The Slippery Rock men’s basketball team went up against California University (Pa.) during a home game on Saturday. After a hard-fought Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division match-up, SRU fell 86-75.
Despite struggling to find their rhythm from beyond the arc, The Rock dominated the glass and capitalized on second-chance points, thriving in the paint.
Kerwin Prince led the way for the White and Green with a very efficient 16 points alongside 16 rebounds, while also securing 4 steals in a very great showing. Dame Givner, Brady Mayo, RJ Sledge and Sheick Samoura all contributed double-digit scoring nights.
The difference ultimately came down to free throws. While Slippery Rock only managed to have a total of eight free throws, the Vulcans were able to come up with 41, a difference that was crucial in their win.
The Rock held a close game to start the first half. While California was first to put point on the board, SRU responded with four points of their own.
The Vulcans then went on a seven point run behind two jumpers, a layup and a free throw.
Slippery Rock managed to put up 27 more points to close out the half, the majority coming from jump shots. Their efforts were unmatched compared to Cal closing the opening half with 43 points.
Despite falling to a 17-point deficit early in the second half, The Rock managed to go on a quick 13-3 run to cut the lead, but couldn’t find a way to get within striking distance of Cal the rest of the game.
12 of The Rock’s shots in the remainder of the game came from within the paint. Only seven of the Vulcan’s shots were in the paint, and 23 of their 41 free throws came in the second half. California closed out the night on a 14-7 run, all of which were free throws for Cal.
The loss brought Slippery Rock’s record to 13-6 and 6-5 inside the conference.
The Rock have a chance to bounce back from a three-game skid on Wednesday when they travel to Edinboro looking to improve their PSAC play.
