Box Score

EDINBORO, Pa. – Riding a career-high 33-point effort from Maron Brown, the Slippery Rock University men's basketball team was able to hold off a late charge from Edinboro to record a 85-79 win on the road Saturday afternoon in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western division contest.

The Rock (14-6, 4-2 PSAC) scored 52 points in the second half and led by 14 points midway through the half, but missed free throws and hot-shooting from Edinboro (10-10, 2-4 PSAC) down the stretch allowed the hosts to keep the game close into the final minute.

With the win, Slippery Rock moved into a tie for second-place in the PSAC-West standings. Mercyhurst rallied from a 9-point deficit late in the game to defeat Indiana (Pa.) to remain unbeaten in PSAC-West play. Indiana and SRU slot in second at 4-2.

Brown had his best performance of the season, and possibly the best performance of his career, to lead The Rock. He finished with a double-double of 15 rebounds and his career-high 33 points.

Slippery Rock placed four players in double figures with Jabril Bailey adding 17 points to accompany his six rebounds and five assists. Devin Taylor scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds and Tommy Kelly chipped in 10 points. Jon Valeriano added nine points to cap the top scorers.

Slippery Rock shot 49.1 percent from the field, connecting on 27-of-55 attempts from the field, including 7-of-13 from behind the 3-point arc. The Rock was 24-of-34 at the free throw line.

Edinboro's Danny Walsh led four players in double figures for the hosts, finishing with 19 points. Cory Somerville and Clint Nicholson each scored 13 points and Byron Knight chipped in 10.

The Fighting Scots shot 42.7 percent from the field, hitting 32-of-75 attempts, including 7-of-19 from 3-point land. Edinboro was just 8-of-22 from the free throw line.

Saturday's game was close throughout the first half before the hosts opened up a nine-point lead, 28-19, with 5:33 left before halftime.

Slippery Rock cut the deficit to two points on two occasions over the final five minutes before Edinboro knocked down a pair of free throws to take a four-point lead, 37-33, into the intermission.

The Rock came out in the second half firing on all cylinders, scoring the first six points of the half to take a 39-37 lead just two minutes into action. Edinboro scored the next four points to regain a two-point lead, but SRU answered back with a 10-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Kelly that made the score 49-41 in favor of the visitors.

The Rock pushed the lead out to a game-high 14 points at 60-46 with 10 minutes left to play and maintained a double-digit advantage, 74-64, with just three minutes to play.

Edinboro rallied over the final three minutes, cutting the lead to three points on two occasions, the last of which came with just 20 seconds left, but a made free throw from Brown and a pair of made free throws from Bailey sealed the win for SRU.

Slippery Rock will return home to close out the first round of PSAC-West play when Gannon visits Morrow Field House Wednesday, Feb. 2. Tip is set for 8 p.m.