GROVE CITY - The outcome of the game was more than just another digit in the win column.

It was a drawing of straws to see who would get the unenviable task of possibly taking on Mercyhurst Prep in the first round of the District 10 Class AAA playoffs Feb. 19.

The Grove City High School girls basketball team drew the short straw - a very short straw.

Slippery Rock (17-7, 7-5) used a stifling defense and balanced scoring to hand the Eagles a 53-32 home loss Thursday.

"It appears it will be a big win for us," said Slippery Rock coach Gene Rodgers. "Hopefully, we won't see Mercyhurst Prep. No one wants to play them."

While the official seeding and brackets won't be announced until Sunday, those in the know realized the loser Thursday would most likely have to stare down Mercyhurst Prep and its three Division I-bound players.

"More than likely we will draw them," said Grove City coach Roger Flynn. "I remember watching them when they were all freshman and thinking, 'Boy, I wouldn't want to play them when they are seniors.'"

That's just the task Flynn faces, in large part because of lack of balanced scoring.

Julie Molloy netted 18 points for the Eagles, but rest of the team hit only four shots from the floor and pitched in just 14 more points.

Meanwhile Slippery Rock displayed some balance it hasn't had during stretches of the season.

Jence Rhoads scored 14 points to lead the Rockets, but Robin Craig added 11 points, Abby Basta 10 and Emily Skoczlas eight more.

Even seldom used Jessica Fry contributed mightily to the win, scoring five points. She also played solid defense in the post and grabbed eight rebounds.

Grove City (14-8, 6-6) held its own early, leading 10-8 late in the first quarter, but Slippery Rock rolled off six straight points in the final minute of the quarter and then held the Eagles to just three points in the second period to build a 23-13 lead.

Once down by 10, Grove City had to abandon much of its game plan, abandoning their box-in-one on Rhoads, which opened things up for her and the rest of the Rockets in the fourth quarter when the lead grew to 20.

"The story of the game again was our inability to score," Flynn said. "We got off to a good start; we were happy with that. But when you fall behind against a good team, it's difficult to catch up to them."

Foul trouble and illness also hurt Grove City.

Sheila Ogden spent most of the game on the bench and eventually fouled out. Senior Ashley McKnight spent the game going back and forth from the bench to the locker room with a stomach ailment.

For Slippery Rock, the win was a nice one, not only for its seeding implications, but also for some much-needed confidence after a schizophrenic season.

The Rockets have lost seven games by a combined 21 points.

For Grove City, the loss put a damper on senior night.

Seniors Alissa Chutz, McKnight and Christa Campbell combined for just four points to further sour the mood.

But Flynn paid tribute to his three seniors.

"Alissa has played all through her career and has played tremendous for us," Flynn said. "She struggled tonight, but not because she didn't work hard. Ashley sat out her freshman year, but I'm glad she came back. She been drawing the assignment of playing against the toughest player on the other team."

Campbell hadn't played organized basketball since the eighth grade before joining the team this season.

"She provided us with quite a spark," Flynn said.

SLIPPERY ROCK 53

Robin Craig 5-8 1-2 11, Abby Basta 5-6 0-1 10, Casey McCaffrey 1-4 2-4 4, Emily Skoczlas 4-7 0-0 8, Jence Rhoads 7-12 0-1 14, Jessica Fry 2-5 1-3 5, Ashley Brown 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 24-42 4-11 53

GROVE CITY 32

Alissa Chutz 0-5 2-4 2, Ashley McKnight 0-0 0-0 0, Julie Molloy 7-18 2-4 18, Sheila Ogden 1-3 0-0 2, Jenna Kelly 2-5 4-4 8, Christa Campbell 1-2 0-0 2, Maggie Orr 0-1 0-0 0, Katie Zinkhan 0-0 0-0 0, Rachel Ennis 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 11-34 8-12 32

3-point goals:

Craig, Molloy 2

JV:

Grove City 30-20