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SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team lost its final exhibition game of the 2024-25 preseason to Syracuse University, 96-51, Wednesday at the JMA Wireless Dome.
 
Slippery Rock, which was without the services of three of this year's projected starters Wednesday, played its counterparts from the Atlantic Coast Conference tight for the opening 13 minutes of regulation before a sizable run by the Orange to end the first half put the game out of reach.
 
Jomo Goings compiled a 17-point, 10-rebound, four-steal, one-block double-double to pace The Rock's efforts. Day Waters also finished in double figures with 11 points. Bobby Clifford and Sheick Samoura scored six points each with Clifford also grabbing five rebounds.
 
The interior duo of Michael Moore and O'Meech Wilson played a combined 45 minutes. Moore went for five points, six rebounds, two steals and one block in addition to Wilson's team-highs of seven rebounds and two blocks.
 
The Orange opened the game on an 8-2 run before SRU answered back with Goings converting a pair of buckets – the second being a transition basket off a block by Wilson - to make it a two-point game with 14 minutes to play in the first half.
 
Despite only shooting 4-of-16 to open the game, Slippery Rock stayed within striking distance of Syracuse thanks to a scrappy defensive effort that saw SRU limit SU to a .357 field goal percentage (5-of-14) and included a pair of blocks by Wilson to keep the Orange's lead at 16-10 midway through the half.
 
The Rock trimmed their deficit to five points at 21-16 entering the under eight media timeout (7:39), but SRU's hopes of an upset over the fifth-winningest program in Division I men's basketball history was halted when the Orange closed the opening 20 minutes on a 30-8 run to take a 27-point lead into the halftime break.
 
Goings collected 12 points, six rebounds and two steals in first half while Waters chipped in seven points.
 
Syracuse went on to extend its lead to as many as 48 points in the second half on the way to the 45-point final margin.
 
As a team, Slippery Rock shot 22.1 percent (15-of-68) from the field overall and 69.2 percent (18-of-26) at the foul line while holding advantages over Syracuse in both blocks (5-4) and steals (12-8). SRU also parlayed 17 offensive rebounds into 15 second chance points.
 
Syracuse closed the win shooting 50 percent (32-of-64) from the field and 46.9 percent (15-of-32) from 3-point range as well as 65.4 percent (17-of-26) from the line. The Orange held a +8 (50-42) rebounding margin over SRU. Chris Bell led five Syracuse players in double figures with 17 points.
 
Slippery Rock's season officially gets underway when it hosts the Atlantic Region Challenge Nov. 8-9 at Morrow Field House. As part of the two-day event, SRU will play Shaw 7 p.m. Nov. 8 followed by a 7 p.m. Nov. 9 meeting with Virginia Union.
 


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