Highlights

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team never trailed in the second half on the way to handing previously undefeated and third ranked Indiana University (Pa.) a 74-69 loss in a first place showdown in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Saturday at Morrow Field House.
 
The victory is the eighth straight for Slippery Rock and its ninth in the last 10 games, which improves The Rock to 10-5 overall and 7-1 in PSAC games. No. 3 Indiana (Pa.), which entered the game as one of only three Division II teams without a loss on the season, drops to 14-1 overall and 7-1 in PSAC games.
 
The Crimson Hawks led for just 39 seconds early in the first half before Slippery Rock took control on its home floor and built a lead it would never relinquish. The Rock took the lead for good with a jumper from Micah Till at the 3:48 mark and built their advantage up to 13 points, 44-31 at halftime.
 
SRU extended the lead to a game-high 16 points with 17:10 to play in the second half and maintained a double digit lead until just under 13 minutes to play. The Crimson Hawks took advantage of SRU turnovers and fouls to put together an 8-0 run over a stretch of just 1:19 that cut the lead to 55-51 with 11:39 to play. Indiana chipped the deficit down to two points before Slippery Rock pushed the lead back out to seven points with a layup from Nolen Gerald with 5:25 to play.

IUP took the momentum back and rallied once again, this time with a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to just one point at 66-65 with 2:56 to play. From there, The Rock put together an 8-1 run to pull away and put the game out of reach. Vinny Lasley knocked down a pair of free throws, followed by a Jared Armstrong floater in the lane and a pair of free throws each from Armstrong and Till. Indiana failed to convert a single field goal in the final 2:56, scoring its final four points from the free throw line.
 
IUP was held to its worst shooting effort of the season at just 34.8 percent from the field (23-of-66) and 20 percent from 3-point (4-of-20). The Crimson Hawks entered the game with a season-low shooting effort of 41.4 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from 3-point in an 80-75 win over West Chester. IUP was 67.9 percent at the free throw line (19-of-28) and scored 17 second chance points on 19 offensive rebounds.
 
Slippery Rock shot 53 percent in the first half and cooled down to 32 percent in the second half to finish the game shooting 42.9 percent from the field (27-of-63). The Rock shot 26.7 percent from 3-point (8-of-30), 80 percent at the free throw line (12-of-15) and were outrebounded by a 44-40 margin.
 
Till put up a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds to go along with two blocks and two steals in leading SRU. Lasley scored a career-high 16 points to go along with five rebounds and three blocked shots and Armstrong finished with 14 points and three assists.
 
Slippery Rock also got six points and four steals from John Warren II, five points and three rebounds from Amante Britt and five rebounds from Will Bounds.
 
Indiana was paced by Jacobo Diaz, who had seven offensive rebounds and finished with a double-double of 29 points and 14 rebounds to go along with four steals. Diaz was 10-of-21 from the field and a perfect 8-for-8 at the free throw line. Malik Miller added 17 points and four assists and Willem Brandwijk scored 11 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
 
Saturday's victory snapped a skid of four straight losses for SRU against the Crimson Hawks, who swept the season series last year by a combined six points over the two games. The last three games in the series have now all been decided by five points or less.
 
Slippery Rock will now turn its focus to hosting Clarion University Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in hopes of extending its win streak to nine games.
 
 

To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official athletic communication accounts on Twitter (@Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics), Instagram (RockAthletics) and Snapchat (@RockAthletics).