SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Kennedy Middleton and Isabellah Middleton combined to score 50 points to lead the Slippery Rock University women's basketball team to a 67-52 win over Mercyhurst University Wednesday at Morrow Field House.
 
With the win, SRU completed a season sweep of the Lakers while improving its record to 13-11 overall and 8-10 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division. MU moves to 13-11 overall and 8-9 in the league following the loss.
 
Kennedy Middleton earned her 10th double-double of the season by tallying 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 her second consecutive, and ninth overall, 20-point performance of the year with a total of 25 points while also tacking on seven rebounds, three steals, one assist and one block.
 
Deleah Gibson played the role of facilitator over Wednesday's contest, dishing out a game-high six assists in addition to tallying eight points, five rebounds and two steals.
 
Kelley McKnight came off the bench to provide SRU with four points and two rebounds.
 
Starters Jordan Kauffman and Kaylin Venick rounded out Slippery Rocks leaders as Kauffman ended the night with three points and three rebounds and Venick went for two points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists.
 
The Rock scored 15 points over the closing 5:54 of the first quarter to take a 28-22 advantage over the Lakers into the second. Wednesday's opening 10 minutes marked the third time this season that SRU scored 28 points in a quarter.
 
Slippery Rock never trailed over the duration of the second quarter while leading by as many as 13 points (35-22) with 7:59 left in the half before claiming a 39-32 lead at the break.
 
Coming out of halftime, the Lakers traded baskets with The Rock throughout the third quarter while slightly outscoring SRU to enter the final 10 minutes of competition trailing by just six points.
 
However, any hopes of a Mercyhurst comeback were dashed as Slippery Rock went on to hold the Lakers to only six fourth-quarter points while en route to a 67-52 Rock victory.
 
Wednesday's fourth quarter performance marked the seventh time this season SRU has held a competitor to under 10 points in a quarter.
 
As a team, Slippery Rock shot 35.5 percent (22-of-62) from the field overall and 81.8 percent (18-of-22) from the free throw line while holding a 42-33 advantage over the Lakers in rebounding. SRU also did a great job maintaining possession Wednesday as it committed a season-low nine turnovers while forcing MU into 18 miscues.
 
Mercyhurst was led in the loss by Grace Centrulla, who finished the game with 17 points and seven rebounds. The Lakers ended the contest shooting 37.9 percent (22-of-58) from the floor, 23.1 (6-of-26) from 3-point range and 66.7 percent (2-of-3) from the foul line.
 
Slippery Rock continues the stretch run of the 2022-23 season with a road game, 1 p.m. Saturday at Edinboro. The Rock lost a close game to Edinboro, 67-63, at Morrow Field House earlier in the year.
 
 





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