SLIPPERY ROCK — With a quick hop and a flick of her wrist, Emma McDermott was in a shooting rhythm in the first half.

The senior on the Slippery Rock High girls basketball team hit all four of her shots in the second quarter and closed out the first frenetic 16 minutes for the Rockets with 19 points.

“Gotta shoot if they're leaving me open,” McDermott said, smiling.

While she didn't score in the second half, Slippery Rock hardly needed her points as the Rockets blitzed their way to a 73-29 win over Moniteau Monday night.

McDermott presents a match-up problem for most teams. At 6-foot-1 and with a wingspan famously wider than her coach's height, McDermott can get herself open with her sheer length.

“She moves well without the ball,” said Moniteau coach Dee Arblaster about McDermott. “That's probably her best asset, other than her shot — her shooting is wonderful. She knows the game. She has a high basketball IQ.”

Arblaster had few answers for McDermott. Still, the Warriors led 10-9 with two minutes left in the first quarter.

Slippery Rock missed its first eight shots before settling down.

“I knew it was going to be short-lived,” Arblaster said. “Once they started hitting — once McDermott starting hitting — what are you going to do?

“We won't see a team like this in the KSAC,” Arblaster added.

Slippery Rock (12-3) took more than twice as many shots as Moniteau (74-35) and made twice as many of them (30-14).

Slippery Rock coach Amber Osborn's philosophy has always been to push the tempo.

The Rockets went full-throttle against the shell-shocked Warriors.

“I like it that way,” Osborn said. “I think the more shots you can get off, the more chances you have to score.”

The Rockets had four players in double-digits, led by McDermott.

Sophomores Hallie Raabe and Maryann Ackerman each added 14 points — and both surpassed 400 in their career — and Anna Kadlubek, another sophomore with more than 400 career points, pitched in 11.

In all, eight Slippery Rock players scored — one more than the number of players who saw the court for the Warriors.

That lack of depth hurt Moniteau (3-10) against the up-tempo Rockets.

“It's very hard,” Arblaster said. “I think you could run against them if you had a deeper bench.”

Kristin Auvil led Moniteau with 10 points and Haley Pry added seven.

Slippery Rock's defense forced more than 30 turnovers and recorded 25 steals.

Ackerman had seven steals and Kadlubek and Raabe each had six out of a relentless press and trap.

“Obviously we have big goals this year,” McDermott said. “I think having that attitude and that vibe on our team this year is going to help us.”

MONITEAU 29

Andie Arblaster 1-1 0-0 2, Kristin Auvil 5-19 0-0 10, Haley Pry 3-3 1-2 7, Aslyn Pry 3-4 0-0 6, Ivie Scott 2-8 0-0 4, Kaitee Chesonis 0-0 0-0 0, Zoey Hillwig 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 14-35 1-2 29.

SLIPPERY ROCK 73

Emma McDermott 8-16 0-0 19, Anna Kadlubek 5-12 0-0 11, Hallie Raabe 5-6 3-5 14, Maryann Ackerman 7-13 0-0 14, Michael Roth 0-10 0-2 0, Ashley Shea 2-7 0-0 6, Bronwyn McCoy 0-1 2-2 2, Ella McDermott 2-4 0-0 5, Kelly Benson 1-5 0-0 2. Totals: 30-74 5-9 73.

Moniteau 10 5 6 8 — 29

Slippery Rock13 17 23 20 — 73

3-point goals: Slippery Rock 8 (Emma McDermott 3, Kadlubek, Raabe, Ashley Shea 2, Ella McDermott)

Friday: Franklin at Slippery Rock; Moniteau at Union