Slippery Rock University Athletics

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team held Alderson Broaddus University scoreless for the final 4:37 of regulation to complete a 68-62 comeback victory in the 2022-23 season opener Friday at Morrow Field House on day one of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce Conference Challenge.
 
The Battlers led for the entire first half and pushed the advantage out to a game-high nine points with 18:10 to play before Slippery Rock began to rally. The Rock put together an 11-2 run to pull even at 39-39 with 16:18 to play, but Alderson Broaddus answered with another 5-0 run to push the advantage back out to 46-41 with 14:16 to play.
 
Slippery Rock stopped that short rally and went on a 12-3 run to take its first lead of the game. The run was started by a 3-pointer from Amante Britt and capped with a jumper from Jonathan McFall that made it 53-49 in favor of the hosts with 10:05 to play.
 
The teams traded buckets over the next five minutes until Alderson Broaddus led 62-61 with 4:37 to play.
 
From there, The Rock defense slammed the door and shut the Battlers out the rest of the game, while the offense picked up seven points to pull away for the win. Alderson Broaddus went 0-for-5 from the field with seven turnovers and one missed free throw over the final 4:37. Slippery Rock made just two field goals over that stretch, with Lashon Lindsey and Britt both hitting buckets, and knocked down three free throws to account for the final points.
 
Britt paced the SRU offense with a game-high 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting. He scored 17 of those points in the second half and shot 7-of-11 from the floor over the final 20 minutes. McFall added 15 points, four rebounds and two blocked shots and Jomo Goings scored 13 points to give SRU three men in double figures.
 
Lindsey tallied seven points, six rebounds and four steals. Khalid Gates scored five points and blocked two shots in his SRU debut. The Rock got points from nine different players in the game.
 
Slippery Rock finished the night shooting 42.4 percent from the field (25-of-59), 18.8 percent from 3-point (3-of-16) and 65.2 percent at the free throw line (15-of-23).  SRU outscored Alderson Broaddus 26-9 in bench points and 19-14 in points off turnovers.
 
The Battlers posted a 40-34 advantage in total rebounds and finished the game shooting 38.9 percent from the field (21-of-54), 18.2 percent from 3-point (2-of-11) and 81.8 percent from the free throw line (18-of-22).
 
Joe King led Alderson Broaddus with 17 points and nine rebounds and Zach Simpkins added 15 points and six rebounds.  
 
Friday's win marked The Rock's third win in a season-opener over the last five years.
 
Slippery Rock closes out its opening weekend of the 2022-23 season at 6 p.m. Saturday when it hosts Notre Dame College on day two of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce Conference Challenge.




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