The Slippery Rock University men’s basketball team traveled to California University (Pa.) on Saturday to close out their regular season. They now look forward to postseason play in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). Despite clinching a spot in the tournament during their previous game against Edinboro, there was still much to play for as they look ahead.
From the opening tip, The Rock came out firing on offense. They scored 43 points in the first half, shooting an efficient 17-of-37 from the field.
The Vulcans were first to put points on the board with a jumper from Dalman Alexander during the first minute of the game.
The White and Green retaliated when freshman Brady Mayo delivered a three-pointer.
After a dunk came from California, The Rock went on a nine-point spree, solidifying their lead, and never looked back.
Defensively, SRU held the Vulcans to just 33% from the field, and two-of-eight shots from beyond the arc. A dominant effort on both sides of the ball led to a 43-28 lead at halftime.
Redshirt freshman Elijah Hill paved the way with 18 points and had a game-high 11 rebounds on a very efficient seven-of-14 (50%) shooting day.
The second half opened up with points volleying between the teams. California cut the deficit to seven points in the first five minutes.
The Vulcans kept pressure on while the clock ran out, not letting The Rock get more than six consecutive points. They put up 36 points in the second half, but their efforts were not enough.
Hill had help from his teammates; Isaac James had 17 points and 10 rebounds, Braylon Littlejohn with 14 points, Brady Mayo with 12 points, and Kerwin Prince had 7 points and 10 rebounds. Alex Griggs, Enire Bowens and Mack Staunch also contributed in their minutes with 13 points combined.
Rebounding, scoring and second-chance opportunities defined the game for the White and Green. The Rock out-rebounded California 52-34 and scored 17 second-chance points to California’s seven. They kept their foot on the gas in the second half, and ended the day with an 81-64 win over the Vulcans.
Now that regular season is over, Slippery Rock turns their focus to the PSAC tournament. SRU will go up Monday against Seton Hill University at McKenna Center in Greensburg, Pa. Both teams are entering the matchup with an identical 10-10 in conference play.
