SLIPPERY ROCK — The losses are mounting. So is the effort.

Slippery Rock University’s women’s basketball team dropped its 10th straight game Saturday, losing a 70-60 decision to No. 21 Edinboro at Morrow Field House.

SRU (4-19, 3-16) is at the bottom of the PSAC West standings.

“I don’t care about their record. ... That’s the best 4-19 team in the country by far,” Edinboro coach Stan Swank said. “They keep coming at you. They don’t quit. They give it what they’ve got for 40 minutes.

“How close are they to turning it around? They’re right there. They’re hanging with teams.”

The Rock held a 34-32 lead at halftime Saturday. Its last lead was at 39-38 with 16:21 remaining before Edinboro pulled away.

“That first half was probably the best we’ve played all year,” SRU coach Tanya Longo said.

SRU’s last four losses have been by 10 points or fewer. But when does playing well in spurts, but not being able to win, stop being enough?

“I ask myself that question every day,” Longo said. “We took on a rebuilding process here and that requires patience. We’ve been completing steps. We’ve gotten good athletes, we’re figuring out game plans, executing schemes.

“All that’s left is finishing off games. That’s the toughest step.”

Edinboro (18-5, 15-4) was up 68-52 with 2 minutes to go when Swank pulled his starters. The Rock went on a sudden 8-0 run, forcing Swank to reinsert his starting lineup with 45 seconds left.

“It’s irrelevant to us what the other team is doing. We’re playing hard until the buzzer,” Longo said. “This team has never stopped doing that.”

Swank acknowledged SRU’s effort, but was disgruntled over the play of his bench.

“It was a combination,” he said of The Rock’s late surge.

The PSAC’s leading scorer, Ambridge graduate and Edinboro senior guard Kiara Brown, played the first 5 minutes of the first half before going to the bench. She did not return until 16 minutes remained in the game.

Coincidentally, that’s when the Scots built their lead.

“She had a disagreement with the coach, so I sat her. It was one of those things. It hasn’t happened before,” Swank said. “Our play elevating with her on the floor was not surprising. She’s a difference-maker.”

Edinboro’s 6-foot-3 senior center Samantha Blazetic — the PSAC’s third-leading scorer — had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Darche’ Jackson had 16 points, 11 assists and seven boards, Brown 15 points.

D’Asia Chambers paced The Rock with 12 points. Erinne Cunningham added 11 and Christa Wodarczyk produced eight points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench.

“Edinboro’s program has high-caliber players with a skill set as strong as any team in our league,” Longo said. “We played right with them for the better part of this game.

“I know we’re getting close.”