SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Sam Pirosko keeps rolling, and so does the Gannon University women's basketball team.
Pirosko, a 5-foot-10 senior forward, scored 11 or her game-high 31 points in the fourth quarter as Gannon held off a second-half comeback to claim a 75-59 victory over Slippery Rock on Wednesday night at Morrow Field House.
The Golden Knights' sixth consecutive victory improved their overall record to 12-2. They also won their fourth PSAC game in a row as they moved to 4-2 in the PSAC West.
Pirosko has been scorching since the beginning of December, and she continued that hot streak on Wednesday. She finished one point shy of her career high of 32 points. Pirosko sank 10-of-16 field-goal attempts and connected on 11-of-13 free-throw tries. She also tied
Delaney Dogan (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex) with a team-high of 10 rebounds.
Other Golden Knights also excelled, too.
Ali Benim (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) came off the bench to score a career-high 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including several baskets when Slippery Rock was working its way back into the game in the second half.
Emma Wright (Fairview, Pa./Talawanda) had 13 points and nine rebounds, while
Madison Demski (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria) grabbed eight rebounds.
Gannon started the game with a flourish, taking a 20-3 lead through the first quarter and a 40-18 halftime lead.
However, Slippery Rock did not give up, thanks to Isabellah Middleton's 16 points and Kennedy Middleton's 15 points. The Rock outscored the Knights 28-15 in the third quarter to trim the lead to 55-46. A bucket early in the fourth quarter trimmed the lead to seven points at 55-48.
That's when Pirosko took over. She sank two layups and made 7-of-7 foul shots in the fourth quarter to help clinch the win. Gannon finished with a 20-13 scoring edge in the fourth quarter.
Benim also had five points in the quarter, including a 3-pointer that extended Gannon's lead to 62-50 with 6:03 remaining.
Gannon will close its three-game road swing on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Pitt-Johnstown.
