JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - For the second time this week, the Slippery Rock University men's basketball team went on the road and earned a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division victory as SRU defeated Pitt-Johnstown, 82-68, Saturday at the Sports Center in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
 
Saturday's victory improved The Rock's record to 13-3 overall and 6-2 in the PSAC, while Pitt-Johnstown is dropped to 9-7 overall and 3-5 in league games. After losing 10 straight games in Johnstown, Pennsylvania between 2015 and 2023, Slippery Rock has now won each of its last three trips to the Sports Center.
 
The win also holds historical significance inside the program as this year's team is now tied for the third-best record through 16 games in SRU history. The only two times a Slippery Rock team started the year better than 13-3 occurred pre-1950 (1923-24: 15-1 / 1945-46: 14-2).  
 
Eight of the 10 Rock athletes to see playing time Saturday scored points with Dame Givner leading the way. Already one of the top freshman scorers in Division II, Givner went for 28 points Saturday after shooting 11-for-18 from the field overall and 6-for-9 from 3-point range. Givner's six made 3-pointers represented an SRU single-game high for the year.
 
Givner, who also had three assists and two steals in the win, has scored 279 points in his first 16 collegiate games and already ranks eighth in Slippery Rock history for points scored by a freshman. He has been responsible for two of the top-four single-game point totals by a Rock rookie since 2000.
 
Saturday also marked the return of several key pieces to the Slippery Rock rotation. Maceo Austin supplied The Rock with one of his standard great all-around performances of 16 points (7-of-10 shooting), three rebounds, two steals, two assists and one block. Ike Herster chipped in nine points and two steals and freshman Braylon Littlejohn played 10 minutes.
 
Herster is now 18 points away from becoming the 26th athlete in program history to score 1,000 points in a Slippery Rock uniform.
 
Making his first start at The Rock, Kerwin Prince delivered his second double-double of the year with 12 points, 11 rebounds and one steal. Five of Prince's rebounds came on the offensive glass.
 
Isaac James shot a nearly perfect 6-of-8 from the field, finishing with 12 points, six rebounds and one steal. RJ Sledge navigated the offense with five assists while coming away with two steals defensively. Sledge has now registered nine steals in The Rock's last three games.  
 
Slippery Rock shot 56.5 percent (35-of-62) from the field overall and 38.9 percent (7-of-18) from 3-point range. SRU has now registered two of its top three shooting performances on the year in its last two games.
 
The Rock took care of possession with just 12 turnovers, its third lowest total of the year. Slippery Rock also recorded a +7 (34-27) rebounding margin while scoring 19 points off 14 Pitt-Johnstown turnovers.
 
While the Mountain Cats kept the game close through much of the day, Slippery Rock ultimately held the advantage for just under 38 minutes (37:40) with its lead growing to as many as 16 points in the second half.
 
SRU steadily built out an 11-point, 34-23, lead through the first 15 minutes of the opening half only for Pitt-Johnstown to score nine of the final 12 points in the period to cut The Rock's edge down to 39-36 heading into intermission.
 
The Rock and Mountain Cats traded baskets over the first four minutes of the second half. A layup by Adam Bilinsky brought UPJ to within two points of SRU for the third time of the period at 46-44 with 16:03 to play.
 
However, the basket proved to be the final time the Mountain Cats were within one possession of The Rock as SRU proceeded to go on a decisive 17-5 run to stretch its lead out to 63-49 and force a UPJ timeout with 12:34 left in regulation. Slippery Rock was a perfect 7-for-7 from the field over the run with Givner accounting for 11 of the points.
 
Pitt-Johnstown did respond by getting back to within four points of SRU on two separate occasions, but the Mountain Cats were unable to complete the comeback bid down the stretch as Slippery Rock converted eight of its final 17 field goal attempts through the final seven minutes to pull away for a 14-point win.
 
The Mountain Cats shot 47.3 percent (26-of-55) from the field overall, 40 percent (8-of-20) from 3-point range and 61.5 percent (8-of-13) at the foul line. Baden Forup had a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double to lead UPJ.
 
Slippery Rock returns home to host Indiana University (Pa.) 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at Morrow Field House. The Rock took both games from the Crimson Hawks during the regular season last year only for IUP to eliminate SRU from the postseason with a two-point PSAC Tournament victory at Slippery Rock.
 
 
 

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