After qualifying for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament for the first time since 2006, the Rock women’s basketball team’s season came to a close with a 66-48 at Gannon Saturday afternoon.
The women finish the season with an 11-16 overall record, the team’s most wins since the 2005-2006 season. The tournament appearance was big step forward for a program that Rock head coach Bobby McGraw is trying to rebuild.
“It meant a lot for our ladies to make this tournament because at the beginning of the season, making the PSAC Tournament was our number one goal,” McGraw said. “It was our ultimate goal, and really meant everything to our team.”
Rock senior forward D’Asia Chambers led the offensive attack for SRU, scoring 17 points and grabbing four rebounds with two blocks. Chambers, who has now played her final game with the Green and White, finishes her collegiate career with a total of 1313 career points and averaging 13.7 points per game. Chambers started all 27 of SRU’s games this season, averaging 16.7 points and dished out 54 assists.
“D’Asia Chambers is one of the best players in the history of the program,” McGraw said. “She’s not going to be easy to replace because she is just as nice of a person as she is a player. When you look at her statistically you see a first-team all-conference kid. She won’t be completely replaced, but we will do our best.”
Junior guard Taylor Siggers was able to contribute nine points for the Rock offense, while junior guard Breanna Gross was also able to add eight. Siggers, who transferred from Indian River College, averaged 11.8 points per game in her first season in green and white. She was also able to add 46 assists and 30 steals. Gross, a transfer from Garden Community College, averaged 4.2 points in her first season with SRU, adding eight assists, 12 blocks and 14 steals.
As a team, SRU scored a total of 1,744 points while allowing 1,846 to opponents. The team show .390 percent from the field, averaging 23.0 field goals made per game. The Rock also shot .267 from three point range, averaging 3.1 three pointers made per game. Slippery Rock was able to hold the rebounding advantage over opposing teams this season, averaging 40.3 rebounds per game compared to an opponents average of 39.4. The Rock also averaged 10.4 assists per game.
With the season now over, the Rock Athletic Department will have to decide whether or not they will be parting ways with Coach McGraw. McGraw, who has now fulfilled his duties as acting head coach of the women’s basketball team during the 2014-2015 season, was brought to the head of the coaching staff this season on a one year deal. If the athletic department decides McGraw has moved the team in the right direction this past season, then they will consider keeping him on staff and hire him as the full time head coach.
“It’s completely out of my hands,” McGraw said. “We are still going out and recruiting for the program’s future. We are working like we are coming back, and I hope we do.”
