SLIPPERY ROCK — John Tabisz is superstitious.

Last week, he stayed in the gym before a game against Hickory and didn't go to the locker room to be with his Slippery Rock High girls basketball team to help them prepare.

The Rockets won.

He did the same thing before the next game against Meadville.

The Rockets won.

And again on Saturday against Knoch.

The Rockets won.

So it was no surprise Monday when Tabisz hung out in the gym as his team was in the locker room getting ready for a big region home game against rival Grove City.

The Rockets won, 49-31.

“I told them what we wanted to run and the girls said, 'We'll get ready,'” Tabisz said. “That's a tribute to our seniors and especially Marissa (Siebka). She gets them ready to go and she adds a little bit of humor in there.”

On the court, there was nothing funny about Siebka's play, particularly for Grove City.

Siebka scored nine points, but also added six assists and four steals in limited minutes.

“She's a heck of a player,” Tabisz said. “She's starting to hit her stride. She's taking control of the game in all areas. I think I have the best player in this league.”

Siebka has been playing point guard this season.

“She's not a point guard,” Tabisz said.

But she's doing quite a good imitation of one.

“Isn't she,” Tabisz said. “Here's the difference. She's playing under control. She's trusting her teammates. When it's close, I tell her to take over the game.”

Siebka did during a key stretch that spanned the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third quarter when Grove City was threatening to get back into the game.

The senior guard and Gannon University recruit had three steals, scored four points and handed out two assists in the spurt.

It turned an eight-point game into a 14-point lead for Slippery Rock.

The lead swelled to 20 in the fourth quarter.

“Even when we were watching film, we saw her make some moves and I said, 'Those are the moves of a Gannon University player,'” said Grove City coach Chris Burtch of Siebka.

Grove City came into the game with some serious injury woes.

The Eagles were without Alexis Deyarmin, Brenna Deyarmin and center Mekenzie Wolfe.

Alexis Deyarmin is expected back soon. Brenna Deyarmin and Wolfe are lost for the season.

Hannah Santom is also playing hurt for the Eagles.Still, Grove City played like a team with nothing to lose.“We definitely played loose, but also sort of within ourselves,” Burtch said. “We ran our offense. We worked hard on defense. We didn't try to do things to make up for the points we were missing from Alexis.”After falling behind 14-4 early, the Eagles played fairly even with the Rockets until the early second-half run.Grove City started a small lineup that had Tabisz worried.“That lineup exposed us,” Tabisz said. “Let me go on the record as saying Chris has done a wonderful job with the injuries he's had. He has those kids playing hard.”Macy McCall scored a career-high 14 points to lead Slippery Rock.Carla Cintron scored 14 to lead the Eagles.Burtch also praised the players filling in and playing bigger roles due to the injuries.“Anna (Burtch) went in and did a nice job tonight, keeping the offense flowing,” Burtch said. “Carli Cook and Hallie Culmer have done a great job giving us a spark. It's almost like they're giving us a spark off the bench even though I'm starting them. I'm really proud of those three.”Burtch is hoping his team will get a little healthier.The coach said Alexis Deyarmin's scoring is missed, but the other things she does so well is also greatly missed.“We miss her offense, but we miss what she does on defense five times more,” Burtch said. “(Santom) has been battling through some injuries, too, and is playing really tough and has gotten better.”Meanwhile, Slippery Rock got an injured player back.Junior guard Jenna Whitmer played a little more than three minutes and hit a 3-pointer six months and 19 days after surgery to repair a torn ACL.“I was so happy she got to hit a shot,” Tabisz said. “She's practiced once live. When I told her to go in, (she was surprised). She thought Thursday was going to be the game. I was happy for her.”GROVE CITY 31Hallie Culmer 0-1 0-0 2, Carli Cook 2-2 0-0 4, Abby Fulkerson 1-7 2-2 4, Carla Cintron 5-9 4-7 14, Hannah Santom 2-3 2-4 6, Anna Burtch 0-0 0-0 0, Lily Burtch 0-0 0-0 0, Abby Biddle 1-1 1-1 2, Nancy Wise 0-1 0-0 0, Megan Wise 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 11-24 9-14 31.SLIPPERY ROCK 49Marissa Siebka 3-5 2-2 9, Bailey Boyd 0-2 0-0 0, Macy McCall 5-8 4-4 14, Steph Croll 2-4 0-0 5, Sedona Campbell 4-8 0-0 8, Elena McDermott 2-2 0-0 5, Lilly Weitzel 0-0 0-0 0, Hope Schnell 2-3 1-2 5, Jenna Whitmer 1-2 0-0 3, Emma McDermott 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 19-34 7-8 49.Grove City 8 9 7 7 — 31Slippery Rock14 13 8 14 — 493-point goals: Slippery Rock 4 (Siebka, Croll, El. McDermott, Whitmer)JV: No gameWednesday: Meadville at Grove CityThursday: Slippery Rock at Oil City