SLIPPERY ROCK — Riding a three-game winning streak, Slippery Rock University's women's basketball team was primed to make it four.

Then reality set in.

“We're not there yet,” second-year SRU coach Tanya Longo said.

The Rock (4-8, 1-7 PSAC) capped an 8-0 run to knot Shippensburg at 40 with 7:54 remaining Saturday night at Morrow Field House. The Red Raiders promptly answered with an 18-1 run over the next seven minutes to put away a 61-47 victory.

“We lost focus going down the stretch,” Longo said. “A couple of balls didn't bounce our way and we didn't handle it well.

“We've definitely improved, but we're still not there. We need to become a more disciplined basketball team, develop more chemistry.”

Shippensburg (6-6, 3-5) used those very traits to secure the win. The Red Raiders did not sink an outside shot during their 18-1 run, driving to the hoop for four layups and doing the rest of the damage at the free-throw line.

“We lost by two points to Edinboro and we lost by two at Mercyhurst (42-40) Friday night,” Shippensburg coach Kristy Trn said. “No way did we want to go back down that road.

“We got more aggressive with the ball down the stretch and we made better decisions. Defensively, we clamped down harder.”

Shippensburg entered the game shooting 79 percent at the free-throw line, sixth best in all of NCAA Division II. The Red Raiders sank 18 of 25 free throws Saturday for 72 percent.

SRU did not get to the foul line at all in the first half.

Dana Wert had 20 points for Shipp while sophomore Sarah Strybuc — averaging 7.9 points per game — struck for 18, including four treys.

Trn improved to 19-4 in her coaching career against The Rock.

“That kind of thing is hard to explain,” she said of that record. “We've done well here, but it's been more about focusing on winning a road game in general. Now that these (PSAC cross-over) games count in the standings, they're that much more important.”

Danielle Smith had 14 points and seven rebounds for The Rock, while Jasmine Cooper contributed 10 points and 14 boards. Paris Thomas had 10 points.

SRU's three-game winning streak was its first since the 2009-10 season.

“We've got a lot of first- and second-year players on this team and I'm a second-year coach,” Longo said. “We're facing a bunch of veteran coaches with established programs.

“Our team is still coming. We'll keep getting better in personnel and we'll keep coming together. Our plan is to win.”

SHIPPENSBURG 61Caitlin Bamberger 1-5 0-0 2, Shawna Wert 1-7 4-6 6, Dana Wert 5-9 9-11 20, Raediah Lyles 0-3 0-0 0, Sarah Strybuc 6-12 2-3 18, Erin Varley 0-0 0-0 0, Morgan Taylor 0-0 0-0 0, Codi McMaster 0-2 1-2 1, Monae Baker 6-10 2-3 14, Lindsay Howard 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals: 19-48 18-25 61.

SLIPPERY ROCK 47Jasmine Cooper 3-10 3-4 10, Danielle Smith 7-16 0-0 14, Erinne Cunningham 1-5 0-0 3, Paris Thomas 4-10 1-2 10, Sherita Stanley 2-11 1-1 5, Nicole Smith 0-0 0-0 0, D'Asia Chambers 1-6 3-4 5, Emilee Vitez 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals: 18-58 8-11 47.

Shippensburg 24 37 —61Slippery Rock 22 25 —473-point goals: Shippensburg 5-14 (D.Wert, Straybuc 4); SRU 3-19 (Cooper, Cunningham, Thomas).

Wednesday: Lock Haven at SRU, 6 p.m.