ERIE, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team suffered an 80-55 loss to No. 16 Gannon University Wednesday night on the road.
 
The setback moves The Rock's overall record to 7-9. SRU also falls to 4-6 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference competition. The nationally ranked Golden Knights improve to 16-3 on the year and 8-2 in the PSAC.
 
Brooklyn Jones led The Rock with 12 points, four rebounds and two assists. Regan Atkins and Alyssa Gillin both contributed 10 points and one block. Atkins pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, while Gillin brought in three. Kayley Joseph-Bernard aided SRU with eight points and four rebounds. She also led Slippery Rock with three steals.
 
Sophia Hook (7 points, 3 rebounds), Hannah Pugliese (5 points, 1 rebound) and Deryn Moye (3 points, 2 assists) rounded out SRU's scoring efforts. Rebecca Goetz and Mairan Haggerty each notched three rebounds, as Ava Darney recorded one of SRU's eight assists.
 
The Golden Knights blitzed right away by going up 7-0 through the first 2:05 of the game. Jones made a jumper to get The Rock on the board, but Gannon allowed just two more SRU field goals through the quarter until Gillin made the team's first 3-pointer with 26 seconds left. That triple cut GU's lead to 22-12 after 10 minutes of play.
 
Hook joined Gillin from behind the arc in a second quarter that saw Gannon outscore SRU, 20-12, to take a 42-24 advantage into halftime.
 
Joseph-Bernard made both of SRU's first baskets in the second half. Gillin hoisted up another three with 5:12 left in the third quarter, a period in which Gannon continued to pace play. The Golden Knights earned a 20-16 edge in the third to extend their lead to 62-40.
 
Slippery Rock enjoyed a 7-0 run partway through the fourth quarter but were ultimately upended in the final 10 minutes, 18-15. The Rock's last five points of the game came by way of Pugliese, who knocked down a 3-pointer and a pair of foul shots.
 
SRU concluded the game shooting 31.7 percent from the floor (19-of-60) and 19.0 percent from behind the 3-point line (4-of-21). The Rock also hit 56.5 percent (13-of-23) at the free throw line. Slippery Rock did manage to win a 14-12 advantage in fast break points with a +4 turnover margin (19-15).
 
The Golden Knights shot 45.1 percent from the hardwood (32-of-71), 30.8 percent from 3-point range (8-of-26) and a perfect 100 percent from the charity stripe (8-of-8). Gannon also won the rebounding battle, 55-32 (+23). Jordan Popyk registered a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds to lead Gannon's 11 different scorers and 11 unique rebounders.
 
The Rock will next stay on the road and face Clarion 1 p.m. Saturday. The game will serve as the first of two PSAC West meetings with the Golden Eagles this season.





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