Nov. 21, 2005

Box Score

Slippery Rock, Pa. - Matt Hale scored a game-high 14 points and Pete Craig and Dejan Jancic added 10 points each Monday night as The Rock rang up its first win of the season, 54-40, over visiting West Virginia Wesleyan in non-conference action in Morrow Field House.

The Rock will now take a 1-1 record into Wednesday's duel with NCAA Division I Youngstown State. Game time in YSU's Beeghly Center is 7 p.m.

Monday's loss was the fourth in as many games for West Virginia Wesleyan.

The tallest player on the court at 6-foot-11, Jancic came up big in the final seconds to secure the win for The Rock.

Jancic recorded a blocked shot at the 0:25 mark to preserve a 50-48 Rock lead, then calmly sank four of four free throws in the final 15 seconds to account for the final margin.

The score was tied six times during the game, the final deadlock being a 44-44 stalemate with four minutes left to play. The Rock then scored four unanswered points and never trailed thereafter. But the win wasn't secure until Jancic's key free throws in the final seconds.

Erroll Robinson led The Rock in rebounding with seven, while Craig and Brandon Thompson added six each.

Robinson also had four steals, while Matt Schaefer handed out four assists and Hale had three assists.

The next Rock home game will be Tuesday, Nov. 29, when Glenville State will invade Morrow Field House for a 7 p.m. game.

That contest will mark the third game The Rock will play against a West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference squad in its first four games.

The Rock dropped a 72-68 decision to Ohio Valley University in the season-opening game on Nov. 17.