Despite a 65-75 loss to Seton Hill University (17-6), sophomore guard Brooke Hinderliter was able to reach the 600 career point mark on Saturday, making her only the eighth player in program history to reach that mark in their first two collegiate seasons.
“She’s a tremendous player,” SRU women’s basketball head coach Bobby McGraw said. “Did a good job on the glass today, she works hard, she deserves all the accolades she gets because of her work ethic.”
Hinderliter’s 307 points this season has now more than doubled her 294 point total from last season, with still five games remaining in regular season action. Coming into the Seton Hill game, Hinderliter needed just seven points to reach the milestone, and she did so by racking up eight points, with two assists and 11 total rebounds.
With the loss, The Rock’s losing streak now has extended to five games, and drops their record to 10-12 on the season, with an 8-9 record in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play. The Green and White remain in the sixth and final playoff spot in the West, but Mercyhurst University and the University of Pitt-Johnstown are both nipping at The Rock’s heals with 9-13 records.
“We didn’t guard the perimeter like we needed to in the second half,” McGraw said. “They annihilated us on the three-point line, we didn’t guard well enough, didn’t play hard enough, didn’t deserve to win.”
After the first half, The Rock was leading the Griffins 36-33, off a 22 point second quarter, but Seton Hill responded with a 22 point quarter of their own in the third, while holding SRU to just 11 points to lead them 55-47 entering the fourth quarter. The Rock wasn’t then able to dig themselves out of the hole in the fourth being outscored 20-18, in route to a 65-75 loss.
Redshirt sophomore guard Madison Johnson lead the scoring for The Rock as she notched 18 points, while going 5-13 from the field, and 7-9 in free throws. Second was sophomore forward LeeAnn Gibson who totaled 13 points, while going 5-11 from the field, with seven total rebounds, and a block.
For the Griffins, senior guard/forward Jenna Kaufman, who ranks fourth in the PSAC in scoring with 421 total points, was able to collect 15 points, with two assists, six total rebounds, and one block. In The Rock’s last meeting with Seton Hill in late Dec., the Green and White were able to hold Kaufman to eight points in their 78-85 loss.
“[Kaufman] played harder than we did at times,” McGraw said. “At times we did a great job on her, at times she got loose; can’t happen. We tried to face guard her, but didn’t do a great job of it.”
Up next for The Rock comes a date at seventh place Mercyhurst on Wednesday with the game starting at 5:30 p.m. With a win, Mercyhurst could leap over SRU in the playoff standings, which would then leave The Rock on the outside looking in.
