SLIPPERY ROCK — Julie Molloy made a ball fake, dribbled to her right, took a hopstep into the paint to her left and banked the basketball gently off the backboard and through the hoop.

Swish. Two points.

It was perhaps the most breathtaking basket of her 16-point night for the Slippery Rock University women's basketball team in a 71-61 win over Mercyhurst College Monday.

The Grove City High graduate has been waiting more than a year for a night like that.

Even so, Molloy still found parts of her game to critique.

"I can play better than that," Molloy said. "This wasn't my best game."

Molloy is a perfectionist. She had a stretch against the Lakers in which she scored five points, had two steals, a rebound and an assist in a little more than a minute of game time.

Her only thought was she could have had two assists, but she made an errant pass for a turnover.

"I still have some improving to do," Molloy said. "The bottom line is just winning and playing. I just want to play."

Playing was somethingMolloy did little of last season atSt. Bonaventure University.

As a freshman, she played in 28 of the 31 games for the Bonnies, but averaged only nine minutes per appearance.

That led to dismal shooting — she hit just 28 percent of her shot attempts and a woeful 16 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. Molloy averaged 1.7 points per contest.

With her desire to play not satiated with the Bonnies, Molloy transferred to SRU, where she is averaging eight points and 20.5 minutes per game.

Slippery Rock coachLaurel Heilman said Molloy will only get better.

"(Monday) was her best game so far," Heilman said. "We finally saw a glimpse of what we knew she could do. She stopped pressing so hard and let the game come to her."

Molloy's first three games with The Rock weren't what she had in mind.

Injuries were partly to blame. She missed practice time and is still getting used to her new teammates and her new opponents.

"This year has been big for injuries for me," said Molloy, an Ace bandage wrapped around her calf. "I've been injured like three times already.

"I had a rough first few games. The coaches and my teammates just told me to play like I know I can play, and I've been doing that lately."

Molloy will be asked to make an even bigger contribution now. Starting guard Chere' Marshall is out for six to eight weeks with a broke thumb.

Molloy, who has started all four games for The Rock this season, most likely will see even more minutes and have the ball at more crucial times while Marshall is mending.

That's suits Molloy just fine.

"We have Chere' out, so I know I have to step up," Molloy said. "It's a challenge and it's somethingI want to do. I want to help this team win."