SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team got its first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference win of the season Saturday afternoon when Merdic Green tipped in the game-winner at the buzzer to lead The Rock to a 71-69 win over visiting West Chester.
 
Slippery Rock (4-4, 1-2 PSAC) trailed by 11 points with 9:30 to play and by seven points with just under five minutes to play before rallying back for the win. A 14-5 run that spanned just over five minutes gave the hosts their first lead of the final period, 67-64, with just 1:37 to play. West Chester (3-4, 2-1 PSAC) answered with a 4-0 run to take a 68-67 lead into the final minute of play.
 
Jordan Marrow knocked down a jumper from the corner to put Slippery Rock back out front, 69-68, with 57 seconds to play. Neither team converted on their next chance before West Chester's Matt Penecale was fouled with 7.6 seconds left. He hit the first free throw to tie the game at 69-69, but missed the second. Vinny Lasley came down with the rebound and set Khyree Wooten up for a look at a game-winning 3-pointer. His shot missed the rim, but Green was in perfect position under the basket to tip it in off the glass as time expired.
 
The victory marks the first time this season that Slippery Rock has come back from a halftime deficit to earn a win and improves The Rock to 3-0 at home.
 
Slippery Rock was led by Christal Malalu, who put up career-highs in scoring in rebounding to finish with a game-high double-double of 20 points and 14 boards. Wooten added 14 points and six rebounds and Naquil Jones scored 11 points and handed out a game-high five assists.
 
Marrow finished with 10 points, including a pair of huge 3-pointers late in the second half. Lasley added five points and seven rebounds. Green and Amir Maddred chipped in four points each and Guilherme Verardo scored three points in his SRU debut.
 
Slippery Rock shot 42.3 percent from the field (22-of-52), 41.7 percent from 3-point (5-of-12) and 61.1 percent at the free throw line (22-of-36). The Rock outrebounded West Chester 41-37 and have now outrebounded their opposition in all eight games this season. SRU was efficient with its second chance scoring, pulling down 11 offensive rebounds and turning those into 18 points.
 
West Chester entered the game averaging 87.2 points but was held to just 37 percent shooting from the field (20-of-54), including 36.8 percent from 3-point (7-of-19). The Golden Rams were 68.8 percent from the free throw line (22-of-32).
 
Malik Jackson led West Chester with 19 points, while Penecale added 14 points.
 
The Golden Rams took the lead with 10:45 to play in the first half and built a double-digit advantage on seven occasions the rest of the way before Slippery Rock's 14-5 run late in the game set up the finish.
 
The Rock will remain home Sunday and welcome Cheyney University for another PSAC crossover game at 3 p.m. at Morrow Field House.