SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. (Jan. 6) – Behind 30 points from senior forward
Shatara Parsons (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin), the No. 10 Vulcans extended their winning streak to eight games with a 71-62 win at Slippery Rock on Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action.
With the victory, the California University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team improves to 13-1 this season with an 8-0 mark in league play. The Vulcans also extended their winning streak over The Rock to 32 games, as their last loss in the series came on Feb. 6, 2002. Meanwhile, Slippery Rock falls to 7-6 overall behind a 5-3 record in conference action.
Parsons scored 30 points after shooting 11-of-19 from the floor and eight-of-eight from the free-throw line. She also collected nine rebounds (four offensive) and two blocks while playing 39 minutes at Slippery Rock. Parsons has now recorded three 30-point games this season and continues to lead the PSAC in scoring at 23.4 points per game, which is a 10-point increase from last year.
Freshman
Bianca Jasper (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) finished with a career-high 14 points behind 9-of-12 from the free-throw line and added three rebounds and three steals while playing all 40 minutes. Junior
Mia Cushon (Raytown, Mo./Raytown South) added 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and five steals despite battling foul trouble on Saturday.
The Vulcans scored seven-straight points midway through the first quarter to take an 11-4 lead on a jumper by Parsons at the 4:35-mark. The Rock scored five of the next seven points to trim the deficit to 13-9 with 2:07 left in the first quarter before Slippery Rock later scored seven-unanswered points to tie the score at 18-18 with 8:19 remaining before halftime. The Vulcans regained the lead at the 7:20-mark before The Rock mounted a 7-2 run to take a 25-22 lead with 5:43 left in the second quarter. Cal U countered with an 8-2 rally to reclaim the lead at 30-27 following a layup by Cushon at the 2:37-mark. The Rock made a jumper nearly a minute later before the Vulcans took a 30-29 lead at the break.
Slippery Rock scored six of the opening eight points in the third quarter to take a 35-32 lead before Cal U responded with seven-unanswered points to seize a 41-35 lead following a pair of free-throws by Parsons with 5:05 left in the quarter. The Rock cut the deficit to 43-42 at the 1:30-mark and held the Vulcans without a field goal for nearly six minutes. Cal U answered with a layup by Parsons and a three-pointer by junior
Emily Suckling (Cheltenham, Australia/Mentone Girls' Secondary College), who was making her season debut, to take a 48-42 lead with 42 seconds left before taking a 50-44 lead at the end of the quarter. The Rock scored eight-straight points midway through the fourth quarter to tie the score at 56-56 with 3:58 left to play. Cal U then countered with eight-unanswered points to reclaim the lead at 64-58 on a pair of free-throws by Jasper at the 1:26-mark. The Vulcans later stretched the lead to 69-60 and sealed the victory after making five free-throws in just over 45 seconds.
The Vulcans finished the game shooting 43.4 percent (23-of-53) from the floor and converted 79.3 percent (23-of-29) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, The Rock posted a .394 field-goal percentage (26-of-66) after going just 1-of-10 from beyond the arc. Cal U recorded a 38-37 rebounding advantage despite Slippery Rock collecting 17 offensive rebounds, while the Vulcans scored 21 points off turnovers.
Junior Morgan Henderson led The Rock with 15 points in the losing effort, while sophomores Madison Johnson and Brooke Hinderliter both added 12 points. Hinderliter registered a double-double in the contest, as she led all players with 11 rebounds.
Cal U returns to PSAC Crossover play on Monday, Jan. 8, when it hosts Lock Haven at 5:30 p.m.
