WHEELING, W. Va. – The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team erased a 15-point second half deficit to earn an 81-78 road win Tuesday at Wheeling University.
 
The non-conference victory improves The Rock's record to 7-1 overall. SRU is now 6-0 in non-conference games this season, which is tied for the program's best non-league record dating back to 1951. Wheeling falls to 1-9 in 2022-23 following the loss. Of the Cardinals' nine losses, six have been by four points or less.
 
Veteran point guard Amante Britt spearheaded Slippery Rock's comeback victory by scoring a game-high 24 points for what his fourth game of the season with at least 20 points. After missing his first five shots of the night, Britt got dialed in and went 9-of-17 overall, and 4-of-7 from 3-point range, over the final 29 minutes of regulation.
 
Britt has now made at least one 3-pointer in nine straight games, the seventh longest such streak by a Rock player in the last 14 years. With a minimum of 20 games left in his final collegiate season, Britt already ranks 12th in program history for 3-pointers made in a career with 86.
 
The post duo of Lashon Lindsey and Khalid Gates aided Britt offensively as Lindsey provided The Rock with a 13-point, 14-rebound double-double while Gates went for 16 points. Both players also tallied one steal and one block apiece.
 
Dylan Ahearn came off the bench to register seven points, five rebounds, four assists and one steal. Ahmad Galimore chipped in six points while Bobby Clifford and Jomo Goings scored five points each to round out SRU's top scorers with Galimore also tallying two steals and Clifford pulling in five rebounds.
 
Wheeling made 54.5 percent of its field goal attempts over the opening 20 minutes while limiting SRU to a 32.5 percent showing from the field as it took a nine-point, 45-36, lead into the halftime break.
 
Things seemed dire for The Rock after the Cardinals began the second half with a 9-3 spurt to stretch their lead out to a seemingly safe 15-point margin at 54-39 with 18:03 left to play in regulation.
 
However, Slippery Rock methodically chipped away at its deficit. With Wheeling holding on to a 64-54 advantage at the 12:36 mark in the period, SRU embarked on a 20-10 run that was capped off by a pair of successful free throws from Britt to tie the game at 74-74 with 4:16 to play.
 
The two teams proceeded to trade baskets for the following three minutes before Britt converted a mid-range jumper that pushed SRU ahead 80-78 with just 38 seconds showing on the clock.
 
SRU would close out the victory by holding Wheeling scoreless following Britt's go-ahead basket while Ahearn added an insurance free throw on the way to the three-point comeback win on the road.
 
The Rock had their best long range shooting night of the year as they set season-highs in both 3-pointers made (10) and 3-point field goal percentage (.435 / 10-of-23). SRU also matched its season-low for miscues in a game with nine while forcing Wheeling into 10, which were parlayed into 17 points off turnovers.
 
Overall, SRU shot 42.3 percent (30-of-71) from the field thanks in no small part to a 17-for-31 showing in the second half. Slippery Rock also held a slight +3 rebounding margin (38-35). SRU now holds a +86 (363-277) scoring margin in the second half of games this year.
 
Wheeling finished the game shooting 49.2 percent (29-of-59) overall, 40 percent (8-of-20) from 3-point range and 60 percent (12-of-20) at the foul line. After making nearly half of their 3-point attempts in the first half, Slippery Rock limited the Cardinals to a 2-for-7 performance from 3-point territory over the final 20 minutes.
 
John Korte paced Wheeling with 19 points, eight rebounds and five blocks.
 
Slippery Rock returns to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference competition when it hosts back-to-back crossover games at Morrow Field House against Eastern Division counterparts Mansfield University (Dec. 18 / 3 p.m.) and Bloomsburg University (Dec. 19 / 3 p.m.)
 



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