SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Behind a strong second half performance, the Slippery Rock University men's basketball team earned a 72-54 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference victory over Bloomsburg Friday at Morrow Field House.
 
The win improves The Rock's record to 11-2 overall and 4-1 inside the PSAC in addition to keeping its 2025-26 home record perfect at 8-0. The eight consecutive home wins to start a season is tied for the eighth longest streak at The Rock since Morrow Field House opened in 1959. The Huskies meanwhile remain without a Division II win this season, falling to 2-8 overall and 0-4 in league outings.
 
Slippery Rock, which received votes in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches top-25 poll, was led in the win by the duo of Sheick Samoura and Dame Givner with 19 points apiece. Samoura also blocked one shot and made three steals to go with his career-high scoring total. Givner dished out five assists while compiling two steals.

Samoura is now tied with Troy Miller (1991-94) for 15th on The Rock's career blocks list with 59.
 
Kerwin Prince logged an 11-point, 13-rebound double-double as the third Rock athlete to finish in double figures. Prince's 13 rebounds is a team single-game high while his double-double was the first for The Rock since Elijah Hill's 17-point, 10-rebound night against Lincoln on Dec. 4.
 
RJ Sledge made his second start of the year as part of an eight-point, three-assist, one-steal night. Hill added six points and six rebounds as well. Fellow starter Brady Mayo went for four points, six rebounds and two steals.
 
Rounding out The Rock's top contributors were Isaac James (four points, four rebounds, two steals) and Alex Griggs (one block, two steals).
 
Friday's game looked very much like a matchup between two teams that had not competed in an official game since Dec. 21 early on as The Rock and Huskies played to a 20-20 tie through the opening 16:29 of regulation.
 
However, SRU ended the opening half on an 11-0 run to take a 10-point advantage, 30-20, into the break. Prince accounted for seven of the final 11 points in the first half.
 
While Bloomsburg managed to trim its deficit to as little as five points with 12:38 to play it never truly threatened The Rock's lead that ballooned back up to as many as 18 points twice in the game's waning moments on the way to the eventual 72-54 decision.
 
After shooting just 33.3 percent (10-for-30) overall in the first half, Slippery Rock shot 16-for-29 (.552) from the field in the final 20 minutes. Samoura and Givner combined to score 24 of SRU's 42 second-half points.
 
Slippery Rock's strong second half lifted its final shooting total to 44.1 percent (26-of-59) overall despite going 3-for-17 (.176) from 3-point range. SRU also made 77.3 percent (17-of-22) of its foul shots. Additionally, SRU committed 14 turnovers while holding a slim +3 (41-38) rebounding margin.
 
Defensively, SRU limited Bloomsburg to its second worst shooting performance of the season as the Huskies converted just 31.7 percent (19-of-60) of their field goal attempts including a 4-for-21 (.190) showing from 3-point range. The Rock also forced Bloomsburg into 20 miscues which SRU parlayed into 20 points off turnovers.
 
George Sabatini scored 16 points for Bloomsburg in the losing effort.
 
Slippery Rock is back in action 3 p.m. Saturday against East Stroudsburg University at Morrow Field House. The Rock earned an 83-81 road victory in overtime against ESU a season ago.





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