Slippery Rock High sophomores, from left, Anna Kadlubek, Hallie Raabe and Maryann Ackerman, are hoping to improve upon their standout freshman seasons a year ago for the Rockets in 2018-19. Last year, the trio combined to average 30 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.1 steals per game.

SLIPPERY ROCK — Anna Kadlubek, Hallie Raabe and Maryann Ackerman try to keep a straight face, but a bout of the giggles gets to them.

“OK,” Raabe says. “Let’s get serious.”

It lasts for only a few seconds before another burst of laughter erupts during the Slippery Rock High girls basketball photo day.

With the production the Rockets’ trio has already put up, it’s sometimes difficult to remember they are all just sophomores.

They laugh and rib each other. They enjoy each other’s company almost as much as they enjoy scoring points, getting steals, grabbing rebounds.

And winning for Slippery Rock.

They did a lot of all of those things last season as freshmen, helping Slippery Rock to a District 10 5A championship.

“I was just going through the numbers the other day,” said Slippery Rock girls basketball coach Amber Osborn. “It’s crazy to think we could have three 1,000-point scorers if they all stay healthy.”

Kadlubek, Raabe and Ackerman are determined to prove last year was just the start of a prodigious journey.

This is an excerpt — read the full story in Friday’s Eagle.