SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team played its most complete game of the season on the way to a convincing 96-71 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division victory over California (Pa.) Saturday at Morrow Field House.
 
The win improves The Rock's record to 11-2 overall and 5-2 in the PSAC while the Vulcans fall to 5-8 overall and 2-5 in league competition. SRU's 11-2 record is tied for the third-best 13-game start to a season in the program's 112-year history. Additionally, Slippery Rock has now won 12 straight games at Morrow Field House for what is the third longest home winning streak in the PSAC.
 
The Rock's 96 points represent their highest scoring output against a Division II team since beating Clarion 97-64 on Jan. 16, 2019 – a span of 84 games.
 
SRU's offensive explosion was an efficient one at that as The Rock recorded season-highs in field goal percentage (.633 / 38-of-60) and 3-point shooting (.524 / 11-of-21) thanks in no small part to 17 assists, which were also a season-best, all the while connecting on 81.8 percent (9-of-11) of its free throw attempts.
 
Defensively, The Rock matched their previous season-high in steals with 12 as SRU limited the Vulcans to their lowest point total of the season.
 
In a game in which every active member of Slippery Rock's roster saw the floor, SRU was led by the duo of Amante Britt and Jonathan McFall.
 
Britt went 9-of-13 from the field, and 4-for-6 from long range, to finish with 23 points in addition to distributing a game-high five assists. Britt's big game pushed him into seventh place in program history for assists in a career (296) and 10th for all-time made 3-pointers (92).
 
Not to be outdone, McFall went for 22 points, three rebounds and three steals. McFall, who was 3-for-5 from 3-point territory and 5-for-5 at the foul line against California, has now converted seven of his last 11 3-point attempts. He has also hit 16 straight foul shots dating back to the second half of SRU's Dec. 2 game at Shepherd.
 
Khalid Gates and Jomo Goings rounded out The Rock's double-digit scorers with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Gates also had two steals and one block while Goings collected three rebounds and one steal.
 
Lashon Lindsey produced a great all-around performance as he just missed a double-double with nine points, 10 rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocks. Bobby Clifford scored seven points and Ahmad Galimore had six points, five rebounds and one steal as well.
 
California matched The Rock shot-for-shot early on and even led by one point at 11-10 six minutes into regulation. However, SRU proceeded to go on a decisive 24-6 run over the following eight minutes that was spurred on by six points apiece from Goings and Gates to open a 17-point advantage that it would ultimately carry into the halftime break.
 
As impressive as Slippery Rock's first-half performance was, it was even better in the final 20 minutes as SRU connected on 76 percent of its field goal attempts in the second half to put any thoughts of a potential Vulcan comeback to rest. The Rock led by as many as 27 points in the second half en route to the 25-point win.
 
Slippery Rock concluded the game by forcing Cal into 16 miscues which resulted in a season-high 33 points off turnovers while also holding a +9 (32-23) rebounding margin.
 
California closed the contest shooting 47.5 percent (28-of-59) from the field overall, 28.6 percent (6-of-21) from 3-point range and 69.2 percent (9-of-13) at the foul line. Jermaine Hall Jr. paced the Vulcans with 20 points and six rebounds.
 
Saturday's contest was the 100th game in the career of head coach Ian Grady, who is now 62-38 at SRU. Grady's 62 overall victories are the third most by a Rock coach in their first 100 games while his 56 victories against fellow Division II teams are the most in program history through a coaches' first 100 games.
 
Slippery Rock returns to the road for a pair of PSAC West games next week as SRU will first take on upstart Seton Hill University 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11 before traveling to Erie, Pennsylvania where it will square off against perennial contender Mercyhurst University 1 p.m. Jan. 14.
 
 
 

 
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