SLIPPERY ROCK — Despite the loss, Slippery Rock girls basketball coach John Tabisz was all smiles.

“That was pretty intense, wasn't it?,” he said of the Rockets' 54-47 defeat to Hopewell Saturday.

Slippery Rock (11-4) never led in the game and trailed 41-30 entering the final quarter. Down 46-36 with four minutes left, Nicole Papley drained a 3-pointer, Marissa Siebka sank three free throws after being fouled while shooting a trey, and Riley McGonigle sank a free throw.

That series of events pulled the Rockets within 46-43 with 2:30 to play.

Then Siebka fouled out and the Vikings (16-3) were able to hold on for their 11th win in 12 games.

“We stepped up and competed today,” Tabisz said. “That is an outstanding basketball team we played. Other than the final score, I couldn't be more pleased with what I saw from our girls.

“You get so much more out of a game like this than you do beating somebody by 50.”

Hopewell scored its final eight points at the foul line. Senior guard Shaniya Rivers hit three out of four free throws while Jazmyne Boyd and Chelsea Sundy converted both ends of one-and-one's, the latter with 1:36 left to build her team's lead to 51-43.

“We had to play without Marissa and we had to foul,” Tabisz said. “Hopewell takes care of the basketball and they made their shots.”

Hopewell turned the ball over only eight times.

The Vikings sank nine of 11 free throws in the fourth quarter. Seventeen of Hopewell's 19 field goals on the day were layups, including their first 14 buckets.

As a result, the Vikings sank 19 of 31 field goal attempts — a scorching 61 percent clip.

“I learned a long time ago that if you make free throws and shoot layups, you win a lot of basketball games,” Hopewell coach Jeff Homziak said.

Kari Steuer led the Vikings with 14 points before fouling out with 2:30 to play. Jazmyne Boyd added 13 and Rivers 12. Desirae Ritmiller had three assists.

Papley had 14 points and nine rebounds for Slippery Rock, Siebka had 13 points before she fouled out at the two-minute mark. McGonigle scored 12 points, including all nine of the Rockets' tallies in the second quarter.

“The message is getting through ... Shoot the ball, shoot the ball,” Tabisz said. “Riley is a capable scorer and it means a lot to our team to have another scoring threat on the floor.”

Homziak said he scheduled this game to give his program something new.

“Obviously, it's quality competition and you always want that,” he said. “But this is also a look at an aggressive, physical team, new officials, a new venue. You don't know where the playoffs are going to take you down the road.

“We lost 28 points a game last year to graduation. We're winning this year with tough defense and executing plays offensively. Some may call it winning ugly, but that's better than losing ugly.”

And Tabisz looks forward to a rematch next year.

“Jeff and I are good friends,” he said. “He asked me if we're on again for next year and I said, 'absolutely.'

“A game like this benefits both programs.”

HOPEWELL 54

Shaniya Rivers 4-7 3-6 12, Desirae Ritmiller 3-6 1-1 7, Ali Maria Santia 2-2 1-1 5, Jazmyne Boyd 4-8 5-5 13, Kari Steuer 6-8 2-3 14, Chelsea Sundy 0-0 3-4 3, Bailey Salvati 0-0 0-0 0, Noelle Henry 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 19-31 15-20 54.

SLIPPERY ROCK 47

Jenna Whitmer 1-4 0-0 2, Marissa Siebka 4-8 5-6 13, Bailey Boyd 0-0 0-0 0, Lauren Dietz 1-4 0-0 2, Becca Novak 0-0 0-0 0, Riley McGonigle 4-8 3-4 12, Alicia Bertozzi 0-0 0-0 0, Sedona Campbell 2-3 0-1 4, Nicole Papley 5-12 2-2 14. Totals: 17-39 10-13 47.

Hopewell 12 10 19 13 — 54

Slippery Rock8 9 13 17 — 47

3-point goals: Rivers; McGonigle, Papley 2

JV: Slippery Rock, 42-34 (H: Jazmyne Boyd 15, SR: Jenna Whitmer 10)

Today: Meadville at Slippery Rock