Women's Basketball | 12/16/2016 5:36:00 PM

Box Score WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women's basketball team closed out its pre-Christmas schedule with a 78-67 loss to Slippery Rock (Pa.) Friday afternoon in a non-conference test at the ASRC.
Coach Lynn Ullom's Lady Hilltoppers (2-8) drained a season-high 16 3-pointers on the day but it wasn't enough as The Rock (6-5) opened up a double-digit lead with a strong finish to the opening quarter, putting the hosts on the comeback trail for the rest of the game.
The teams traded baskets in the early going but West Liberty went cold from the floor over the final 5 minutes of the first quarter and Slippery Rock took advantage, closing the frame on a 15-3 run to take a 21-8 lead into the second quarter.
The Rock kept right on rolling when play resumed and took their biggest lead of the game, 35-11, on a 3-pointer by Lexi Carpenter as the clock ticked past the 5-minute mark only to see West Liberty begin to battle back.
Consecutive 3-pointers by Lindsey Fenwick and Brandi Beader sparked a 12-3 WLU run that trimmed the margin to 37-23 before Slippery Rock's Krista Pietropola closed out the half with the visitors' fifth 3-pointer of the quarter for a 40-23 lead at intermission.
"We came out a little flat and dug ourselves into a monstrous hole against a very good basketball team," Ullom said. "We did a decent job of trying to fight our way back in it but it's not easy to climb out of a hole that deep against a very good basketball team."
The Hilltoppers made things interesting with a strong third quarter with Johnie Olkosky's late hoop cut the lead to 55-45 heading into the final 10 minutes.
Another Beader bonus bomb got the down to 57-48 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter but back-to-back baskets by SRU's C.C. Dixon stopped the bleeding, restoring the double-digit lead, 61-48.
West Liberty pulled to within nine points twice more down the stretch but The Rock was able to weather the storm and escape with the victory.
"As our energy level improved, we got more aggressive and were able to put some runs together," Ullom said. "We put ourselves in position but just couldn't make that play that gets you over the hump and really puts you within striking distance."
Beader drained a career-high 7 3-pointers and led all scorers with 23 points while grabbing a team-high 8 rebounds. McKenna Shives backed Beader with 18 points – on 6 bonus bombs – and a team-high 5 assists.
Carpenter paced four double-figure scorers for Slippery Rock with 22 points.
The Lady Hilltoppers will be back in action on Jan. 3 when they resume Mountain East Conference play with a 5:30 p.m. game at West Virginia State.