Boxscore

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team rode a 28-9 scoring spurt at the start of the second half of action Friday afternoon to a 78-63 win over the University of District of Columbia.

The win in first-day action of the 45th Annual Pocono Classic was the fourth in as many games this winter and the 12th consecutive regular-season victory for The Rock.

UDC, coached by former NBA standout Jeff Ruland, lost for the sixth time in as many games this winter.

The Rock led by only one point, 29-28, at halftime but enjoyed a 57-37 lead midway through the final half. UDC never trimmed the margin to less than 13 points in the final 10 minutes.

Junior guard Jabril Bailey led the winning attack with season-high totals of 18 points and 14 rebounds, his second “double-double” effort of the season, while senior guard Michael Evans Jr. pumped in 17 points.

A third Rock senior guard, Maurice Douglas, contributed 11 points to the winning effort, junior forward Maron Brown added nine rebounds and senior guard Cecil Brown handed out nine assists.

Dyrek Jones scored 20 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked five shots to lead the UDC attack.

The Rock finished with game with a 38% (24 of 63) efficiency in its field goal attempts, a frigid 24% (7 of 29) effort from 3-point range and a modest 70% (23 of 33) showing from the foul line.

UDC, meanwhile, shot 35% (21 of 60) from the field, 50% (4 of 8) from beyond the arc and 52% (17 of 33) from the foul line.

Behind the lead of Bailey and Maron Brown, The Rock held a 47-40 rebounding advantage. SRU committed 13 turnovers, compared to 11 for UDC.

The Rock had a 27-8 advantage in points scored by substitutes.

Neither team shot the ball well in the opening 20 minutes of action; The Rock made only 28% (9 of 32) of its field goal attempts and UDC was only slightly better at 35% (9 of 26).

The Rock had similar success from beyond the arc as it shot five of 18 3-point shots (28%), compared to UDC's 0-for-1 effort from long range.

Shooting woes continued at the foul line as SRU made 60% (6 of 10) of its charity tosses in the opening half and UDC sank 10 of 16 (63%).

The Rock missed four shots from the field on its first possession of the game, including two long-range shots. Douglas broke the scoring ice with a trey off an assist from senior guard Andre Tarver after 90 seconds had elapsed.

UDC scored its first points, and trimmed The Rock lead to 3-2, with a basket four minutes into the action.

The score was tied three times before the Firebirds took their first and only lead of the first half, 16-14, with 8:30 left before the intermission.

The Rock came right back to regain lead, 17-16, on a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Tommy Kelly that started an 11-2 Rock run capped by a Jade Burka 3-pointer with 5:00 left that gave SRU a 25-18 lead.

That was the first of three seven-point leads The Rock would hold in the final five minutes of the first half, but UDC scored the final six points of the first half to trim what was a 29-22 Rock lead to only one point, 29-28, at halftime.

The Rock held a slim 23-20 rebounding edge at halftime behind six rebounds by Bailey, but was on the wrong end of an 11-7 turnover comparison.

Evans had eight first-half points on a 3-for-4 shooting effort from the field that included a perfect 2-for-2 showing from 3-point range.

Burka and Douglas each had five first-half points and Cecil Brown had four first-half assists.

The Rock came out of the intermission and scored the first 12 points of the second half to key the aforementioned 28-9 run that gave the Green and White a 20-point, 57-37, advantage midway through the final half.

UDC never trimmed the margin to less than 13 points the remainder of the game.

The Rock gets right back in action at 3 p.m. Saturday, when it will take on Queens College of New York in second-day action of the Pocono Classic.