CHARLESTON, W. Va. - The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team had its three-game winning streak snapped on the road in a 78-72 non-conference loss Saturday at the University of Charleston.
 
With the loss, SRU's overall record drops to 3-2 on the year while the Golden Eagles improve to 5-1 following their home victory.
 
Jonathan McFall had the best game of his Slippery Rock career in the form of a 26-point, seven-rebound, three-steal, two-block showing. Five of McFall's rebounds came on the offensive glass. McFall went 11-for-17 from the field and a near automatic 4-for-5 at the foul line.
 
Amante Britt scored 15 points, passed out four assists and grabbed five rebounds as well while Frankie Hughes (13) and Tyler Frederick (11) also scored in double figures for The Rock. Frederick pulled down four rebounds in 30 minutes of playing time before fouling out.
 
Bobby Clifford rounded out The Rock's top performers with five points, four rebounds and one block.  
 
SRU got out to a slow start as the Golden Eagles opened the game with a 19-10 lead through the contest's first 12 minutes. However, Slippery Rock proceeded to come alive midway through the first half by closing the opening period on a 22-16 run to cut UC's lead down to just three points at 35-32 heading into halftime.
 
Slippery Rock hit seven of its final 14 field goal attempts, including a pair of 3-pointers, to close the first half while forcing Charleston into four turnovers in the final 11 minutes. McFall kept The Rock in the game in the first half with 14 points, four rebounds, two steals and one block. Hughes scored seven of SRU's 22 points over its late first-half run.
 
Charleston came out of the halftime break to push its advantage up to eight points with 10 minutes to play. Slippery Rock battled back by scoring 12 of the following 16 points to pull even with UC at 60-60 with 6:27 left in regulation. McFall scored six points during the spurt.
 
However, after trading baskets for the next minute Charleston went on a decisive 9-2 run to stretch its lead out to seven points, 69-62, with 3:27 showing on the clock.
 
SRU managed to trim its deficit to as little as four points twice over the remainder of the game, but the Golden Eagles made seven of their final eight foul shots down the stretch to hang on for the eventual six-point win.
 
Slippery Rock shot a respectable 43.3 percent (26-for-60) from the field overall and an excellent 87.5 percent (14-of-16) at the foul line, but went just 6-for-23 (26.1 percent) from 3-point territory. SRU committed a season-low seven turnovers while forcing Charleston into 11 miscues which The Rock translated into 11 points.
 
Charleston pulled out the win by shooting 51.9 percent (28-of-54) from the field, 41.2 percent (7-of-17) from 3-point range and 71.4 percent (15-of-21) at the foul line while ending the contest with a +10 rebounding margin (36-26). Keith Williams and Lamont McManus combined to score 31 of Charleston's 78 points.
 
Slippery Rock remains on the road for a pair of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crossover contests starting 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at Mansfield University.
 
 



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