton also tacked on 10 rebounds to earn her 10th double-double of the season, ranking her fourth on in program history since 2002-03.
 
Middleton enters Saturday's game averaging 12.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.4 apg and 1.8 spg while shooting 39.7 percent from the field.
 
FILLING GAPS WITH GIBSON
After scoring 20-points in three of SRU's most recent five games, Gibson registered only eight points against Mercyhurst. However, Gibson saw her role adapt throughout the contest with the Lakers as she dished out a career-best six assists to help facilitate the win.
 
For the season, Gibson ranks second on the team in scoring with 15.7 points to go along with 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.5 steals per game while leading SRU in shooting percentage at 40.3 percent overall and 83.8 percent from the foul line.
 
ROUNDING OUT THE ROCK ROTATION
• Kaylin Venick and Jordan Kauffman complete the SRU starting lineup that has been featured over 11 games now.
 
Kauffman has settled into the starting position and found success from long range as she shoots 33.3 percent from beyond the arch while averaging 3.1 points and 2.5 rebounds.
 
Venick aided in a strong Slippery Rock defensive presence Wednesday as she tallied three steals for the fourth time this season. Additionally, she averages 3.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg and 1.0 spg.
 
• Long provides The Rock with 4.9 ppg and 1.6 rpg as a trusted reserve as shoots 40.5 percent from the floor as well as 34.9 percent from 3-point range.
 
• Off the bench, Kelley McKnight serves as one of Slippery Rock's post players as she registers 3.3 ppg and 3.2 rpg while shooting a solid 81.3 percent from the foul line.
 
• Reserve point guard Jada Ward enters the weekend averaging 4.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Fellow point guard Emily Venick carries 1.1 apg, and 1.0 ppg into Saturday's game.
 
TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
Slippery Rock had been forced into double-digit turnovers in each game this season before exhibiting composure with the Rock and committing a season-low of just nine miscues Wednesday.
 
On the opposite end of the floor, The Rock registered its highest number of steals this season with 14 against Mercyhurst.
 
BUY ONE GET TWO FREE
SRU continues to showcase its solid free throw shooting as of late. Over its last two games, Slippery Rock has missed just four of its attempted 34 foul shots for an 88.2 percent (30-of-34) success rate at the charity stripe.
 
Assisting in the free throw success over those two contests were Isabellah Middleton (15-of 18), Kennedy Middleton (13-of-14) and Kaylin Venick (2-of-2).
 
THE ROCK'S FAVORITE BOARD-GAME
The Rock have out rebounded their competitors in two of their last three games including a season-high 51 rebounds against Seton Hill. After starting the season by allowing 52 offensive boards over its first three games, SRU has limited its competitors second chances and given up just 24 offensive rebounds in its three most recent contests.
 
STRONG START AND FINISH
Slippery Rock exhibited one of its best all-around performances Wednesday against the Lakers. SRU tallied a season-high 28 first quarter points to open the contest. The Rock then went on to mark their seventh contest this year holding their opponent under 10 points in a quarter by allowing only six MU points to close the final 10 minutes.
 
PSAC INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
• Defensive Rebounds Per Game: Kennedy Middleton – t-2nd (6.5)
• Steals Per Game: Deleah Gibson – t-3rd (2.5)
• Points Per Game: Isabellah Middleton – 4th (17.0)
• Rebounds Per Game: Isabellah Middleton – t-5th (8.5)
• Rebounds Per Game: Kennedy Middleton – t-5th (8.5)
• Defensive Rebounds Per Game: Isabellah Middleton – 5th (6.2)
• Free Throw Percentage: Deleah Gibson – 6th (.838)
• Steals Per Game: Isabellah Middleton – t-7th (2.2)
• Points Per Game: Deleah Gibson – t-8th (15.7)
• Assists Per Game: Kennedy Middleton – 8th (3.4)
 
PSAC TEAM RANKINGS
• Opponent 3-Point Percentage: 3rd (.279)
• Steals Per Game: 3rd (9.8)
• Rebounds Per Game: 4th (39.7)
• Defensive Rebounds Per Game: 5th (26.8)
• Opponent Turnovers: 6th (18.5)
• Offensive Rebounds Per Game: 6th (12.9)
• 3-Pointers Per Game: t-8th (6.1)
• Turnover Margin: 8th (+1.5)
• Scoring: 11th (64.1)
 
EDINBORO PRIMER
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
Overall Record: 15-7
PSAC West Record: 12-5
PSAC West Standings: Second
Home Record: 8-3
Away Record: 7-4
Last Five Games: 4-1
Streak: W3
Head Coach: Callie Wheeler | Fourth season at Edinboro (66-39)
 
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING SCOTS
Last time out: The Fighting Scots earned its third-consecutive win in a 101-99 decision over Seton Hill University on the road Wednesday.
 
As a team, Edinboro is first among the PSAC in scoring (76.7), made 3-pointers per game (8.6), turnover margin (+7.32) turnovers forced per game (24.1) and steals per game (12.27).
 
The Fighting Scot offensive attack is led by Rana Elhusseini who is the 12th-leading scorer in Division II with 20.3 ppg. Within the league, Elhusseini is first in steals (2.7) and second in both free throw percentage (.851) and made 3-pointers per game (2.5). Elhusseini rounds out her stat line by averaging 6.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.
 
In Slippery Rock and Edinboro's meeting earlier this season, Elhusseini registered a game-high 27 points to go along with eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals.
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock plays its last road contest of the regular season when it travels to Indiana University (Pa.) for a key PSAC West matchup 1 p.m. Feb. 18. Earlier this year SRU napped a 29-game series losing streak to IUP with a 52-48 victory at Morrow Field House.







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