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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Visiting Indiana (Pa.) outscored Slippery Rock University by a 50-32 margin "in the paint" Wednesday night en route to a 69-55 win in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division men's basketball action in Morrow Field House.

The loss in the regular-season finale dropped SRU's season records to 19-9 overall, 10-6 in PSAC-West action heading into the conference tournament, which starts Saturday.

The Rock, the No. 4 team in the final PSAC-West standings, host fifth-place Seton Hill in a 7 p.m. game to open postseason play.

The Rock-Seton Hill winner travels to Erie to take on PSAC-West champion Gannon in a 7:30 p.m. quarterfinal game Tuesday.

Indiana, which improved its season records to 23-3 and 13-3, has a first-round bye and hosts a quarterfinal game Tuesday against either third-place Mercyhurst or sixth-place California (Pa.).

The 11th-ranked Crimson Hawks made 52% (28 of 54) of their field goal attempts with a 2-for-9 (22%) efficiency on 3-point attempts and sank 11 of 17 (65%) free throws.

The Rock, meanwhile, made only 37% (22 of 59) of their action shots with a 5-for-19 (26%) reading on long-range shots and sank an icy 46% (6 of 13) of their free throws.

SRU, which entered the game ranked first in the PSAC and fourth nationally in rebound margin with a +11.4 per game average, were beaten on the boards by Indiana, 38-30.

The Rock scored 12 points off 11 Indiana turnovers, while the guests converted 10 SRU miscues into 15 points. Both teams scored 10 "second-chance" points and Indiana had an 8-7 edge in bench points.

SRU held a 5-2 lead after 90 seconds of action but never led in the final 36-plus minutes. Indiana held a 32-22 lead with 45 seconds before halftime and were up by seven, 32-25, at halftime.

The Rock clawed their way back and narrowed the Indiana lead to only one point, 41-40, with 13:30 left to play in the game, only to see the guests respond with four unanswered points.

SRU never closed the gap to less than three points in the final 12 minutes and trailed by 16 points, 64-48, with 4:15 remaining.

Senior guard Josh Martin scored a team-high 18 points for SRU while senior center Maurice Lewis-Briggs added 12 points and five rebounds and senior swingman Tabari Perry chipped in 10 points. Junior guard Antonio Butler contributed six points, five rebounds and three assists.

Lewis-Briggs, Martin and Perry were three of five Rock seniors honored during ceremonies prior to their final regular-season home game. Also honored were point guard Sa'Quan Davis and forward Daivon Jackson.

Mathis Keita took game scoring honors with 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Indiana. Jeremy Jeffers added 17 points and nine rebounds, Devante Chance had 10 points, six rebounds and six assists and Marcel Souberbielle chipped in nine points and nine rebounds.

Notes: Tickets for Saturday's Rock-Seton Hill game will be on sale Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the SRU Athletic Dept. office (102 Morrow Field House). In accordance with conference policy, adult tickets are $7, student tickets are $2 and admission is free for any SRU or Seton Hill student with a valid university ID card.