SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Malone University women's basketball team continued to take down opponents on the road with an 80-65 victory at Slippery Rock University. The win marks the third in a row to begin 2024-25 while Slippery Rock falls to 1-2 overall.
 
The Pioneers were led by a phenomenal individual performance from junior Erin Kaufman. She recorded a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds and added five assists. She would lead the team in all categories and was 11-for-15 from the field.
 
The team as a whole dominated inside with a 52-26 advantage in paint points. Malone shot 53.3% (32-of-60) despite struggling from beyond the three-point arc at 30.0% (6-for-20). SRU had a one-point lead with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter, but back-to-back layups to close the period plus a 23-11 difference in scoring in the fourth led to the 80-65 triumph.
 
Slippery Rock held an eight-point lead just after the media timeout in the first quarter, but a made jump shot by freshman Abbey Price sparked an 8-0 run to get back to even. Junior Brinn Hunt buried consecutive three-point shots to make the score 14-14. The Pioneers found Kaufman inside for a pair of layups to take the lead 22-21 through ten minutes.
 
Malone had a lead of nine halfway through the second quarter and after a jumper in the paint by freshman Kylee Bruce, the team held a 41-35 edge at halftime. SRU came out of the locker room strong and reclaimed the lead in the third, but the momentum would not last in the fourth quarter.
 
Senior Brooklyn Troyer knocked down a three to start the fourth quarter where the Pioneers were 8-for-11 from the field. The defense settled in during crunch time as well to hold Slippery Rock to 11 points on 38% from the field.
 
Up next, Malone will play at home for the first time on Friday, November 15 against Lake Superior State University. It will be a matinee game with tip-off set for 2:00 P.M.