MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team lost a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crossover contest at Millersville University, 77-69, Wednesday.
 
With the loss, Slippery Rock's record drops to 10-5 overall and 6-3 in PSAC games while Millersville improves to 15-4 overall and 9-4 in league outings following its sixth straight win.
 
Lashon Lindsey paced The Rock's efforts against the Marauders by scoring a career-high 18 points to go with eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Lindsey, who was making his second consecutive start, went 7-for-12 from the field overall and 4-of-8 from 3-point range.
 
The trio of Frankie Hughes, Amante Britt and Tyler Frederick scored nine points apiece. Britt chipped in three assists and three steals as well with Hughes blocking two shots and Frederick hauling in five rebounds.
 
Rounding out The Rock's top performers were Earl Baker Jr. and Dylan Ahearn. The reserve tandem each made two 3-pointers while scoring eight points apiece while Ahearn also pulled down four rebounds.
 
A slow start in which Slippery Rock made just one of its opening 10 shots led to Millersville opening up a 12-2 lead over the game's opening six minutes.
 
SRU came alive over the next 11 minutes as it methodically whittled down the Marauders' advantage, eventually cutting the deficit to as little as four points at 32-28 late in the half before MU answered back by scoring four consecutive points to take an eight-point lead into the break.
 
However, Millersville proceeded to score 14 of the first 21 points in the second half to grow its lead to 15 points, 50-35, with 15:49 to play in regulation. Slippery Rock spent the rest of the contest chasing down the Marauders' advantage and while SRU was able to trim its deficit to six points on two separate occasions, it could never quite finish off the comeback bid as Millersville held on down the stretch to earn the 77-69 home victory.
 
SRU finished the night with its third-lowest field goal percentage of the season (.406, 28-of-69) while making 12 of its 35 3-point attempts (34.3 percent). Following an uncharacteristically high 15-turnover game on Monday against Mercyhurst, SRU returned to form and made just nine errors Wednesday while forcing the Marauders into 12 miscues which The Rock turned into 13 points.
 
Millersville enjoyed an 18-5 advantage in free throw attempts with The Rock making just one of their season-low shots from the foul line compared to MU converting 12 of its attempts. The Marauders also closed the night with a +11 (46-35) advantage in rebounding while shooting 46 percent from the field overall (29-of-63) and 36.8 percent (7-of-19) from 3-point range.
 
James Sullivan scored a game-high 25 points while Caden Najdawi had a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds.
 
Slippery Rock returns to PSAC West competition when it hosts Cal U 3 p.m. Saturday at Morrow Field House.
 
 
 


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