SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team dropped a close Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division contest to No. 11 Mercyhurst University, 73-66, Monday at Morrow Field House.
 
Slippery Rock, which was playing just its third game in the last 36 days, saw its record drop to 10-4 overall and 6-2 in conference play following the loss while the nationally ranked Lakers improved to 16-3 overall and 10-3 in PSAC competition with the win.
 
Mercyhurst, which ranks second in the PSAC in 3-point shooting percentage and third in overall shooting percentage, converted 54 percent (27-of-50) of its total shots on the night and 44.4 percent (8-of-18) of its 3-point attempts while holding SRU to a season-low shooting percentage of .379 (25-of-66) that included a 6-of-25 showing from 3-point range.
 
Amante Britt scored 17 points while grabbing four rebounds, passing out two assists, blocking one shot and coming away with one steal to lead The Rock. Frankie Hughes also finished in double figures, scoring 12 points to go with six rebounds, two steals, two assists and one block.
 
Nik Cazacu, who was making his first start of the season, added nine points on 4-of-5 shooting to go with six rebounds and one block. Lashon Lindsey, who was also in the starting lineup for the second time in the last three games, chipped in eight points, five rebounds and three assists as well.
 
Tyler Frederick and Bobby Clifford rounded out The Rock's top performers at seven points and four rebounds apiece with Clifford also dishing out four assists.
 
Mercyhurst led by 10 points, 25-15, midway through the first half before The Rock mounted a 12-1 run over the next five minutes capped off by a Britt 3-pointer to put SRU ahead 27-26 with five minutes left in the opening period. Five different Rock players scored during the run.
 
The Lakers answered back by opening up a seven-point lead over the final minutes before settling for a 34-32 advantage heading into the break.
 
The second half saw Mercyhurst steadily build on its halftime lead, resulting in an eventual 55-42 edge with 12:21 remaining in regulation. Slippery Rock once again went to work on erasing another double-digit deficit as the quintet of Lindsey, Frederick, Britt, Clifford and Cazacu all scored as part of a 17-7 surge which cut Mercyhurst's lead to just 62-59 with 4:19 to play in regulation.
 
However, just as they did all night when Slippery Rock was threatening to push ahead, Mercyhurst responded with an efficient offensive attack that included making five its final six field goals and holding The Rock to just one made field goal over the final four minutes en route to a seven-point Laker victory.  
 
Slippery Rock closed out the game holding a +10 (39-29) advantage in rebounding with 18 of the boards coming on the offensive glass which translated into 19 second chance points. The Rock also scored 22 points on 16 Mercyhurst turnovers. After committing 10 first-half turnovers, SRU settled down in the second half with just five miscues over the final 20 minutes.
 
Four of Mercyhurst's five starters scored at least 10 points led by a near double-double performance of 18 points and eight rebounds from Cameron Gross.
 
For the first time in over a month, Slippery Rock will take to the road when it plays at Millersville University 7:30 p.m. Wednesday for what will be The Rock's final PSAC crossover contest of the regular season. SRU is a perfect 5-0 in games against schools from the PSAC East this season.






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