SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team continued its push towards the postseason with a 90-73 victory over Edinboro in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division competition Wednesday at Morrow Field House.

The Rock improved their record to 15-12 on the year overall and 13-8 inside the PSAC West with the win while Edinboro drops to 7-20 overall and 6-15 in league games.
 
Wednesday's victory also ensures that SRU will host a game in the first round of the PSAC Tournament on March 4 at 7 p.m. against either Mercyhurst University or Seton Hill University.
 
With one game to play in the regular season, Slippery Rock is tied for third place in the PSAC West standings with Indiana University (Pa.).
 
If The Rock and Crimson Hawks finish the regular season with matching records SRU would enter the conference tournament as the third seed due to owning the tiebreaker over IUP. Slippery Rock and Indiana split its season series and both teams were swept by division champion Gannon, but SRU earned a victory over second-seeded California which defeated Indiana twice.
 
In addition to its postseason ramifications, Wednesday's win also stretched The Rock's current winning streak to a season-long four games while securing the program's sixth consecutive winning season – five of which have been under the direction of head coach Ian Grady.
 
A dominant home team, SRU has gone 12-1 in games played at Morrow Field House in 2023-24. Additionally, Slippery Rock has now won 10 straight games against Edinboro and have not lost to the Fighting Scots at Morrow Field House since 2017.
 
Six of The Rock's standard seven-man rotation finished in double figures against Edinboro led by Ike Herster, who poured in a game-high 23 points after converting 8-of-14 field goal attempts including a 4-for-7 night from 3-point range. Herster has made at least one 3-pointer in 11 straight games.
 
Lashon Lindsey and Sheick Samoura went for 13 points apiece with Lindsey also grabbing seven rebounds and passing out three assists while Samoura posted a game-high three blocks.
 
Maceo Austin and Bobby Clifford turned in matching scoring efforts as well at 11 points each. Austin grabbed seven rebounds, dished out four assists and came away with four steals. Clifford meanwhile, achieved his point total on a perfect shooting night in which the senior went 4-for-4 from the field, including three 3-pointers.  
 
Jomo Goings rounded out SRU's top scorers as part of a 10-point, five-rebound, five-assist, one-block, one-steal showing. Point guard Luke Howes just missed out on double figures as well, finishing with nine points, three assists and a block.
 
While Slippery Rock didn't blow the game open until late, the contest was never in doubt as SRU never trailed and ultimately held a lead for 39:33 of the possible 40 minutes.
 
Slippery Rock, which led by 10 points through the opening 20 minutes of regulation, traded baskets with the Fighting Scots for the first eight minutes of the second half with Edinboro eventually shaving one point off its halftime deficit to make it a 56-47 game.
 
However, Lindsey made a 3-pointer at the 12:07 mark of the period to give SRU a double-digit lead it never relinquished. The Rock went on to stretch their advantage out to as many as 19 points on the way to the eventual 17-point triumph.
 
As has been the case the last five games, SRU once again enjoyed a great team shooting performance Wednesday. The Rock closed game making 52.5 percent (32-for-61) of their total field goal attempts and 47.6 percent (10-for-21) of their attempts from 3-point range in addition to a 76.2 percent (16-for-21) effort at the foul line.
 
SRU also committed just nine turnovers, marking the second time in the last three games that The Rock have kept their miscues in the single digits. Slippery Rock, the PSAC's leader in blocks, posted nine rejections against Edinboro as well.
 
Edinboro left Morrow Field House shooting just 39.8 percent (33-of-83) from the field overall, including a 4-for-21 (.190) night from distance. The Fighting Scots did make the most of their misses though with 23 offensive rebounds that resulted in 31 second chance points.
 
Madior Seye recorded a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double and Bernie Blunt shot 9-of-23 from the field to finish with 21 points to pace the Fighting Scots.
 
Slippery Rock will head to Mercyhurst 3 p.m. Saturday to close out the regular season with the second of what could potentially be three games between The Rock and Lakers this season. SRU earned a 49-46 victory at home over MU earlier in the year.





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