GREENSBURG, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team had its 2025-26 season come to an end Monday following a 78-70 loss at Seton Hill University in the first round of the 2025-26 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament.
 
Slippery Rock concludes the year with a 17-12 overall record. The Rock have now recorded a winning record in 16 of the last 17 seasons, with 15 postseason berths in that timespan. SRU has compiled at least 17 victories in four of the seven years a full season has been conducted under head coach Ian Grady (the 2020-21 season was canceled).
 
The first 21 minutes of Monday's playoff game was largely controlled by Seton Hill, which found itself with a seemingly safe 15-point lead (49-34) with 18:49 to play in regulation.
 
Unfazed by the sizable deficit, Slippery Rock went to work on a masterful 26-11 run over the following nine minutes that was capped off by an Isaac James 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to give The Rock their first lead of the night at 60-57 with 9:33 remaining.
 
The Rock and Griffins traded baskets through the next two minutes before a Dean Simos 3-pointer gave Seton Hill a 65-62 advantage at the 7:03 mark in the second half.

Simos' 3-pointer proved to be the last field goal that Seton Hil would make for the remainder of the night as a spirited Rock defensive performance forced the Griffins to go 0-for-8 from the field in the final seven minutes.
 
However, Seton Hill fended off The Rock down the stretch and escaped with the home victory. SRU made only two of its final eight field goal attempts of the night and while the Griffins were without a made field goal in waning moments of the game they took advantage of 16 awarded free throw attempts in the final 5:10 of regulation, 13 of which were successful, on the way to an eight-point win.  
 
Collectively, Slippery Rock ended the game shooting 44.8 percent (26-of-58) from the field overall, 25 percent (6-of-24) from 3-point range and a stellar 80 percent (12-of-15) at the foul line. SRU dominated the glass with a +11 (40-29) rebounding margin. The Rock turned 11 offensive rebounds into 14 second chance points.
 
The Griffins connected on 42.6 percent (23-of-54) of their field goal attempts while also going 8-of-27 (.296) from 3-point territory and 24-of-31 (.774) at the foul line. In addition to making two more 3-pointers and converting nine more free throws than SRU attempted, Seton Hill also scored 21 points off 16 Slippery Rock turnovers.

Slippery Rock was led by Elijah Hill, who turned in a 21-point, six-rebound, one-block performance. Hill was a near perfect 9-of-10 from the field overall and a flawless 3-for-3 from 3-point range prior to fouling out with 2:57 left in regulation.
 
Kerwin Prince delivered a double-double – his seventh of the season - with 18 points and 14 rebounds that included two steals. Brady Mayo also finished in double figures at 12 points.
 
Rounding out Slippery Rock's top contributors was James (9 points, 7 rebounds), Braylon Littlejohn (5 points, 5 assists) and Mack Staunch (2 points, 5 rebounds).
 
Seton Hill was paced by Simos' 23 points as well as a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double from Kedrick Curtis. The Griffins now move on to the PSAC Tournament quarterfinal round where they will meet Millersville University 7 p.m. Wednesday.





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