Box Score

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa.- The Mercyhurst women's basketball team won, 60-44, at Slippery Rock Saturday afternoon. The Lakers held The Rock to 29.2 percent field goal shooting in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division game at Morrow Field House.


 
The Laker defense led the way in the first half, holding The Rock to 3-21 field goal shooting, including 0-11 accuracy from downtown. Mercyhurst's defense also forced 12 turnovers. Abby Allen opened the scoring almost two minutes in and then Dana Banda made a layup at the 14:12 mark for a 4-0 advantage. The Rock got on the board with 13:57 to go, but Adrienne Kloecker answered with a three-pointer seven minutes in.
 
Buckets by Banda and Alayna White made it 13-4 with 8:13 remaining. The home team hit a jumper and then a free throw to cut into the deficit. D'Asia Chambers followed with a layup at the 6:18 mark, making it 13-9. Mercyhurst would not allow another field goal the rest of the half.
 
Kloecker and Banda each scored, but the Rock tried to stay in the game by getting to the free throw line. Slippery Rock hit four straight free throws to get within four, but Paris Thomas hit a shot and then Kaylee Foster converted a three-point play with 1:40 to go. The Lakers went into the break with a 25-15 lead.
 
The Mercyhurst defense was strong again early in the second period, keeping The Rock without a field goal for the first 3:49 of the half. By then, Foster had scored four points and White had hit a jump shot. A quick 7-0 Laker spurt gave the visitors some breathing room. Foster made two foul shots, Kelley McBroom drained a jumper and Thomas sank a trey for a 38-20 advantage with 12:35 to play.
 
Slippery Rock tried to rally, but two Foster hoops kept the margin. After SRU cut its deficit to ten with under six minutes left, Foster and Thomas each hit layups to maintain the Laker lead.
 
Foster went 5-11 from the field and 5-6 from the free throw line. Banda had 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Thomas, in her return to her former school, added 11 points, three assists, three boards, and two steals. Allen posted four points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Chambers had 12 points and 12 boards for SRU.
 
As a group, Mercyhurst contained The Rock to 14-48 field goal shooting and 1-19 three-point accuracy. SRU committed 26 turnovers as well.
 
Mercyhurst improved to 5-10 overall and 5-6 in the conference. The Rock fell to 4-11 overall and 3-8 in the PSAC.
 
The Lakers continue their three-game road trip on Wednesday, January 23. They play at crosstown rival #6 Gannon in another PSAC Western Division match.