Final statistics
Video Interview

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Senior guard Rashiid Coleman scored a career-high 15 points Thursday night to lead the Slippery Rock University men's basketball team to a 70-46 win over backyard rival Grove City College.

The win was SRU's seventh in the last eight games and improved the Green and White's overall record to 7-3.

Coleman was one of three Rock players to finish the game with a double-digit scoring total. Senior forward Maron Brown scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while junior guard Devin Taylor recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Kris Verderber scored a team-high 12 points and grabbed six rebounds for Grove City (4-6).

Thursday's game was the second of four The Rock will play in the span of seven days. The Green and White won a 97-48 decision over Ohio University Eastern one night prior to the win over Grove City.

The Rock open their four-game Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference “crossover” schedule with back-to-back games Jan. 3 and 4 at East Stroudsburg and Kutztown.

SRU's next home game will be Jan. 8 vs. crossover rival Bloomsburg. The Rock then closes out the interdivisional schedule with a Jan. 9 home game vs. Mansfield.

After Grove City scored the first two points of Thursday's game, The Rock went on a 21-8 run to take a 21-10 lead with nine minutes left in the first half and assume firm control of the action.

The Rock never led by less than 10 points the rest of the way to the intermission and held their largest lead of the opening stanza, a 15-point (32-17) advantage, with two minutes remaining.

The hosts enjoyed a 34-20 lead at halftime.

SRU connected on 40% (14-35) of its shots from the field in the first 20 minutes, made four of 13 (30.8%) shots from beyond the arc and sank two of four free throws.

Grove City, meanwhile, shot 38.1% (8-21) from the field, hit 42.9% (3-7) of its long-range shots and one of two free throws.

The Rock enjoyed a 22-13 rebounding advantage at halftime and outscored the Wolverines by a 16-4 margin in the paint, 15-5 off turnovers and 13-3 in points off the bench.

SRU forced GCC into 11 first-half turnovers while committing only five miscues.

The Rock extended its lead to 23 points (56-33) at the midway mark of the final half and held their biggest advantage of the night, a 30-point (68-38) difference, with 2:30 left to play.

The Green and White finished the game with a 37.5% (27-72) efficiency from the field, a 27.6% (8-29) reading from 3-point range and a 61.5% (8-13) mark from the foul line.

Grove City shot 38% (19-50) from the field, 36.8% (7-19) from 3-point range and made one of three free throws.

The Rock outrebounded the Wolverines by a 49-32 margin and parlayed a 20-8 turnover difference into a 31-9 scoring advantage on miscues. SRU also outscored GCC by a 32-12 margin in the paint and 33-13 off the bench.

Notes:

Thursday marked the first time since the 1983-84 season SRU and Grove City met in men's basketball action … The win improved The Rock's record to 3-0 in home games this winter and 25-7 in three seasons under the guidance of Kevin Reynolds.