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ERIE, Pa. – Slippery Rock University dropped a 56-52 decision to hosting Mercyhurst University in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division men's basketball action Wednesday night.

With the win, the Lakers (13-9 overall, 9-3 PSAC-W) remained in sole possession of third place in the division standings, 1.5 games ahead of the fourth-place Rock (17-8 overall, 8-5 PSAC-W).

Rock senior center Maurice Lewis-Briggs claimed game-high scoring honors with 15 points, while redshirt junior guard Antonio Butler added 10 points and four assists in a substitute role.

Paul Bilbo lead Mercyhurst's scoring attack with 12 points and Andy Hoying scored 11 points.

The Rock, who had beaten Mercyhurst 64-43 in the teams' first meeting Jan. 18 in Slippery Rock, are idle for one week before hosting Edinboro in an 8 p.m. game next Wednesday, Feb. 19, in Morrow Field House.

SRU made 47% (17 of 36) of its action shots in the losing effort at Mercyhurst with a 3-for-13 (23%) showing from 3-point range. The Rock made only 67% (12 of 18) of their free throw attempts Wednesday after hitting a scorching 95.6% in their previous outing, a win last Saturday over Pitt-Johnstown.

Mercyhurst made 39% (18 of 46) of its field-goal attempts with a 31% (5 of 16) efficiency on 3-point attempts. The Lakers sank 15 of 24 (63%) free throws.

The Rock, which entered the game with a conference-best +10.9 rebounds per game margin that ranked fourth among all NCAA Division II teams, were outrebounded by a 28-27 margin Wednesday. Mercyhurst entered the game ranked sixth in the 18-team PSAC in rebounding margin at +2.5 per game.

SRU also hurt itself by turning the ball over 16 times, compared to only eight miscues for Mercyhurst.

The Rock held a 29-27 lead at the end of a nip-and-tuck first half of action that saw the lead change hands six times and the score tied on six occasions.

Mercyhurst held two four-point leads during the first 20 minutes of action, while The Rock's largest leads were a pair of three-point advantages.

SRU scored the first two second-half points to take its largest lead of the game, a four-point, 31-27, advantage after two minutes had elapsed in the final stanza before Mercyhurst rode a 7-0 run to a 34-31 lead with 16:00 left to play.

Mercyhurst never trailed thereafter, although The Rock did manage to tie the score at 43-43 with 7:20 left to play.