Box Score
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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – California University (Pa.) outscored Slippery Rock 39-19 in the second half to pull away for a 68-45 win Wednesday night in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division game at Morrow Field House.

The Rock (2-15, 0-5 PSAC) put a scare into the Vulcans (13-4, 4-1 PSAC) by keeping the score close throughout the first half. California needed a 3-pointer on its last possession of the half to keep a lead at the break, 29-26.

The Vulcans opened the second half with a 12-0 run to open up the game, a deficit that Slippery Rock could never recover from.

Danielle Smith led three Rock players in double figures with 17 points. Marlynda Harland added 13 points, one shy of her career-high, while Sherita Stanley chipped in 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Slippery Rock finished the game shooting 34.8 percent from the field, connecting on16-of-46 attempts, including 5-of-11 from beyond the 3-point arc. The Rock was 8-of-16 at the free throw line.

California was led by a double-double performance of 18 points and 14 rebounds from Kayla Smith. Amy Johns added a game-high 20 points and Stephanie Michael chipped in 15.

The Vulcans shot 45.5 percent from the field, hitting 25-of-55 attempts, including 6-of-16 from 3-point land. Cal was 12-of-18 at the charity stripe.

Wednesday's game was dominated by the starters for both teams, with SRU recording no bench points and Cal getting just six points from its bench.

Cal opened the game with the first points and pushed its lead out to 7-4 with 15:25 left in the opening half. The Rock pushed back and took their first lead of the game, 8-7, on a layup from Shannon Lee and made it 9-7 on a free throw from Lee with 12:49 left before the break.

The Vulcans answered with a 10-0 run to take a 17-9 lead with 8:48 to play, but again Slippery Rock battled back, this time with an 8-2 run to cut the lead to two points at 19-17 with just under six minutes to play.

The teams exchanged baskets before a layup and a free throw from Harland with 1:59 to play game The Rock the lead again, 23-21. Again, the teams exchanged baskets to tie the score at 26-26 before Johns knocked down a 3-pointer to put the visitors up 29-26 at the half.

The Vulcans carried that momentum into the second half, opening with the first 12 points to cap a 15-0 run with a 41-26 lead with 16:29 left in the game. That deficit proved to be too much for SRU to recover from, and The Rock never came within 12 points the rest of the way.

Wednesday's loss was the fifth straight PSAC-West game and sixth of the last seven games in which SRU failed to score 50 points.

The Rock will continue its quest for the first divisional win of the season Saturday with a 1 p.m. tip at Edinboro.