ERIE, Pa. –  For one half, the Gannon University women's basketball team had trouble stopping the 3-point shot and making its own 3-point attempts.

Then Maddy Wheatley (Canberra, Australia/UCSSC Lake Ginninderra) lit a spark for GU. The junior guard hit two 3-pointers in a row early in the third quarter, and the momentum of the game turned Gannon's way.

Gannon went on to make 11 3-point field goals in the second half and finished with a season high 14 3-pointers as the Golden Knights defeated Slippery Rock 77-63 on Wednesday night in a PSAC West game at the Highmark Events Center.

The victory moved Gannon to 20-3 overall as head coach Cleve Wright recorded the eighth 20-win season of his tenure at GU. The game also marked Wright's 350th victory in his basketball coaching career as his record improved to 350-204. He is 315-117 at Gannon.

The Knights remained in first place in the PSAC West with a 12-3 record as they maintained a two-game lead over second-place Edinboro (10-5) and California (10-5). Slippery Rock dipped to 12-9 overall and 7-8 in the PSAC.

During the first half on Wednesday, the Slippery Rock women were hot from 3-point range. Led by Deleah Gibson (23 points), SRU connected on 5-of-9 3-pointers in the second quarter as SRU took a 36-32 lead into halftime. Gannon made just 3-of-12 3-pointers (25 percent) in the half.

Then Maddy Wheatley (Canberra, Australia/UCSSC Lake Ginninderra) found her shooting touch. She sank two 3-pointers early in the second half to give Gannon a 40-38 lead. Gannon never trailed again.

Wheatley sank four 3-pointers in the half, but she had plenty of help. Emma Wright (Fairview, Pa./Talawanda) made three of her four 3-pointers in the second half, Ali Benim (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) added two, and Sam Pirosko and Boston McKinney (Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) each added one.

Pirosko finished with a team-high 23 points on 11-of-19 shooting, while Emma Wright (Fairview, Pa./Talawanda) scored 14 and Wheatley added 12. Benim went 3-for-6 from 3-point range to finish with nine points.

Emma Wright (Fairview, Pa./Talawanda) grabbed a team-high eight rebounds to go with four assists. McKinney had five assists while Pirosko, Emily Poling (Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) and Madison Demski (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria) each dished out four as Gannon finished with 24 assists, to SRU's 10.

Meanwhile, Gannon turned up its defensive pressure and held SRU to just 7-of-25 shooting (28 percent) in the second half, including just 2-for-7 (28.5 percent) from 3-point range.

Gannon finished 14-of-33 (42.4 percent) from long range as it collected three more 3-pointers than its previous season high. The Golden Knights twice had 11 3-pointers in a game this season.