SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team dropped its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference opener 92-67 at home to Shippensburg University Saturday at Morrow Field House in the first of six mandated crossover games against Eastern Division opponents.
 
The Rock slip to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in PSAC games with the loss, while Shippensburg improves to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in PSAC games.
 
Slippery Rock hit its first three shots of the game and led 10-9 with 15:24 to play in the opening half before the Raiders put together a 9-0 run that took just 1:22 off the clock and opened up a seven-point lead for the visitors. SRU would never get closer than four points the rest of the way.
 
Shippensburg made six 3-pointers and shot 47.4 percent from the field in the first half on the way to leading 46-29 at the break. The Raiders got even better in the second half, shooting 55.9 percent over the final 20 minutes to finish the game at 50 percent or better in every shooting category. Shippensburg shot 51.5 percent from the field (35-of-68), 50 percent from 3-point (11-of-22) and 78.6 percent from the free throw line (11-of-14).
 
The Rock shot 48.5 percent in the second half, but never recovered from a 33.3 percent effort in the first half. SRU finished the game shooting 40.6 percent from the floor (28-of-69), 43.8 percent from 3-point (7-of-16) and 66.7 percent from the free throw line (4-of-6). Shippensburg won the turnover battle 14-9 and posted a 40-37 edge in total rebounds.
 
Slippery Rock got eight points in less than seven minutes from Revelinio Tholel early in the game, but Tholel was injured on a play in the paint in the seventh minute and did not return.
 
Amante Britt finished as the leading scorer for SRU with 12 points to go along with three assists. Will Robinson Jr. added 11 points and six rebounds as the only other SRU player in double figures.
 
Jared Armstrong scored nine points, Lashon Lindsey added seven points, Jason Fowlkes scored six points and Deontae Robertson and Will Bounds each chipped in five points. Donovan Walker grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and Fowlkes blocked a game-high three shots.
 
Shippensburg was paced by Carlos Carter with 22 points and Dom Sleva with 20 points. Jake Biss added 16 points and Luke Nedrow scored 11 points.
 
Slippery Rock will look to bounce back and even its conference record when Lock Haven visits Sunday for another PSAC crossover game at 3 p.m.
 
 

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