The Slippery Rock University women’s basketball team traveled to Clarion University on Wednesday to take on the Golden Eagles in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) match-up. Clarion ultimately bested Slippery Rock with a final score of 70-62.
The Rock, playing in their fourth straight complete game without senior point guard Lexi Carpenter, carried a 16-10 lead going into the second quarter. However, Clarion went on a 24-7 run with eight minutes left in the half to give the Golden Eagles a 34-27 lead heading into halftime. With the loss, the Green and White have now lost six straight games and seven out of their last eight games. The Rock is now 9-16 and 6-13 in conference play while Clarion improved their record to 14-11 (11-8).
Freshman Brooke Hinderliter led Slippery Rock with 15 points while also going 7-8 (87.5 percent) from the free-throw line. Hinderliter is currently 11th in the PSAC with a .800 (100-125) free-throw percentage. Sophomore Morgan Henderson totaled 11 points, 2 assists and 6 rebounds. Juniors C.C. Dixon and Krista Pietropola each recorded 8 points while Pietropola shot for 50 percent (3-6) from the field. Juniors Sierra Fordham and Mallory Heinle and freshman LeeAnn Gibson combined for a total of 18 points, 3 assists and 16 rebounds.
In the five straight games that Carpenter has not played in, including the matchup with Seton Hill where she played just under a minute, The Rock has shot 105-315 (33 percent) from the field and has given up a total of 385 points, while scoring 301 points.
With the loss to Clarion and Seton Hill’s 70-64 win against Mercyhurst on Wednesday, The Rock’s chances of making the playoffs have diminished. In order to make the playoffs, the team would have needed to win their final four games of the season, according to head coach Bobby McGraw.
The Rock returns home on Saturday to take on Gannon University in their final home game of the season and to celebrate senior day. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.
