SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team hung around for the whole game against Malone University in its home opener but wound up falling in an 80-65 decision at Morrow Field House Wednesday.
 
The Rock fall below .500 for the first time this season at 1-2 overall with the result, while the Pioneers stay undefeated through a trio of non-conference road games at 3-0.
 
Malone shot 53.3 percent from the floor and retook the lead for a fourth and final time late in the third quarter before padding its lead through the remainder of the game.
 
Regan Atkins produced another big night with 21 points and eight rebounds, shooting 9-of-15 (.600) in total with three triples. Sophia Hook impressed off the bench with 13 points, also knocking down three from beyond the 3-point arc.
 
Three more three-pointers were contributed by Alyssa Gillin who wound up with 11 points, two rebounds and one steal. Kayley Joseph-Bernard led SRU with three steals on top of an eight-point, four-rebound performance. Her and Tahmala Thorpe both dished out a team-high six assists as well.
 
Thorpe (4 points), Brooklyn Jones (6 points, 2 assists), Deryn Moye (2 points, 1 rebound) and Rebecca Goetz (2 rebounds, 1 assist) rounded out SRU's efforts. Gillin, Goetz, Joseph-Bernard and Thorpe all recorded one block.
 
Slippery Rock was ahead for much of a fast-paced first quarter, leading by as many as eight with a 14-6 advantage. The Rock had their best defensive play of the night halfway through the period when Joseph-Bernard, Gillin and Thorpe all blocked a shot in the same Malone possession.
 
Following a late push that gave Malone a 22-21 lead after one quarter of play, The Pioneers shot 57.1 percent while holding The Rock to a game-low 35.7 percent from the floor through the second. That said, a three-pointer from both Gillin and Hook limited the damage for SRU, which only trailed MU by six at the half, 41-35.
 
Slippery Rock's best 10 minutes of offense came in the third quarter, converting 8-of-13 field goal attempts (61.5 percent) while hitting 3-of-4 from deep. The Rock outscored Malone 19-16, tying the game three times and taking a momentary one-point lead after a three from Hook with 2:23 to play.
 
Malone ended the third quarter and began the fourth on a 9-0 run that propelled the Pioneers back ahead to a lead it would not give up, shooting a whopping 72.7 percent in the process to pull away to a 15-point win.
 
Both teams shot well overall with Malone going 32-for-60 (.533) compared to SRU's 26-of-57 showing (.456). The Rock went 9-for-22 (.409) from three-point range while holding Malone to 6-of-20 (.300). Malone converted 10-of-13 free throws (.769) with SRU's chances at the line coming at a premium, going 4-for-6 (.667).
 
Malone ended the night with a +17 rebounding margin (39-22) with turnovers level at 11-11. The Pioneers were led by Erin Kaufman underneath the basket with 22 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.
 
Slippery Rock will next play its third road game in its first four contests 2 p.m. Saturday at Salem University in West Virginia.





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