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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Darnell Johnson scored a team-high 19 points Tuesday night to lead The Rock effort in a season-opening 62-58 loss to visiting Mercyhurst.

Erroll Robinson and Jamar Scales each added 10 points for SRU, while Jade Burka had nine points and a team-best 11 rebounds.

The Rock returns to action at 6 p.m. Friday, when it will meet Point Park in the opening game of the Gary Miller Classic at Gannon University. SRU will then meet either Gannon or Roberts Wesleyan on Saturday (game time TBD).

SRU shot a respectable 37.7% (20 of 53) from the field in Tuesday night's game, but shot itself in the foot while standing at the foul line as the Green and White made only 11 of 26 charity tosses for a 42.3% efficiency.

The Rock never led in the game as Mercyhurst scored the first four points. The Lakers pulled out to a 14-point, 32-18, lead with 1:40 left in the first half before SRU scored seven of the last nine points in the opening stanza to trim the margin to nine (34-25) at intermission.

Mercyhurst extended its lead to back double digits seven minutes into the final half, when it held a 45-35 lead, only to see SRU roar back and trim the deficit to only two points, 48-46, with 5:30 left.

A pair of 3-point shots, one each by Terry Smith and Milos Bogetic, on back-to-back possessions pushed the Lakers' lead back to eight points with 4:45 left before The Rock made its final run.

SRU trimmed the margin to three points, 58-55, with 30 seconds.

Smith had a team-high 18 points for Mercyhurst, while Brian McTear added 15 and Bogetic had 11 points an d10 rebounds.