Box Score

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker, 72-71, in overtime Monday at East Stroudsburg in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crossover contest.

An 18-8 run by The Rock (1-8) over the final six minutes of regulation erased a 10-point Warrior (3-6) lead and sent the game to overtime. In the extra session, Slippery Rock scored the first two baskets to take a four-point lead, but East Stroudsburg rallied to close the extra session on a 7-2 run to seal the win.

Danielle Smith and Shannon Lee each set career-highs in scoring to lead four Slippery Rock players in double figures. Smith finished with a team-high 22 points to go along with eight rebounds and three assists. Lee added 17 points, tied her career-high with six rebounds and handed out seven assists.

Sherita Stanley added 14 points and nine rebounds and Alex Beatty capped the double figure scorers with 10 points.

The Rock finished the game shooting 42.6 percent from the field, hitting on 23-of-54 attempts, including 4-of-14 from behind the 3-point arc. SRU was 21-of-27 at the free throw line.

East Stroudsburg was led by Barb Borst with a game-high 23 points. Andrea Veres finished with 18 points, while Brittany McClain added 13 points and Kelly Sorber chipped in six points and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds.

The Warriors shot just 35.6 percent from the field, connecting on 26-of-73 attempts, including 9-of-27 from the 3-point arc. ESU was 11-of-15 at the charity stripe.

Slippery Rock and East Stroudsburg each finished with 41 total rebounds in the game, but the Warriors made the offensive rebounds count, scoring 15 second chance points to just five for SRU.

ESU also won the turnover battle, 20-14, and finished the game with a 22-9 edge in points off turnovers.

East Stroudsburg scored the first three points of the game and although Slippery Rock managed to tie the game early in the half, the Warriors would not relinquish the lead, taking a 33-26 advantage into the break.

The second half was more of the same, with the ESU lead hovering between 4-8 points for most of the half before the Warriors went on a 7-1 run to open their biggest lead of the game at 57-47 with 6:00 to play.

Slippery Rock's resiliency came through down the stretch with The Rock mounting a 16-5 run to take its first lead of the game, 63-62 with 53 seconds in regulation.

East Stroudsburg regained the lead on its next possession, when Veres scored a layup and converted a free throw after a foul to put the hosts up 65-63 with 43 seconds left.

A pair of free throws from The Rock's Smith with 26 seconds left tied the game at 65 and both teams missed on their final possessions to set up the overtime.

In the overtime, Smith and Lee combined to lead The Rock, with Lee scoring the first four points as SRU opened a 69-65 lead with 2:39 to play.

A 3-pointer from Borst cut SRU's lead to one at 69-68 with 2:23 to play, but a layup from Smith on the next Rock possession pushed the lead back to three points at 71-68 with 2:14 to play.

Borst made a layup to cut the lead to one point and after a Slippery Rock turnover, Veres connected to put the hosts up one, 72-71, with 1:02 to play.

Lee missed a layup on The Rock's next possession, but stole the ball back from East Stroudsburg with less than 20 seconds left to give SRU one final possession.

Slippery Rock would not get a shot on that possession, as the Warrior defense forced a turnover with one second left to end the game.

Monday's game was the first of four crossover games Slippery Rock will play this week, the second of which will take place tomorrow at Kutztown at 6 p.m. The Rock will welcome Bloomsburg and Mansfield this Saturday and Sunday for the final crossover games before opening the PSAC-West schedule.