SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – In what was its largest win over a current Division II school in 34 years, the Slippery Rock University men's basketball team earned a 105-62 victory against Mansfield Tuesday at Morrow Field House.
 
The victory, SRU's fourth in as many games, improved its record to 6-6 overall and 3-2 inside the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference while the visiting Mountaineers fall to 3-8 overall and 1-4 in league competition.  
 
Slippery Rock's 105 points marked the program's first 100-point game against a fellow PSAC team since beating Lock Haven University 102-65 on Feb. 18, 2009. Additionally, SRU's 43-point victory is tied for the sixth highest scoring margin against a current Division II team in program history, and the most since beating the District of Columbia by 49 points (120-71) on Dec. 20, 1990.
 
As a team, The Rock set season-highs in points, made field goals (37), made 3-pointers (13), rebounds (47), steals (19) and forced turnovers (25) in addition to registering efficient shooting percentages of .481 (37-of-77) overall, .448 (13-of-29) from 3-point range and .750 (18-of-24) at the foul line.
 
SRU also committed just 12 turnovers, capitalized on Mansfield mistakes with 27 points off turnovers, held a +10 rebounding margin (47-37) and scored 34 fast break points – the highest such specialty stat in its 92 games.
 
On an evening in which 13 Rock athletes saw playing time, SRU was led by the duo of Luke Howes and Bobby Clifford with matching career-high 23-point outings.   
 
Howes, who also dished out seven assists, grabbed four rebounds and made three steals, earned his personal-best point total by going 5-for-9 from 3-point range as part of an overall 7-of-12 shooting effort that was accompanied by a 4-for-4 display at the foul line.
 
Clifford connected on four of his five 3-point attempts as well all the while going for a career-high tying four steals, blocking three shots and grabbing four rebounds.
 
Maceo Austin put forth one of his top statistical showings of the 2024-25 season in 20-point, five-rebound, four-block, four-assist, three-steal fashion.
 
Joining Austin, Clifford and Howes in double figures was Ike Herster, who scored 17 points, passed out four assists and tallied a career-best four steals. Half of Herster's six made field goals came from distance as the redshirt junior climbed to 15th in program history for 3-pointers made in a career with 84.
 
In what was an all-around team victory, Jomo Goings added nine points, six assists and three steals while Day Waters pulled in 10 rebounds, O'Meech Wilson grabbed nine boards of his own and Mack Staunch produced four points and five rebounds.
 
Mansfield kept the game close for the opening 13 minutes of competition, but Slippery Rock turned a seven-point advantage at the 7:57 mark in the first half into a 49-29 lead heading into the halftime break courtesy of an impressive 23-10 half-ending spurt. Howes scored 10 points over the game's decisive run.
 
The second half was never in doubt as The Rock worked their lead out to an even 40 points at 99-59 with 3:36 to play in regulation when head coach Ian Grady, who won his 90th career game Tuesday, put in five more reserves who were able to tack on three points to SRU's already sizable edge on the way to the 43-point victory.
 
Mansfield was led by Scott Woodring's 11-point, 12-rebound double-double. As a team, the Mounties shot 39.3 percent (24-of-61) from the field overall, 33.3 percent (5-of-15) from 3-point range and 47.4 percent (9-of-19) at the foul line.
 
Slippery Rock will look to continue its winning ways when it heads to East Stroudsburg University in search of a fifth consecutive victory 3 p.m. Saturday.




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