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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team overcame an early 10-point deficit with a late first half run followed by a dominant final 20 minutes on the way to a convincing 81-62 victory over Indiana University (Pa.) Saturday at Morrow Field House.
 
SRU has now won three consecutive games to improve its record to 14-12 overall and 12-8 inside the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division while the visiting Crimson Hawks leave The Rock at 16-10 overall and 13-7 inside the PSAC West.
 
Saturday's 19-point victory marked The Rock's largest win over Indiana since a 105-81 triumph at Morrow Field House on Feb. 6, 1991.
 
Slippery Rock currently finds itself in fourth place of the PSAC West standings with a two-game lead over fifth-place Seton Hill in addition to being just one game behind IUP for third place.
 
The third and fourth seeds in the PSAC Tournament earn the right to host opening-round games. While not mathematically official yet, Saturday's win put SRU in a strong position to secure one of those two all-important spots entering the final week of the regular season.
 
Slippery Rock, which played just six athletes Saturday, saw significant contributions from every player who took the court.
 
Jomo Goings and Ike Herster went for 20 points and one block apiece with Herster also pocketing three steals and grabbing five rebounds.
 
Lashon Lindsey produced his second straight double-double after going for 17 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and one block. Sheick Samoura turned in one of his best all-around performances to date with 18 points, four rebounds, two blocks, two steals and two assists.
 
Point guard Luke Howes navigated the offense by dishing out five assists while Bobby Clifford came off the bench to score three points, pass out four assists and pull down four rebounds.
 
A slow start that saw The Rock make just two of their first 12 field goal attempts resulted in the Crimson Hawks jumping out to a 15-5 lead over the first seven minutes of regulation. However, IUP was unable to maintain its double-digit and put Slippery Rock away early.
 
SRU bounced back from its shaky opening by closing the first half on a 34-12 run to head into the halftime break leading by 12 points.
 
The decisive run of the first half occurred with IUP ahead 23-18 and 6:15 to play in the first half. Slippery Rock scored 15 straight points over the following five minutes to capture the momentum and take a double-digit lead of its own that SRU would largely hold the rest of the contest.
 
Slippery Rock closed out the win by ensuring there wouldn't be a second-half comeback for IUP. After trading baskets for much first four minutes of the final half, SRU produced another impressive run – this one of the 17-5 variety – to stretch its advantage all the way out to 24 points midway through the period.
 
The Rock went on to lead by as many as 28 points with five minutes to play before coasting to the eventual 81-62 decision.
 
As was the case in Wednesday's overtime victory at Clarion, SRU once again earned its victory on the heels of a strong shooting performance as The Rock converted 49.2 percent (29-for-59) of its total field goal attempts and 41.7 percent (10-for-24) of their attempts from distance alongside a season-best 92.9 percent (13-for-14) showing at the free throw line.
 
Slippery Rock also held a +5 (38-33) rebounding margin over the Crimson Hawks while committing just 11 turnovers, five of which came when the game was well out of reach in the final five minutes.
 
Defensively, The Rock held IUP to an overall field goal percentage of just .397 (25-of-63) which included a 3-for-18 effort from beyond the arc. Garvin Clarke led Indiana with a 30-ooint, 12-rebound double-double.
 
The Rock are now 11-1 in games played at Morrow Field House this season.
 
Slippery Rock will look to continue its late-season charge when it hosts Edinboro 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at Morrow Field House. SRU defeated the Fighting Scots, 81-74, on the road earlier in the year.





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