SLIPPERY ROCK — Knees were braced, hands were bandaged — and the games went on.

The 11th annual Rivalry at The Rock — a senior women's 3 vs. 3 basketball tournament — took place Saturday at Slippery Rock University's Aebersold Recreation Center.

The event was run by SRU associate professor Robertha Abney's 24-student sports management class and was co-directed by sophomore Evan Andrews and junior Diana Caruso.

Fourteen teams of women — in age groups ranging from 45 to 70 coming from Pennsylvania, Virginia and Michigan — competed in games all day Saturday.

“These women are incredible,” Caruso said. “They really go at it. They're out there competing.

“I only hope that I'm able to do the same thing they're doing when I get to that age.”

Andrews said the class has been working on the event since the end of January. Each team had its picture taken when it arrived at the facility and each player was presented that team picture in a magnet as a gift for the day.

Abney's class has run the Rivalry at The Rock for each of the past three years.

“It gives the students an opportunity to apply various concepts they've learned in the classroom,” Abney said. “The ability to network, to plan and organize, to lead, communication skills ... They're getting a taste of all of that.”

The Western Pennsylvania Senior Olympics organization, which practices at the Butler Cubs Hall each Saturday, had five teams in Saturday's event. And tournament manager Carol McCollough appreciates the sports management students' help.

McCollough, 72, of Chicora used to run the entire tournament while also playing in it.

“These kids have done a fantastic job,” McCollough said. “And 24 can do much better work than one.”

Among the other longtime local players on the court for the Butler Cubs team were Kathy Blair, 73, of Freeport and Joy Brewer, 68, of Zelienople.

“There was no women's basketball when I was younger,” Blair said. “We played 3 on 3 and you weren't allowed to cross the center line ... That was the best we had. I couldn't play for a school or a university.

“What we have going on here ... It's a blessing.”

Brewer studied physical education in school and was an elementary physical education teacher for three years at Derry Area. She taught reading in the Seneca Valley School District for 20 years.

And she never lost her love for basketball.

“I played one year at Point Park Junior College,” she recalled. “I had just moved to the area and saw an article about these women in the paper. It was a chance to get back into basketball.

“I was 55 then. Now I play for the socialization as much as anything else. There's a bond among these women. We don't quit. We don't want to let each other down.”

Terri Calderone played college basketball at Penn State-New Kensington years ago and only joined the Western Pa. Seniors group a few days ago.

“I saw an ad in the paper and called Carol,” she said. “This is my first time in this tournament and it's nice. Playing with other women my age is fun and everybody plays so hard.”

Calderone played for one of two Butler entrants in the 60-65 age division. The other won the gold medal at the Senior National Games in 2013.

One of those players, Sue Faller of northern Pa., suffered possible broken fingers early Saturday.

“The ball jammed my fingers back a bit and, yeah, there's probably a break there,” Faller said. “They have a first-aid station here. I got it taped up and went back out to play three more games.”

Other members of that Butler championship team hail from Syracuse (N.Y.), Delaware, and other areas.

“As you get older, teams start to drop off as women quit playing,” Sue Heiss of Syracuse said. “You meet other players at national tournaments or other events, you merge with them and form other teams.

“That's what you have to do if you want to keep on playing.”

Michigan has a 75-older team that won gold at nationals last year. It easily won the title at the Rivalry at The Rock, which served as a national qualifier.

The next National Senior Games are in Birmingham, Ala., in 2017.

“We never miss coming down here because it's a well-run event,” said Cal Dilworth, Michigan's coach and a former Pittsburgh resident. “There aren't many of these tournaments available for senior women. There's plenty for senior men's teams.

“Most of our players are from the Detroit area. They're dedicated and they want to play. We practice twice a week.”

The local senior women's organization has volleyball practice at 8 a.m., then basketball practice at 10 a.m. Saturdays at the Cubs Hall.

“We have 30 to 40 women involved in basketball and around 60 for volleyball,” McCollough said. “Only six or so do both. I know there's a lot more out there who would enjoy this and benefit from it in numerous ways.”