CJ Sabo, Slippery Rock girls basketball show toughness in important win over rival Grove City
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock’s Brielle Jordan (10) throws a lob pass over Grove City’s Lola Kolbe (23) in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock’s Madison Romanovich (24) takes it to the rim against Grove City in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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Brielle Jordan leads a celebration form the side as Slippery Rock stays ahead of Grove City in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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The Slippery Rock girls basketball team defeated Grove City 50-44 in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock’s Madison Romanovich (24) drives the ball past Grove City in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Slippery Rock High School. Rob McGraw Photog/Butler Eagle
SLIPPERY ROCK — Catch a glimpse of Slippery Rock girls basketball during a game, and the team’s speed, quickness and athleticism are readily apparent.
But there’s another trait the Rockets have in abundance: toughness.
That quality was on full display Thursday in a region game against visiting Grove City. Between fouls and battles for possession, players fell to the court a number of times, but the Rockets did not flinch in earning a 50-44 victory.
Slippery Rock coach Jeff Steele knew emotions would be running high against the backyard rival Eagles.
“I tried to stay seated as much as I could tonight,” he said. “The girls were going to be elevated (emotionally), and if I was also elevated, I didn’t think that would be good. We stayed balanced throughout the game.”
Grove City’s 3-point shooting helped keep it in contention until late. Lola Kolbe’s 3-pointer pulled the Eagles (10-6, 1-2) to within 46-39 with 3:25 left in the game. Autumn Cook hit another one in the final minute, but the Rockets (11-5, 3-0) celebrated a clutch region victory that snapped a two-game skid.
CJ Sabo paced Slippery Rock with 20 points, and Madison Romanovich scored 16.
“We are 100% tougher than we were the last two years,” Sabo said. “Just the environment the last couple months told me we’d have the grit we need to win games like this.
“Slippery Rock and Grove City have been rivals for forever. I knew this would be a physical game.”
The Eagles drained 10 treys on the night, seven of them coming in the first half, after which Slippery Rock held the slimmest of leads at 26-25.
GC committed 14 turnovers in the first two quarters but also nearly erased a 10-point deficit (21-11) from early in the second quarter.
“We are totally comfortable playing at a fast pace, got through it pretty easily a number of times in the first half,” Grove City coach Dennis Ranker said. “But the steal and score, steal and score ... that hurt us several times tonight.”
That’s how the first quarter ended. Trailing 11-9, the Rockets got a pair of baskets from Sabo and one from Belle Miller in the final 55 seconds, aided by two Grove City turnovers. The Eagles were unable to cross midcourt during the span.
Cook’s five 3-pointers gave her a team-high 15 points. Kolbe added 14, and Izzie Gamble scored 11.
The Eagles and Rockets meet again on Grove City’s floor Feb. 10.
Slippery Rock has shouldered several tough losses this season, the latest coming in a 46-43 setback Monday against General McLane.
“We had a lead in the second half, but lost it,” Steele said. “We’re still learning how to win. Tonight was big for us in that respect. We have confidence, and what we’re building has us headed in the right direction.”
GROVE CITY 44
Autumn Cook 5 0-0 15, Madeline Barr 2 0-0 4, Lola Kolbe 5 0-6 14, Izzie Gamble 4 2-2 11, Aisling Brink 0 0-0 0, Brynna Miller 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16 2-8 44.
SLIPPERY ROCK 50
Brielle Jordan 2 2-2 7, Madison Romanovich 6 2-5 16, Belle Miller 2 1-2 5, CJ Sabo 9 2-6 20, Isabel Drake 1 0-0 2, Gia Kovacik 0 0-0 0. Totals: 20 7-15 50.
Grove City 11 14 9 10 — 44
Slippery Rock 15 11 14 10 — 50
3-point goals: Grove City 10 (Cook 5, Kolbe 4, Gamble); Slippery Rock 3 (Romanovich 2, Jordan).
Monday: Slippery Rock at Greenville
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