SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team battled its way to a hard-fought 71-68 victory over Davis & Elkins College Saturday on day two of the Atlantic Region Challenge at Morrow Field House.
 
The non-conference victory pushes The Rock's record to 2-0 while the Senators leave SRU at 1-1. Slippery Rock has now started a season with consecutive wins for the first time since 2022-23.
 
While not as flashy as its 114-point season-opening win over West Virginia Wesleyan College, Slippery Rock earned its latest victory thanks in no small part to a defensive effort that saw SRU limit D&E to a .348 (24-of-69) overall field goal percentage and a mere 6-of-23 showing from 3-point range. Slippery Rock also tallied a +7 (50-43) rebounding margin.
 
Offensively, Ike Herster led four Rock players in double figures with 12 points to go with six rebounds and two assists.
 
A trio of freshmen were SRU's other leading scorers. Brady Mayo wen for 11 points, four rebounds and three steals. Elijah Hill just missed out on a double-double with 10 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Braylon Littlejohn came off the bench to go for 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
 
Isaac James posted team-highs in rebounds (10) and assists (3) while scoring six points. RJ Sledge and Dame Givner combined for 13 points with Sledge also pocketing three steals and grabbing five rebounds.
 
Sheick Samoura had SRU's lone block and Enire Bowens provided Slippery Rock with quality minutes in the second half en route to finishing with five points and four rebounds.
 
As a team, Slippery Rock shot 35.8 percent from the field overall and 23.5 percent (4-of-17) from distance. The Rock overcame a subpar shooting night from the field by converting an efficient 82.6 percent (19-of-23) of their foul shots.
 
SRU also turned their 18 offensive rebounds into 17 second chance points while running their way to 16 fastbreak points.  
 
Davis & Elkins was led by Matthew Gray's game-high 25 points. Gray, who went 4-for-7 from distance, also had nine rebounds and three steals. As a team, the Senators forced The Rock into 17 turnovers while committing just 14 miscues of their own. However, D&E ultimately could not overcome its shaky shooting, including a 14-for-23 outing at the foul line (.609).
 
Offense was at a premium in the first half. Slippery Rock found itself trailing by 12 points at 21-9 12 minutes into the game after making just two of its first 20 field goal attempts.
 
Undeterred, Slippery Rock methodically clawed its way back into the contest, closing the opening half on a 25-11 run to take a slim two-point lead into halftime. Herster and Mayo combined for 15 of The Rock's first-half points.
 
SRU maintained a lead for a large portion of the second half, but with 2:50 to play in regulation found itself trailing 63-62. However, Hill scored the following six points for The Rock sandwiched around one D&E free throw, giving SRU a 68-64 edge with 1:50 to play.
 
While Davis & Elkins cut The Rock's lead to two points on two separate occasions down the stretch, Slippery Rock kept the upset-minded Senators at bay with three successful foul shots – two from Mayo and one by Herster – as well as Sledge forcing Noah Adamczyk into an off-balance and contested 3-pointer that banged harmlessly off the rim at the buzzer for a three-point home win.
 
Slippery Rock will look to start its season 3-0 for just the second time since 2009-10 when it hosts Wheeling University 7 p.m. Nov. 19 at Morrow Field House.





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