Women's Basketball | 11/22/2017 4:15:00 PM

Box Score

    WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – A cold-shooting West Liberty University women's basketball team ran out of comebacks as Slippery Rock pulled away to an 89-74 win Wednesday afternoon in non-conference action at the ASRC.
    Junior post Marissa Brown worked the post for a WLU season-high 28 points but it wasn't enough for Coach Kyle Cooper's Hilltoppers (2-4) to overcome 38 percent (23-of-60) shooting from the floor – including a 4-for-22 showing from the 3-point arc.
    "I don't think it was as much a shooting issue as an execution issue," Cooper said. "We are a motion-based offense and we did a really good job creating open looks with our motion in the win against (W.Va.) Wesleyan on Monday. We didn't run our offense nearly as well today so there just weren't very many good looks."
    The Rock (3-2) went ahead to stay with a 13-2 run early in the second quarter and went on to lead by as many as 13 points in the waning minutes of the half but the issue was far from decided.
    Brown – who was 10-for-10 from the line on the afternoon – wrapped four free throws around an Audrey Tingle 3-pointer in the final 70 seconds of the half to pull West Liberty back within range, 43-37, at intermission.
    The teams traded baskets for much of the third frame before Slippery Rock once more pushed the margin into double-digits, 60-50, on a Brooke Hinderliter drive to the hoop but the Hilltoppers still weren't finished.
    West Liberty scored 11 of the last 14 points of the third quarter with Brown finishing off a fast-break assist from McKenna Shives just ahead of the buzzer to send the Black and Gold into the fourth quarter trailing just 63-61.
    "Marissa did a very nice job of taking advantage of her size and making good use of it," Cooper said. "She's much more physical and assertive on the offensive end and it's really paying off."
    Unfortunately for the Hilltoppers, The Rock's Ciara Patterson opened the fourth quarter with back-to-back hoops and the visitors slowly began to take control. A 12-2 run in the latter stages of the fourth quarter put the game on ice.
    Hinderliter and Patterson provided the 1-2 punch for Slippery Rock. Hinderliter went 12-of-14 from the floor and 5-for-5 from the foul line to lead all scorers with 29 points while Patterson added 21 points and 8 rebounds.
    Shives backed Brown with 16 points for the Black and Gold and Beader knocked down a dozen markers. Tingle battled foul problems throughout the game and finished with 11 points in just 18 minutes of action before fouling out.
    "After playing six games in 12 days, I think the Thanksgiving break is coming at a good time for us," Cooper said. "It will give the players and coaches a chance to step back, catch our breath and come back refreshed to finish the semester strong."
    The Lady Hilltoppers don't play again until Nov. 29 when they head to Urbana for a 5:30 p.m. tilt.