SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team saw its methodic comeback attempt fall agonizingly short in a 68-67 loss to visiting Clarion University Wednesday night in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division action from Morrow Field House.
 
The game was crucial for both teams' hopes of making the upcoming PSAC playoffs as Slippery Rock dropped to 14-12 overall and 9-11 in PSAC games and Clarion improved to 13-14 overall and 10-11 in league games, a half-game ahead of SRU in the standings.
 
The Rock are now tied with Seton Hill for the sixth and final playoff spot in the Western Division at 9-11. Both teams have two games remaining and Seton Hill owns the head-to-head tiebreaker, so SRU will need at least one win in its final two games to reach the postseason.
 
Slippery Rock trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half Wednesday before putting together a methodic comeback that took nearly the entire final 20 minutes. The rally included holding Clarion without a field goal for a stretch of more than 10 minutes in the half as SRU went on a 21-9 run to cut the deficit to 54-52 with 7:53 to play.
 
The Golden Eagles scored all nine points in that 10-minute stretch from the free throw line to stay out in front.
 
Slippery Rock cut the margin to 59-58 with 4:04 to play, but struggled on repeated possessions to capitalize and take its first lead of the half. Clarion pushed the edge back out to five points with 34 seconds left and maintained a 68-63 advantage with seven seconds left to set up a wild finish.
 
Malcolm Richardson was fouled while receiving an inbounds pass with seven seconds left and knocked down both free throws to make it 68-65. On Clarion's inbounds attempt Abdul King knocked the ball away and gave possession to The Rock with less than five seconds to play.
 
Richardson rose up and took a 3-pointer that missed just short, but he was fouled in the act of shooting and sent to the free throw line with 0.8 seconds left on the clock.
 
He hit the first two free throws to make it 68-67 before Clarion called its final timeout. After the timeout, Richardson's attempt at tying the game missed just short off the front of the rim and was knocked out of bounds off a Clarion defender.
 
The Rock had one last chance for a lob and tip play with just 0.2 seconds left on the clock, but the pass was stolen away before SRU could get a shot attempt to end the game.
 
Slippery Rock held Clarion to just six made field goals in the final 20 minutes, but couldn't overcome its own shooting woes as The Rock went 29.6 percent from the field (16-of-54) and 12.5 percent from 3-point (1-of-8). SRU was 34-of-44 from the free throw line, led by a perfect effort from Cornelius Brown, who knocked down 17-of-17 attempts for the fourth most in a single game in SRU history.
 
Brown was dominant again for SRU, recording his fourth straight and 13th overall double-double of the season with game-highs of 29 points and 14 rebounds. His 29 points marked a new career-high.
 
Richardson finished with 12 points and Chaquille Pratt added 11 points and nine rebounds.
 
Clarion finished the game shooting 37 percent from the field (17-of-46), 35.3 percent from 3-point (6-of-17) and 73.7 percent at the free throw line (28-of-38).  
 
Andre' Anthony finished with 18 points to lead Clarion, while BJ Andrews added 17 points and Rob Agurs recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Slippery Rock will turn its focus to what is nearly a must-win situation this Saturday when Gannon University visits Morrow Field House for a 7 p.m. tip. The Rock's senior class will be honored in a pregame ceremony. SRU will then close the regular season at Pitt-Johnstown next Wednesday night.