SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- The 1972-73 Slippery Rock University men's basketball team that advanced to the NAIA national tournament in Kansas City will be recognized Jan. 30 as part of SRU's home game against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division rival Indiana U. of Pa., SRU Athletic Development Officer Bill Richter announced Thursday.

Players and coaches of the '72-73 team will be the guests of honor at a pregame reception starting at 6:30 p.m. in Morrow Field House and spotlighted during a halftime ceremony.

The events are sponsored by the University Advancement office.

The '72-73 Rock team coached by Mel Hankinson won the NAIA District 18 championship with victories over Point Park (96-81) and Mercyhurst (70-68 in overtime) and claimed three wins in the national tournament before dropping back-to-back decisions.

SRU defeated Marymount, Kans. (74-73), Quinnipiac, N.Y. (104-75) and Wisconsin-Green Bay (60-58) before it fell by 113-82 and 96-93 scores to Maryland-Eastern Shore and Augustana, Ill., respectively.

The 1972-73 team roster included three student-athletes (Mark Balbach, Dennis Kopka and Owen Long) who subsequently earned All-America honors and four Academic All-America performers (Balbach, Long, Doug Hudson and Greg Munson).

Balbach, the team's leading scorer with a 13.3 points per game average, has been the first member of that team to be inducted into the SRU Athletic Hall of Fame when he entered as a member of the Class of 2006.

Peyton Tomblin led the team in rebounding with an 8.1 per game average. He currently ranks 16th on SRU's career rebounding list with 574 , while Kopka ranks 13th with 643. Both Kopka and Tomblin played three seasons (1971-74) for The Rock).

The Jan. 30 ceremonies honoring the '72-73 team will be one of four special events that will spotlight former Rock men's basketball student-athletes in the course of the 2009-10 season.

Rock all-time leading scorer Myron Brown was featured at the Nov. 21 game vs. Bloomsburg. Troy Mild, the No. 2 scorer in Rock history, will be honored at the Feb. 13 game against Edinboro and Bill Rausch, the No. 4 scorer in school history, will be spotlighted one week later, Feb. 20, vs. Clarion..

For more details on the men's basketball special events, please contact Richter at william.richter@sru.edu or 724.738.2387.