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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Behind a barrage of early 3-pointers, the Slippery Rock University men's basketball team opened up a 20-point lead late in the first half, but couldn't hold its advantage in an 86-73 loss to California (Pa.) Saturday at Morrow Field House.
 
Saturday's result moves The Rock's record to 11-12 overall and 7-8 inside the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference while the Vulcans improve to 14-10 overall and 9-7 in league competition following their fourth consecutive victory.
 
With five games remaining in the regular season, Slippery Rock currently sits fourth in the PSAC West standings. SRU is 1.5 games behind the second-place tandem of California and Edinboro as well as being a half game ahead of fifth-place Seton Hill. The top six teams in the PSAC West standings at the end of the year qualify for the PSAC Tournament.
 
Slippery Rock produced its best start to a game this year as SRU scored 11 unanswered points before stretching its lead all the way out to 22-4 six minutes into regulation. Day Waters accounted for 12 of those points to ignite his career-day.
 
The Rock's opening six minutes was nearly flawless. Collectively, SRU made eight of its first 11 field goal attempts including six 3-pointers while forcing three Vulcan turnovers and limiting Cal to just two made field goals.
 
SRU pushed its sizable advantage to 20 points three separate times in the first half with the final occasion coming courtesy of a Jomo Goings' 3-pointer which gave The Rock a seemingly secure 41-21 edge at the 3:59 mark in the period.
 
However, the remainder of the game largely belonged to the Vulcans. California's comeback bid started with the Vulcans shaving 12 points off their deficit to make it an eight-point, 44-36, contest heading into halftime.
 
California continued to be the aggressors in the second half by converting six of its first 13 attempts out of the break while holding SRU to just two made field goals over the opening eight minutes of the second half. A 3-pointer by Donald Whitehead Jr. with 12:15 to play gave the Vulcans their first lead of the night at 54-51.
 
SRU and California proceeded to trade baskets over the following eight minutes which resulted in six lead changes. Coming out of the final media timeout (3:06), the Vulcans clung to a 71-70 advantage.
 
Slippery Rock was unable to overcome the slim deficit as California went on to put the game away by scoring nine consecutive points out of the stoppage to stretch its lead out to 10 points en route to the eventual 86-73 comeback victory.
 
Waters scored a career-high 29 points after shooting 10-of-21 from the field overall and 7-of-13 from 3-point territory. Waters' seven made 3-pointers is tied for the seventh-highest total in single-game program history and is the most since Frankie Hughes made 10 triples against Pitt-Johnstown during the 2021-22 season.
 
After missing the last four games, Goings returned to The Rock's starting lineup and turned in an 18-point, six-rebound, five-assist, one-block, one-steal effort. The redshirt junior is now just two points away from becoming the 25th athlete in program history to score 1,000 career points.  
 
Luke Howes was SRU's third athlete to reach double figures with 12 points alongside seven assists and one steal.
 
Michael Moore came off the bench to collect a season-high 11 rebounds and score three points. Fellow forward Mack Staunch corralled seven rebounds and blocked one shot before fouling out. Moore and Staunch combined to pull in five of Slippery Rock's 11 offensive rebounds.
 
After making 17-of-32 field goal attempts in the first half, The Rock's offense went cold in the second half as they hit on just 8-of-36 shots in the final 20 minutes – and only one field goal in the last 4:29 of regulation. All told SRU closed the night shooting 36.8 percent (25-of-68) from the field overall, 34.4 percent (11-of-32) from 3-point range and 66.7 percent (12-of-18) at the foul line.
 
California's strong finish led to the Vulcans shooting 42.9 percent overall (27-of-63), 37.5 percent (12-of-32) from distance and 83.3 percent (20-of-24) at the foul line. Cal committed just seven turnovers while forcing 14 Rock miscues. Whitehead Jr. led California with a 33-point, six-rebound, one-steal performance.
 
Slippery Rock will look to snap its three-game losing streak when it hosts PSAC West leader Gannon 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Morrow Field House for the program's annual Black History Month Game.





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