SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa.- The Mercyhurst women's basketball team won, 64-58, at Slippery Rock Saturday afternoon at the Morrow Field House. Dana Banda had 23 points to lead the Lakers to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division victory.


 
Hurst went up 15-0 in the first four minutes of play, but Slippery Rock stayed competitive. With the visitors up 53-47, Jasmine Cooper took over. She made a three-pointer, a layup and another trey, tying the game at 55 with 3:36 left. The teams traded possessions until Lindsey Burke drilled a triple with 2:13 to play, putting the Lakers ahead 58-55.
 
Mercyhurst (10-10, 8-8 PSAC) forced turnovers on the next two possessions and Banda converted two free throw tries with 1:08 to go. Free throws by Nikki Frederickson and Banda closed out the road win.
 
In the opening four minutes, the Lakers raced out to the lead, as Banda and Megan Hoffman got things started. She hit a layup on Hurst's opening possession and then assisted on Hoffman's three-pointer. After Hoffman's second steal, Banda made another bucket. Hoffman drained another trey to make it 10-0 with 16:49 left. Frederickson made a layup and then Abby Allen connected from deep to put her team ahead 15-0. Danielle Smith finally got the Rock on the board with a layup at the 15:59 mark of the first half.
 
Scoring slowed after that, as SRU (5-15, 2-14 PSAC) fought to get back in the game. After Kelsey Trosch hit a lay-in, the Rock got rolling. Jasmine Cooper hit a shot and then Sherita Stanley finished a three-point play, making it 24-16. Stanley went on to hit three more free throws, getting the hosts within five.
 
Katie Carbee got involved, hitting two baskets to put the Lakers ahead 28-19 with just over three minutes to play. Banda and Smith traded hoops and then Carbee made a long two-pointer, giving Hurst a 32-21 halftime advantage.
 
In the second half, it was a game of runs. The Rock went on an early 9-0 spurt, making it 34-30 Hurst. Kaylee Foster got a Laker run started, hitting two baskets. Banda followed with a trey and then Frederickson posted a three-point play. Katie Carbee capped the 11-0 span with a free throw with 11:50 to play, making it 45-30.
 
The hosts answered that with a 8-0 run, getting within 45-38 with 8:44 showing on the clock. After a Carbee bucket, D'Asia Chambers made a three and Paris Thomas scored a lay-in. Banda and Stanley traded points, setting up Cooper to make it close.
 
Banda shot 8-14 from the field and hit all six of her free throw attempts. The junior dropped a career-high 25 points in a win over Lock Haven February 1 and has now scored at least 10 points in five of her last six outings. Carbee and Hoffman each scored nine points, with Hoffman making three treys. Frederickson added seven points and six boards in 38 minutes. Smith led the Rock with 16 points and seven rebounds, but she turned the ball over 11 times.
 
As a team, the Lakers shot 24-52 (46.2 percent) from the floor and hit 6-16 (37.5 percent) from deep. SRU hit 23-53 (43.4 percent) from the field.
 
Mercyhurst and the Rock split their season series as the PSAC began its second round of Western Division play Saturday. Hurst returns home to face Clarion Wednesday, February 8, at the MAC. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in the PSAC contest.
 
For a box score of the Mercyhurst-Slippery Rock game, please click here.