SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – All-American senior guard Kailee Howe drained a stop-and-pop 15-footer with just three seconds remaining here Wednesday afternoon to give No. 21 West Liberty a 79-77 win against Slippery Rock (Pa.) in a women's basketball thriller at Morrow Field House.

A driving layup by The Rock's Erica Aiello had forged the game's final tie, 77-77, with 27 seconds to play and Coach Lynn Ullom's Hilltoppers (5-1) elected to hold for the final shot.

Howe power-dribbled into the circle between two defenders before angling to her left and rising from the elbow for a jumper that hit nothing but net.

Slippery Rock (4-2) called timeout to move the ball into the frontcourt and set up a play but Lexi Carpenter's 3-pointer failed to draw iron at the buzzer, ending the see-saw affair.

West Liberty had stormed back from an early 15-point deficit to take a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter only to see The Rock (4-2) mount its own comeback.

Megan Hardiman's 3-pointer from the top of the key capped a 17-4 surge and knotted the count at 69-69 midway through the final quarter.

The teams traded baskets before a pair of Carpenter free throws put The Rock on top, 73-71, with 3:08 still to play.

Johnie Olkosky answered with a clutch 3-pointer for a 74-73 Hilltopper lead but Carpenter got all the way to the rim for a layup and a 75-74 Slippery Rock advantage.

Neither team scored on its next possession as the clock turned under a minute but Howe found Olkosky for another huge 3-pointer to give the visitors a 77-75 lead with 44 seconds left, setting the stage for the last 30 seconds.

Howe's assist on Olkosky's final 3-pointer was her 17th assist of the game. That tied Howe's own Mountain East Conference record and is the most by any NCAA woman – Division I, II or III – this season.

Emily Bucon drained a career-high six 3-pointers and led West Liberty with a game-high 22 points – 19 of them coming in the opening half. 

Kiki Simpson had a huge game in the paint, scoring 18 points and grabbing 15 rebounds – both season-highs – for her third double-double of the year.

Liz Flowers also hit double-figures with 11 points and 4 assists despite missing nearly the entire second half due to foul trouble. Olkosky finished with 9 points on a trio of 3-pointers.

Ciara Patterson was the leading scorer for Slippery Rock with 18 points while Carpenter finished with 17 points and Audrey Stapleton came off the bench for 14.

The Hilltoppers will be idle over the Thanksgiving weekend but return to Mountain East Conference action on Dec. 3 when they host Shepherd in a 5:30 p.m. game at the ASRC.