SLIPPERY ROCK — The Grove City High girls basketball team passed the ball. It set screens. It passed the ball again.

From player to player, the ball moved around the court at the new Rock Box.

When the shots weren't there, the Eagles reset and did it all over again.

The deliberate offense did two things: It kept the game close and it frustrated Slippery Rock's eager shooters.

But the Eagles didn't take advantage of the good shots their glacierlike offense gave them. As a result, Slippery Rock was able to survive with a 39-29 home victory.

"I'm glad to see us get back to patient offense," said Grove City coachT.L. Thompson. "We've been taking shots too quickly. We had a lot of girls put the team before themselves tonight, and I'm real happy with that."

Grove City possessed the basketball for minutes at a time. When Slippery Rock finally got a possession, it didn't hesitate to throw up a shot.

That helped the Rockets build an early 15-6 early, but as Grove City got more patient, Slippery Rock got colder.

Still, the Rockets managed to get three players in double digits, with Karly Rhoads leading the way with 12 points. Kourtney Rhoads and Sarah Cessar each added 10.

"It's not that we didn't score because of their defense. We didn't have the ball. They had the ball 85 percent of the time," said Slippery Rock coach Adrienne Orris. "Our scoring was a result of their patience on offense."

Grove City pulled to within 19-16 at halftime, but came out of the locker room for the second half frigid from the floor. The Eagles missed their first seven shots of the third quarter to fall behind 23-16.

Slippery Rock's lead grew to as large as 12 points early in the fourth quarter. The deficit might as well have been 12,000 the way Grove City was shooting and with the way the Rockets were playing defense.

"For them having the ball for 85 percent of the time, we had to play good defense," Orris said.

Grove City also missed several open shots, which sabotaged any comeback effort.

Maggie Orr led the Eagles with 10 points, but she was a mere 3-of-13 from the floor.

CaitlinMcNamara scored all eight of her points for Grove City in the first half. She missed all nine of her shots in the final two quarters.

Slippery Rock made defensive adjustments, not to stop McNamara, but in an attempt to change the tempo.

"We came out and trapped to try to change the pace of the game because we were bored," Orris said. "(McNamara) just happened to not make any shots because she didn't get open."

With the win, Slippery Rock (14-6, 7-2) clinched a District 10 playoff spot and has a better record than it had through 20 games last season, when the Rockets advanced to the PIAA Western Final.

And the Rockets are doing it with a team of sophomores.

"I can't be disappointed with where my girls are at," Orris said. "We've taken some steps forward and we've taken some steps back. Our focus is on where we're going to be in two weeks. It doesn't matter who wins in January. It matters who wins inFebruary."

Despite the loss, Grove City (11-10, 3-7) is still alive for the fourth and final playoff spot. The Eagles are in a battle with OilCity, Hickory and Titusville.

"I think it will be great for the program overall (if we could make the playoffs)," Thompson said. "We're a rebuilding program and we will be rebuilding for the next couple of years. But it would be nice just for the experience the younger kids would get."

GROVE CITY 29Kim Cook 0-3 0-0 0, Lauryn Franklin 1-5 0-0 3, Maggie Orr 3-13 4-4 10, Caitlin Rothman 2-8 0-0 4, Kristy Woods 1-4 0-0 2, Sammi Bell 1-1 0-0 2, Caitlin McNamara 3-15 2-2 8, Alexis Caporali 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 11-49 6-6 29

SLIPPERY ROCK 39Ali Doyle 0-6 4-4 0, Karly Rhoads 5-11 2-2 12, Adele Campbell 0-3 3-4 3, Kourtney Rhoads 4-12 0-0 10, Sarah Cessar 4-8 2-2 10, Molly Weitzel 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 13-42 11-12 39

Grove City 6 10 4 9—29Slippery Rock 15 4 8 12—393-point goals: Franklin; Kourtney Rhoads 2

JV: None

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