ERIE, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team posted its largest margin of victory in 245 games by cruising to a 79-42 win over Davis & Elkins College to kick off its 2024-25 campaign Saturday in Erie, Pennsylvania.
 
The Rock, who begin their season with a 1-0 record for the first time since 2021, last registered a win of at least 37 points when they picked up a 65-24 decision against Penn State Allegheny in 2014 – a span of 245 games. The Senators open their respective season 0-1 overall with Saturday's result.
 
Grad transfer Tahmala Thorpe led The Rock offensively with 13 points including a 3-for-3 showing from 3-point range. Sophomore transfer Mairan Haggerty added 10 points to SRU's attack that included a dozen different scorers. Haggerty accompanied Regan Atkins and Endya Robinson in each bringing in six rebounds in for The Rock.
 
Kayley Joseph-Bernard spearheaded Slippery Rock's whopping +26 rebounding margin by reeling in 10 boards. Joseph-Bernard also recorded a team-high seven assists. Brooklyn Jones piled on nine points for The Rock with a trio of three-pointers, joining Alyssa Gillin who also had nine points.
 
SRU's well-rounded offense also saw additions from Joseph-Bernard (8 points), Atkins (6 points), Sophia Hook (6 points, 5 rebounds), Robinson (5 points), Deryn Moye (5 points, 4 rebounds), Tori Johnson (3 points, 5 rebounds), Anye Washington (3 points) and Rebecca Goetz (2 points).
 
To complement Slippery Rock's prolific showing offensively, Moye led the team with two of SRU's six steals. Atkins, Gillin, Haggerty and Robinson all recorded one block.
 
Thorpe hit a three-pointer 18 seconds into the game to take a 3-2 lead that Slippery Rock never lost. The Rock exploded offensively from that point, shooting 64.3 percent in the first quarter including a 6-of-10 effort beyond the perimeter. SRU held D&E scoreless for a 6:43 stretch, amassing a 26-6 lead through the first 10 minutes.
 
The Rock did not slow their pace in the second quarter, outscoring the Senators 24-16 to ride a 50-22 lead into halftime.
 
It was mostly window dressing from there, with SRU extending its lead in the third quarter to a 34-point advantage, 66-32. An 8-3 run for The Rock burned off the first 6:39 of the fourth quarter before Goetz, Johnson and Washington all found late buckets in what became a 37-point win.
 
SRU outshot D&E from the floor, nailing 43.1 percent of its field goals (28-of-65) as opposed to the Senators' 24.5 percent clip (13-of-53). The Rock also fared well from distance, dropping 8-of-17 (.471), while D&E went 6-for-19 in 3-point territory (.316).
 
While D&E had fewer chances at the free throw line than The Rock, the Senators converted 10 of their 14 chances (.714), while SRU knocked down 15 of its 24 free throw attempts (.625).
 
The Rock also claimed notable advantages in points in the paint (40-14), points off turnover (24-7) and second chance points (26-9). Slippery Rock earned a +4 turnover margin through the contest, as its 55 rebounds as part of a +26 rebounding margin rank sixth all-time in school history.
 
Josiany Canales and Jocelyn Gagnon scored a team-leading nine points for Davis & Elkins with Canales grabbing a squad-high five rebounds.
 
Slippery Rock will remain in Erie as part of the Atlantic Region Challenge, taking to the court again tomorrow to face Glenville State University at 1 p.m.





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