SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Junior center Luiz Santos recorded his third “double-double” of the season Saturday afternoon with 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead hosting Slippery Rock University to a 73-71 overtime win over Mercyhurst University in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division action in Morrow Field House.

Santos was one of four Rock players who had double-digit scoring totals in Saturday's game. Senior Devin Taylor added 14 points and nine rebounds, junior Tabari Perry contributed 11 points and eight rebounds and senior Jon Valeriano scored 10 points.

Luis Leao scored a game-high 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Mercyhurst, while Matt Lee added 19 points and eight rebounds.

Saturday's win ended a two-game losing skid for The Rock, who improved their season records to 13-7 overall and 10-6 in PSAC action.

The victory also assured the Green and White of remaining in no worse than sole possession of fourth place in the PSAC-West standings.

The Rock would move in to a tie with Clarion University for third place if the Golden Eagles lose Saturday night (7:30 p.m. tipoff) at division-leading Indiana (Pa.).

The top four teams in the division standings at the end of the regular season earn berths in the conference tournament. SRU seeks its third PSAC playoff berth in the last four seasons.

Saturday's loss ended a six-game win streak for Mercyhurst, which saw its season records fall to 14-6 overall and 12-4 in PSAC competition but remained alone in second place in the division standings.

The Rock finished the game with a 43% (26-61) efficiency on its field goal attempts with a very impressive 59% (10-17) reading from 3-point range. The hosts shot 58% (11-19) from the foul line and enjoyed a 43-36 rebounding advantage.

Mercyhurst shot 42% both from the field (29-69) and long range (8-19) and made 63% (5-8) of its free throws. The Lakers won the turnover battle, 19-12.

Saturday's game was played at a tempo and in the give-and-take manner one would expect from a battle between two of the top teams in the division. Neither team enjoyed a lead of any significance. The Rock's largest lead was six points (51-45 with 12:15 left to play in regulation time), while Mercyhurst's biggest advantage was a five-point, 31-26, difference with 6:45 left in the first half.

The lead changed hands 10 times and the score was tied once in the first half of action. All told, the lead changed hands 12 times and the score was tied six times.

SRU scored 12 of the last 16 first-half points to take a 38-35 lead into the intermission. Mercyhurst then opened the second half with a 6-1 run to take a 41-39 lead with 17:30 left in regulation time before Taylor buried a 3-point shot to put The Rock back on top.

The Rock would never relinquish the lead in the final 22 minutes of action (17 minutes of regulation plus the five-minute overtime), but Mercyhurst knotted the count on four occasions in the final six minutes of regulation time.

The final tie of the game came with 30 seconds left in regulation play when Bill Weaver's knotted the score at 65-65.

SRU scored the first three points in overtime to regain the momentum. In the end, a successful free throw each by Taylor and Valeriano in the final 30 seconds proved to be the winning margin.

Mercyhurst had a chance to tie or win the game at the buzzer after Valeriano made one of two free throws with four seconds left, but a Lakers' pass into the frontcourt was mishandled and time ran out before a shot could be attempted.

The Rock hits the road for two consecutive games (Wednesday at Lock Haven, next Saturday at Edinboro) before returning home to host California (Pa.) in an 8 p.m. game Feb. 15.

Notes:

Santos' “double-double” was his second against Mercyhurst. He had 10 points and 10 rebounds in The Rock's 64-62 loss Jan. 14 in Erie. His first “D-D” was a 12-point, 10-rebound effort Dec. 9 in a loss to Bloomsburg … Saturday's win was the 70th recorded by Kevin Reynolds in 108 games (four seasons) as The Rock's head coach … Saturday's win gave The Rock a split in the season series vs. Mercyhurst for the second consecutive winter and evened the all-time series record at 19-19 ... Reynolds is now 6-3 against the Lakers … The Rock, who were “outboarded” in each of their last two games, have now outrebounded their opponents in 17 of 20 games this winter … The Rock's victory total after 20 games this winter matches the 2008-09 team's effort and is one shy of last year's mark. That benchmark is significant because SRU advanced to the PSAC semifinals in 2008-09 and claimed a PSAC runner-up finish and earned an NCAA tournament berth last winter … The Rock is now 9-3 in home games this winter and 41-11 (.788) at home in Reynolds' four seasons as head coach … Taylor has now scored 10 or more points in 13 games this winter, while Perry and Valeriano each recorded their 11th double-digit scoring total … Saturday's game was the fourth consecutive contest in which SRU allowed an opposing player to score 20 or more points. The Rock allowed only five 20-point scoring efforts in their first 16 games this winter.