SLIPPERY ROCK — Rhoads 51, Grove City 30.

That was the unofficial score. The official score was Slippery Rock 58, Grove City 30.

But the Rhoads sisters definitely left their mark for the Rockets girls basketball team at home against their rivals Monday night.

Senior Jence Rhoads scored a season-high 30 points and her twin sisters, freshmen Karly and Kourtney, combined to score 21 for SlipperyRock.

"Our team will feed off of Jence all year long," said SlipperyRock coach Adrienne Orris.

After a sluggish start, it also fed off of Grove City mistakes.

The teams were deadlocked at 13 before Slippery Rock (7-6) went on one of its two huge runs in the game, scoring the next 16 points before a jumper by Kynisha Basham broke the run for the Eagles (2-9).

Grove City clawed back to 11 points down in the third quarter, but Slippery Rock then went on a 19-2 run to end the game.

"My girls played a good game," said Grove City coach T.L. Thompson. "We know Slippery Rock has a lot of threats — a lot more than we do. It was pretty clear Slippery Rock wore us down."

And the Rhoads Trifecta did most of it.

Jence had 19 points by halftime — the same as Grove City — and matched the Eagles point for point in the second half, too.

When Jence wasn't scoring, she was setting up Karly and Kourtney.

Karly finished with 12 points and Kourtney nine.

In the game, the Rhoads sisters were 20-of-38 shooting from the floor.

Jence was back to form after suffering most of the season with a painful ankle injury. She was cutting and darting to the hoop and was a general nuisance to Grove City on defense.

During the two big SlipperyRock runs, the Eagles had trouble breaking the Rockets' pressure.

"Teams have been pressing us all year because they know we are weaker," Thompson said. "But we are getting better, and that's all I can ask.

"They just have to work so hard every possession that it just seems like it wears on them."

Caitlyn McNamara led Grove City with 10 points.

The Eagles went a stretch of six minutes and another stretch of 5:30 without scoring.

The game had several subplots.

Orris and Thompson, teammates at nearby Grove City College and best of friends off the court, squared off for the first time as coaches.

Both are in their first seasons at their respective schools.

"We love to compete, but we realize the game is here for the kids to play," Orris said. "We aren't as important as what some people might think."

The game also marked the return to the floor of Grove City senior Jenna Kelly, who missed all volleyball season and the first 10 games of the basketball season with an knee injury.

GROVE CITY 30Maggie Orr 2-12 0-4 4, Caitlyn McNamara 5-10 0-0 10, Lauryn Franklin 2-6 0-0 5, Ashley Shoop 0-0 0-0 0, Kim Cook 1-1 2-2 5, Kynisha Basham 1-1 0-0 2, Alexis Caporalli 0-2 0-0 0, Caitlyn Rothman 1-1 0-0 2, Stacia Peoples 0-0 0-0 0, Jenna Kelly 1-3 0-0 2, Rachel Kurtz 0-0 0-2 0.

Totals: 13-36 2-8 30

SLIPPERY ROCK 58Ashley Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Karly Rhoads 6-7 0-2 12, Lea Roth 0-0 0-0 0, Jenna Rinker 1-3 1-4 3, Shanea Raabe 0-1 0-0 0, Jence Rhoads 14-23 2-3 30, Danielle Drake 0-0 0-0 0, Cassey Hogue 0-0 0-0 0, Emma Walter 0-0 0-0 0, Kourtney Rhoads 4-8 0-0 9, Sarah Cessar 2-2 0-0 4, Ali Doyle 0-0 0-0 0, Adele Campbell 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals: 27-44 3-9 58

Grove City 13 6 9 2—30Slippery Rock 15 16 14 13—583-point goals: Grove City (Franklin, Cook); SlipperyRock (Kourtney Rhoads)

JV: Slippery Rock 53-20

Thursday: Slippery Rock at Oil City; Sharon at Grove City

<a href="http://ads.butlereagle.com/rebound/gotw.html" target="_blank">Check out video highlights of this Game of the Week on Wednesday's Rebound site!</a>