SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team returned from the holiday break with a, 65-57, loss to Bloomsburg University Friday at Morrow Field House.

With the loss, Slippery Rock falls to 5-6 overall and 3-2 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division, while Bloomsburg improves to 6-5 overall and 2-2 in the PSAC East with the victory.

Iyanna Wade followed up her 20-point performance against Lock Haven University with a 18-point, four-rebound, two-steal outing against the Huskies. Karianna Woods was the only other Rock player to score in double figures with 13 points, six rebounds and two steals.

Kayley Joseph-Bernard was close to a double-double with nine points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Alyssa Gillin and Sophia Hook combined for 13 points on 5-of-19 shooting from the floor overall. Gillin grabbed three boards, blocked two shots, registered two steals and dished out one assist. Hook brought down six rebounds, recorded two steals and dished out one assist as well.

Gillin's two rejections moved her into 17th place in program history for rejections in a career with 43. She needs two more blocks to move into to a tie for 15th with Beth Dansberger (1992-96) and Chere Marshall (2006-10).

SRU and BU struggled to find offense early in the game as the first basket came at the 7:55 mark of the first quarter via Maddison Maynard. Once the Huskies got on the board, they began to see more shots fall as they shot an efficient 46.4 percent in the first half, but their nine turnovers allowed The Rock to keep their opponent within an arm's reach at 29-20 heading into halftime.

Bloomsburg built its lead to as big as 14 points (44-30) in the third quarter before Slippery Rock cut the Huskies' lead to as low as six (44-38) before the start of the final frame.
 
In the fourth quarter, the Huskies fended off The Rock''s comeback bid as their lead fluctuated between six and 11 points for the entirety of the quarter.

Slippery Rock ended the game shooting 30.5 percent (18-of-59) from the field overall, 29.2 percent (7-for-24) from the 3-point line and 73.7 percent (14-of-19) from the charity stripe. Defensively, SRU forced Bloomsburg into 18 turnovers while committing 14 miscues of its own.

The Rock hit six more triples (7-1) than the Huskies, but Bloomsburg countered SRU's shooting with 48 points in the paint, compared to Slippery Rock's 16 paint points.

Bloomsburg finished the tilt shooting 48.2 percent (27-of-56) from the floor overall, 8.3 percent (1-for-12) from beyond the arc and 58.8 percent (10-of-17) from the foul line.

Maynard scored 33.8 percent of Bloomsburg's points with her game-high 22 points, along with 17 rebounds. Alison Hatajik and Leah Hale joined Maynard in double figures with 10 points apiece. Hatajik also recorded a double-double as she grabbed 12 rebounds.

Slippery Rock is back in action 1 p.m. Saturday at Morrow Field House against East Stroudsburg University.



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