CALIFORNIA, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team made 14 of its final 16 free throws to preserve an 87-81 road victory against California University (Pa.) Monday night at the Convocation Center.
 
The win stretches Slippery Rock's current winning streak to five games while improving its overall record to 16-10 and its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division mark to 12-8. Cal U, which entered the game as the fifth-ranked team in the Atlantic Region, falls to 19-7 overall and 14-6 in league games with the loss.
 
Monday's win also assures Slippery Rock of being no worse than the fifth seed out of the Western Division in the upcoming PSAC Tournament.
 
All five Slippery Rock starters finished in double figures led by Tyler Frederick who recorded his third consecutive, and 11th total, double-double in the form of a 24-point, 13-rebound, three-assist, one-block and one-steal effort.
 
Frankie Hughes scored 23 points, 17 of which came in the first half, thanks in part to a 5-of-10 showing from 3-point range. The five 3-pointers pushed Hughes season total to 78, tying him for second place in program history for 3-pointers made in a season with Jared Armstrong (2018-19). Hughes needs nine more 3's over the remainder of the year to tie SRU's record of 87 3-pointers made by Mark Metzka in 1994-95.
 
Jonathan McFall was a perfect 7-for-7 at the foul line en route to a 15-point night that also featured six rebounds, one block and one steal.
 
Amante Britt, the reigning PSAC West Athlete of the Week, scored 13 points and pocketed two steals while distributing five assists over 40 minutes of playing time. Fellow starter Bobby Clifford scored 11 points on an efficient 4-of-6 shooting night from the field and a perfect 2-for-2 mark at the foul line all the while grabbing six rebounds.
 
Lashon Lindsey and Dylan Ahearn came off the bench to provide Slippery Rock with five rebounds and two steals, respectively.
 
The Vulcans led by as many as nine points very early in the game before Slippery Rock closed the opening 20 minutes by scoring 33 of the final 48 points of the half to take a 42-37 lead into the break.
 
Slippery Rock went on to stretch its lead to 10 points at 52-42 through the first four minutes of the second half before a 23-13 Vulcan run over the next 10 minutes evened the contest at 65-65 with six minutes left in regulation.
 
Undeterred, Slippery Rock answered the run by scoring eight straight with Frederick tallying five points and McFall three over the surge to re-take the lead, 73-65, at the final media timeout.
 
California cut The Rock's advantage to just two points with 2:07 remaining, but would get no closer as SRU's clutch foul shooting in the game's waning moments sealed the win.
 
The Rock made 14-of-16 free throws in the final two minutes to close out the road victory with McFall (6-for-6), Britt (2-for-2) and Clifford (2-for-2) all being perfect down the stretch while Hughes (3-for-4) and Frederick (1-of-2) missed only one free throw apiece.
 
Offensively, Slippery Rock closed the night shooting 44.4 percent (28-of-63) from the field overall to go with great shooting percentages from both long range (.385 / 10-of-26) and at the foul line (.808 / 21-of-26). SRU's 21 successful free throws were a season-high. The Rock also held a +2 rebounding margin over the Vulcans (43-41).
 
Defensively, SRU limited Cal U to a 40.8 field goal percentage (31-of-76) overall which included a 7-of-37 (.189) 3-point shooting percentage. California connected on just 1-of-17 3-point attempts in the second half. While the Vulcans did force The Rock into 11 turnovers while only making eight of their own California was only able score nine points off of the miscues.
 
Philip Alston had a double-double of 24 points and 14 rebounds in the loss for the Vulcans.
 
SRU's 87 points Monday were its second-highest point total of the season against a Division II team. Slippery Rock has now won eight of its last 10 games when playing on the Vulcans' home court.
 
Slippery Rock closes out the home portion of its 2021-22 schedule when it hosts Edinboro University 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Morrow Field House. The game will serve as Slippery Rock's Senior Day as the program will honor Frederick and Eric Taylor for their contributions to the program over their careers.
 




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