SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team fell by way of an overtime heartbreaker for the second straight game Tuesday night at Morrow Field House, dropping a 78-75 non-conference battle to Tiffin University.
 
The Rock fall to 3-4 overall with the loss, now having played 95 minutes of basketball in their last two games. The Dragons improve to 4-2 on the season before heading into Great Midwest Athletic Conference play.
 
Slippery Rock scored 28 points in the second quarter alone – tied for 10^th in program history – to take a seven-point lead into the half. Tiffin split a pair of free throws with six seconds left to tie the game at 70-70 and force overtime. Another split pair of free throws with five seconds left in OT served as Tiffin's game-winner.
 
Brooklyn Jones had a career-night with 19 points, a performance highlighted by a 5-of-9 showcase from 3-point range. Sophia Hook tallied 16 points for SRU with four triples – a career high for her as well – as Tahmala Thorpe rounded out Slippery Rock's double-digit scorers with 10.
 
Kayley Joseph-Bernard piled up a personal-best 14 rebounds and nine assists to go with six points, four blocks and four steals. Rebecca Goetz impressed off the glass again with 11 rebounds, combined with a six-point contribution. Alyssa Gillin (5 points), Deryn Moye (3 points) and Regan Atkins (2 points, 4 rebounds) all chipped in for SRU's attack as well.
 
Both teams struggled early with Tiffin taking a 12-8 lead after the first quarter, as the Dragons shot 26.7 percent (4-of-15) compared to SRU's 23.5 percent effort (4-of-17).
 
Things picked up in the second quarter, a period in which 11 combined 3-pointers were made. SRU accounted for seven of those 3-balls including three from Hook and two from Thorpe. That burst of offense gave Slippery Rock a 36-29 lead going into halftime.
 
Both teams drew even at 20-20 through the third quarter, furthering SRU's seven-point advantage out to a 56-49 gap. An Atkins layup 18 seconds into the half gave The Rock a nine-point lead, their largest of the game. Tiffin fought back with 58.3 percent shooting to hold SRU at bay heading into the fourth.
 
A 7-0 run from the Dragons through the first 3:02 of the final period tied the game, 56-56. Jones answered with an and-1 play on a made 3-pointer, but the Dragons hung around for the remainder of regulation.
 
Tiffin took a 69-67 lead on a jump shot with 32 seconds left but Hook brought the crowd to life by nailing a crucial 3-pointer with just 12 seconds remaining. Tiffin drew a foul with 6.3 seconds left, sending Lyv Lindeman – who entered the game shooting 94.1 percent (16-of-17) at the line – to the charity stripe.
 
Lindeman missed the first free throw but made the second to tie the game. Slippery Rock was unable to score with the limited time remaining, sending SRU to overtime for the second time in four days.
 
Tiffin maintained a lead through the first 4:08 of overtime until a pair of free throws from Goetz – the first made free throws of her collegiate career – knotted the game back up at 75-75 with 52 seconds left. TU's Presley Feltner made a free throw with six seconds on the clock to give the Dragons a lead that would be extended to three points by the final buzzer.
 
Slippery Rock concluded the game with 33.3 percent shooting (25-of-75) including one-third of its 3-point attempts (14-of-42 / .333). The Rock made 11 of their 14 free throws as well (78.6 percent). SRU outrebounded Tiffin consistently, racking up a 49-36 difference (+13). The Rock lost the turnover war to the Dragons, 19-17.
 
Tiffin shot 44.1 percent (26-of-59) from the floor and 39.1 percent (9-of-23) from 3-point range. The Dragons enjoyed their many chances at the foul line, going 17-for-25 (.680). Lindeman led Tiffin with 19 points, while Grace Craig pulled down a team-leading 10 rebounds for the Dragons.
 
Slippery Rock will return to Morrow Field House to cap off a four-game homestand 1 p.m. Saturday against Lake Erie College.





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