JOHNSTOWN, Pa. -  The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team overcame a 14-point deficit to earn an 80-77 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division road victory Saturday at Pitt-Johnstown.
 
Saturday's win is The Rock's third victory in the last four games, improving their record to 7-9 overall and 5-5 inside the PSAC West. Additionally, the triumph was Slippery Rock's first victory away from Morrow Field House this season and its first win at Pitt-Johnstown since 2013.
 
Slippery Rock recorded its most efficient game of the year as SRU closed the win with season-highs in both total field goal percentage (.534 / 31-of-58) and 3-point field goal percentage (.478 / 11-of-23).
 
After making just seven of its first 20 field goal attempts on the day, Slippery Rock closed out the win by hitting 24 of its final 38 shots (.632).
 
Four of the eight athletes to play in Saturday's game for The Rock finished in double figures led by Jomo Goings, who posted a career-high 23 points. Goings has now scored at least 18 points in three straight games.
 
Goings went 9-for-14 from the field overall, 3-for-5 from distance and a perfect 2-for-2 at the foul line all the while grabbing six rebounds, passing out three assists and blocking one shot.
 
Maceo Austin tallied his third 20-point game in The Rock's last four contests as part of a 21-point, eight-rebound, four-steal, one-block effort. Luke Howes also flirted with a double-double with 15 points and seven assists.
 
The trio of Goings, Austin and Howes combined shoot 9-of-15 from 3-point territory with matching 3-for-5 outings from beyond the arc.
 
Lashon Lindsey rounded out The Rock's leading scorers with 12 points in addition to five rebounds and one block.
 
A slow start once again plagued The Rock as Pitt-Johnstown built up an 11-point, 21-10, edge eight minutes into the contest. The Mountain Cats stretched their lead out to as many as 14 before SRU closed the first half on a 18-9 run to trim its deficit to a mere five points at 40-35 heading into the break.  
 
Slippery Rock carried over its momentum from late in the first half into second period as SRU came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders en route to overtaking the UPJ lead and posting its own 14-point advantage in the form of a 65-51 edge at the midway point in the second half.
 
The decisive run was spearheaded by Goings with 10 points over the stretch.
 
UPJ answered The Rock's big start by slowly chipping away at SRU's lead over the reminder of the day as Pitt-Johnstown pulled to within one possession on three separate occasions with the last surge coming off an Andy Zuchelli 3-pointer that made it a 79-77 game with four seconds remaining in regulation.
 
However, Lindsey, who was fouled on the ensuing possession following Zuchelli's 3-pointer, converted 1-of-2 foul shots in the game's waning moments while a desperation attempt at the buzzer by UPJ following the second free throw was well off target giving way to SRU's three-point win.
 
Pitt-Johnstown was led by Zuchelli, who scored a game-high 26 points. As a team, the Mountain Cats shot 49.2 percent (31-of-63) from the field overall, 50-percent (8-of-16) from 3-point range and 70 percent (7-of-10) at the foul line.
 
Slippery Rock will look to continue its winning ways when it returns home to host Clarion 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24 at Morrow Field House. SRU has won three straight games against Clarion and have not lost to the Golden Eagles at home since 2016.




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