SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team defeated Mercyhurst University, 49-46, Wednesday at Morrow Field House in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division defensive slugfest.
 
Wednesday's win lifts The Rock's overall record to 10-10 and their PSAC West mark to 8-6 while the visiting Lakers drop to 10-12 overall and 6-8 inside the conference.
 
SRU's overall winning percentage is the best it has been since beginning the year 1-0. More importantly, The Rock now holds sole possession of fourth place in the PSAC West standings by a full game over fifth-place Seton Hill (7-7) and two games ahead Mercyhurst.
 
While the top six teams in the PSAC West standings at the end of the year qualify for conference tournament, the fourth seed is very important as it comes with a first round home game.
 
After trailing for the game's opening 10 minutes, Slippery Rock overcame a slow start to take a lead midway through the first half that it maintained for the majority of the next 29 minutes before the Lakers went on a late run, grabbing a 46-45 advantage with 19.9 seconds left in regulation and coming out of a timeout with possession.
 
However, the ensuing inbounds pass that was intended for a cutting Aidan Reichert in the paint sailed off the mark and was scooped up by a diving Jomo Goings, who was then fouled in a collision for the loose ball to send the redshirt sophomore to the foul line with 17.8 seconds showing on the clock.
 
Goings, an 82.1 percent free throw shooter on the year, collected himself and proceeded to calmly connect on both free throws to give Slippery Rock a slim 47-46 edge.
 
After a timeout by Rock head coach Ian Grady to setup his defense, Mercyhurst's Alexander Parks launched what would have been a go-ahead jumper from just outside the foul line that was off target with the accompanying rebound being pulled down by Lashon Lindsey.
 
Following the rebound, Lindsey kicked a pass out to Luke Howes who in turn found Ike Herster for an emphatic dunk as time expired en route to the three-point SRU victory.
 
Goings' clutch foul shooting capped off a 12-point, five-rebound, two-block, one-steal performance. Herster scored a team-high 13 points as well.
 
Maceo Austin just missed out on a double-double after going for 12 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
 
Lindsey registered three blocks and by doing so became just the fourth player in program history to record 100 career blocks.
 
Howes passed out four assists while not committing a single turnover in addition to scoring five points. Sheick Samoura rounded out The Rock's top performers by blocking a personal-best three shots.
 
Since starting the year with eight losses by nine points or less in the first 15 games, Slippery Rock has shifted the momentum of the season as three of its last four wins have been of the single-digit variety.  
 
The Rock overcame a rough shooting performance in which they made just 37.8 percent (17-of-45) of their field goal attempts and 57.9 percent (11-of-19) of their free throws by holding Mercyhurst, which entered the game ranked fifth in the PSAC in overall shooting and third in 3-point accuracy, to a .364 (20-of-55) total field goal percentage that included only making 3-of-13 3-point attempts.
 
Slippery Rock, which headed into the evening ranked fourth in Division II in blocks per game, ended the contest having produced a team single-game high 11 rejections.
 
The Rock's 46 points allowed marks the first time SRU has kept an opponent under 50 points since beating Clarion 73-46 on Jan. 3, 2020 – a stretch of 94 games.
 
Jeff Planutis scored a game-high 18 points to lead Mercyhurst.

Slippery Rock continues its mini two-game homestand when it hosts Seton Hill 3 p.m. Saturday for another key PSAC West game. 



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