CALIFORNIA, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team shot 53.3 percent from the field (24-of-45) but came up three points shy of defeating California (Pa.) in a 62-59 loss Wednesday on the road.
 
The Rock fall to 6-8 on the season and 4-5 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference competition with the loss. The Vulcans improve to 7-7 overall and jump SRU in the PSAC West standings percentagewise, now with a 4-4 mark in league play.
 
Tahmala Thorpe led The Rock with a career-high 18 points, constructed on a 6-of-12 performance from the floor that included a 3-of-3 showing from 3-point range. Regan Atkins added 15 points, while Kayley Joseph-Bernard scored 14 points, both sharing duties as the team's leading rebounder with six boards apiece.
 
Alyssa Gillin (6 points, 2 rebounds), Endya Robinson (4 points, 5 rebounds), Sophia Hook (2 points, 4 rebounds), Mairan Haggerty (2 rebounds, 1 block) and Brooklyn Jones (2 rebounds, 1 block) rounded out SRU's group of contributors. Atkins recorded a team-leading four steals, as Thorpe dished out five assists.
 
After beginning the game with a 1-0 lead thanks to a made free throw on an administrative technical, The Rock powered their way to a 10-7 advantage midway through the opening quarter. The Vulcans made the last field goal of the frame with 34 seconds remaining to earn a 13-11 edge heading into the second.
 
After trailing for the majority of the second quarter by no more than two baskets, a jumper from Robinson with 62 seconds left in the half brought the score back even at 25-25, a deadlock that would remain until intermission. SRU shot 60 percent (6-of-10) from the floor in a second quarter that was dominated by aggressive transition play.
 
The Rock picked up their first lead since the first quarter quickly in the second half, coming out of the locker room on a 12-4 run that lifted SRU to a 37-29 cushion. Gillin particularly brought Slippery Rock some second-half energy, inserting two straight threes in that 12-point sprint.
 
The Vulcans finished off a handful of sustained possessions to tie the game at 43-43 by the end of the third quarter. Cal's defense held SRU to just 1-of-5 through its final five attempts of the third period to fight back into the contest.
 
After going down early in the fourth, Atkins, Robinson and Thorpe all chipped into another 12-4 Slippery Rock run to send the Green and White back in front with 4:20 left in the game.
 
Cal responded with an 8-0 run of its own to prevail itself to a four-point lead, 61-57. Hook connected on a jump shot with 27 seconds left to cut the deficit to two, but Cal still had two fouls to give. The Vulcans were able to drain time off the clock with free throws and defend a missed SRU layup with five seconds left to claim a 62-59 victory.
 
In addition to shooting well from the field (24-of-45, .533), Slippery Rock knocked down 6-of-10 looks from 3-point land (60 percent) and 5-of-10 chances at the foul line (50 percent). The Rock were plagued with a -4 rebounding margin (40-36) and a -12 turnover margin (28-16).
 
The Vulcans went 33.3 percent overall (23-of-69) as well as from the 3-point arc (5-of-15). Cal shot 52.4 percent at the free throw line (11-of-21) and racked up 28 points off turnovers as opposed to SRU's 15. Talia Gilliard and Iyahnna Williams both tallied a team-best 16 points for Cal with Alicia Young pulling down seven rebounds.
 
SRU will return home for its final non-conference game of the year 1 p.m. Saturday, hosting Lake Erie College at Morrow Field House.





To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official athletic communication accounts on 'X' (formerly Twitter, @Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics) and Instagram (RockAthletics).