JEFFERSON TWP — Marissa Siebka stood next to Slippery Rock High girls basketball coach John Tabisz, who was not pleased that his star player had fouled out midway through the fourth quarter.

At the time, Siebka had 10 points and had helped the Rockets to an 11-point lead on the road at Knoch.

That lead, though, was shrinking.

Siebka patted her coach on the shoulder and said, “Coach, it's all right.”

It was.

Behind sophomores Jenna Whitmer and Steph Croll, Slippery Rock put the game away at the foul line and escaped with a 49-37 win over Knoch Friday night.

Even though Siebka wasn't in the game, she was an encouraging voice on the bench.

Only a junior, but the elder-statesman on a team whose average age wouldn't grant it a driver's license, Siebka was a calming influence.

“I probably listen to her more than any player I have ever coached,” said Tabisz, who is in his third stint on the bench for the Rockets and has been coaching for three decades. “She's an extension of the coaches. I will listen to her. She's the glue that keeps us together.”

Siebka was correct.

Everything was all right.

Whitmer scored a team-leading 12 points and was 8-for-8 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.

Bailey Boyd added 10 points and Croll scored nine and went 5-of-6 from the line in the final quarter as the Rockets iced the game.

“Jenna made every single one and Steph made most of them,” Tabisz said. “We overcame, on the road, foul problems. It wasn't pretty, but you have to step to the line and make them. Jenna stepped to the line and made them.”

Slippery Rock (5-3) jumped out to a 17-6 lead midway through the second quarter and led by 14 at the half.

The Rockets' biggest lead came five minutes into the second half when they led 32-15.

Knoch, though, began chipping away at the lead and got as close as seven shortly after Siebka fouled out.

Knoch (6-5) has had a history this season of making big comebacks. This one, though, fell a little short.

“The girls never quit. They've never quit once on me,” said first-year Knoch coach Dave Peters. “They always fight back and that's all you can ask.”

But the Rockets put the game away at the line where they were 21-of-31 in the game.

Sarah Armahizer scored 11 points to lead the Knights.

Both teams are very young. Slippery Rock has no seniors and had a junior, three sophomores and a freshman on the floor.

Knoch had two juniors, a sophomore and two freshmen in the lineup.

“You girls, you're going to have young mistakes,” Peters said. “Overall, I'm proud of them.”

SLIPPERY ROCK 49

Jenna Whitmer 2-6 8-8 12, Hannah Willison 1-4 0-0 2, Elena McDermott 0-3 0-0 0, Lily Weitzel 0-0 0-0 0, Bailey Boyd 3-7 4-8 10, Macy McCall 1-4 3-4 5, Brynn Horner 0-0 1-2 1, Steph Croll 2-11 5-6 9. Totals: 14-43 21-31 49.

KNOCH 37

Alyssa Logan 1-2 0-0 3, Allie Megahan 2-2 0-0 4, Erica Hunter 0-1 2-6 2, Carly Burdett 2-6 0-2 4, Sarah Armahizer 3-9 5-9 11, Ally Riley 0-1 0-0 0, Casey Kretzer 1-5 2-4 5, Kala Grafton 0-3 0-0 0, Emily Fraser 1-2 6-7 8. Totals: 10-31 15-28 37.

Slippery Rock 11 13 9 16 — 49

Knoch4 6 8 19 — 37

3-point goals: Slippery Rock 0; Knoch 2 (Logan, Kretzer)

Monday: Ford City at Knoch

Wednesday: Slippery Rock at Mercyhurst Prep