SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team had two chances to put the game away at the free throw line in the final 25 seconds, but couldn't convert and Pitt-Johnstown rallied back to post a 59-58 win in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division action Wednesday night at Morrow Field House.
 
The Rock (10-8, 6-6 PSAC) led 56-50 with 3:51 to play, but failed to convert a field goal for the remainder of the game and scored only two more points, a pair of free throws from Jordan Marrow, with 2:23 to play. Those points gave SRU a 58-53 lead, but Pitt-Johnstown (12-6, 7-5 PSAC) was able to put together a 6-0 run over the final 2:08 to register the victory.
 
Isaac Vescovi cut the Slippery Rock lead to 58-57 with 1:35 to play and Dale Clancy had a chance to put UPJ in front with a wide-open breakaway with 30 seconds to go, but his layup caromed off the rim and was pulled down by SRU.
 
The Rock had two chances in the final 25 seconds to hit free throws and escape with a win, but couldn't hit the front end of either of the one-and-one chances. UPJ rebounded the second one with 13 seconds left to set up a chance at the win again. Clancy drove the lane and slipped to the floor before he could get a shot off, but SRU was whistled for a foul on the play that sent him to the line. He hit both shots to put UPJ up 59-58 with 4.5 seconds to play. Naquil Jones had a chance at a game-winning bucket, but his off-balance shot at the buzzer wouldn't fall.
 
Wednesday's game marked the second time in the last five days that SRU held one of the league's highest scoring offenses to its lowest production of the year and it also marked the second straight game SRU led late and saw its opponent finish strong for a win. UPJ entered Wednesday's game scoring 81.7 points per game and finished more than 20 points below its average. Last Saturday on the road, SRU held the league's top offense, East Stroudsburg, to more than 25 points below its average in a 62-53 loss.
 
Slippery Rock managed just a 38.6 percent shooting efficiency from the field (22-of-57), was 30.8 percent from 3-point (4-of-13) and was 71.4 percent at the free throw line (10-of-14). SRU forced UPJ into 14 turnovers and converted those into 17 points, which helped make up for the low shooting percentage. The Rock also posted a 37-29 edge in total rebounds.
 
Merdic Green led all scorers in the game with 21 points for SRU. He also pulled down five rebounds and handed out two assists.
 
Vinny Lasley scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his first career double-double at SRU. Lasley was also stellar on the defensive end of the floor playing against A.J. Leahey, who entered the game averaging 20.9 points per game. Lasley held one of the league's top scorers to just seven points on 2-of-9 shooting.
 
George Chase scored nine points and grabbed eight boards and Jordan Marrow and Khyree Wooten each scored six points.
 
Pitt-Johnstown shot 43.8 percent from the field (21-of-48), 50 percent from 3-point (6-of-12) and 73.3 percent at the free throw line (11-of-15). The Mountain Cats entered the game ranked first in the nation in assists, averaging more than 20 per game, but were held to 11 assists on 21 made field goals.
 
Clancy scored 18 points and handed out five assists to lead UPJ. Vescovi chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds and Josh Wise scored 10 points off the bench.
 
Wednesday's loss marked just the second home loss of the season for Slippery Rock and the first home loss to UPJ since the Mountain Cats joined the PSAC in 2013. The Rock are now 97-25 at home since the beginning of the 2008-09 season when Kevin Reynolds took over as head coach.
 
Slippery Rock will have a chance to get back into the win column Saturday when Edinboro visits Morrow Field House for a 3 p.m. PSAC Western Division game.