CALIFORNIA, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team lost to No. 8 California (Pa.), 91-57, Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament.
 
Slippery Rock ends its season with a 16-14 overall record. After losing five of their first six games, The Rock bounced back by winning 15 of the final 22 contests in 2023-24. Slippery Rock held a 13-9 record inside the PSAC and earned the third seed for the conference tournament out of the PSAC West.
 
SRU has now recorded six consecutive winning seasons. Additionally, this year's team snapped a five-year postseason winless streak for the program courtesy of its 71-69 victory over Seton Hill University in the first round of the PSAC Tournament.
 
Maceo Austin led the way for Slippery Rock Wednesday with a 15-point, seven-rebound, two-steal effort prior to fouling out after 27 minutes played. Ike Herster joined Austin in double figures with 10 points.
 
Austin ends his first year at The Rock as the team's leading scorer (16.9 ppg) and as one of just three players in program history to total 30 made 3-pointers and 30 blocks in a single-season.
 
Lashon Lindsey added eight points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals while Jomo Goings and Sheick Samoura chipped in seven points apiece with Goings blocking one shot and Samoura coming up with a pair of steals as well as five assists.
 
Rounding out SRU's scorers were Nik Cazacu (5), Colin McQuiston (3) and Luke Howes (2).
 
SRU struggled offensively for the majority of the game as it finished the night shooting 29.6 percent (21-for-71) from the field overall and 4-for-29 (.138) from 3-point range. Slippery Rock did shoot 84.6 percent (11-for-13) from the foul line, but was held to a -11 (49-38) rebounding margin.
 
The Vulcans countered by converting 48.4 percent of its overall field goal attempts, including a 50 percent (9-for-18) performance from 3-point territory to go along with a 20-of-24 (.833) effort at the foul line.
 
Points were at a premium early on with California and Slippery Rock trading possessions before the Vulcans edged their way out to a tight 13-10 lead eight minutes into what was a physical game for the duration of the evening.
 
However, the three-point margin was as close as SRU could get for the remainder of regulation. California scored 10 of the game's next 12 points to grab a 23-12 lead it never relinquished.
 
The Vulcans went on to stretch their lead out to as many as 22 points at the halftime break before further pulling away in the second half for the eventual 91-57 victory.
 
California, which now moves onto the PSAC Tournament semifinals where it will play a yet to be determined team from the PSAC Eastern Division, was led by the duo of KJ McClurg and Bryson Lucas who combined to score 44 points.
 
Wednesday marked the final games in the collegiate careers of The Rock's senior class of Lindsey, Cazacu and Bobby Clifford.
 
Lindsey leaves Slippery Rock ranked third in program history in games played (116), fourth in blocks (111), fifth in minutes played (2,918), 10th in total rebounds (776), 12th in offensive rebounds (191), 13th in made 3-pointers (86) and 14th in steals (98).
 
Cazacu played in the sixth most games in SRU men's basketball history (113) while Clifford leaves The Rock slotted 20th in career minutes played (2,026) and 24th in blocks (39).  





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