SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa.—The Slippery Rock University men's basketball team clinched a PSAC playoff spot with a 71-67 win over Gannon University Saturday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division action from Morrow Field House.
 
The victory was the 100th career home win for SRU head coach Kevin Reynolds, who improved to 100-27 (.787) at home since taking over as head coach prior to the 2008-09 season. It also put a cap on Senior Day festivities as SRU honored its three senior players (Naquil Jones, George Chase, Jordan Marrow) and two student managers (Eric Elias, Aaron Kollar) before the game.
 
Slippery Rock improves to 13-13 overall and 9-11 in PSAC games and remains in fifth place in the PSAC West standings, one game back of Mercyhurst for the fourth playoff spot. The Rock clinched a playoff spot after Seton Hill lost Saturday, guaranteeing a position in the top six for SRU. Gannon has already locked up the No. 2 seed in the PSAC West, but drops its second straight game to fall to 16-9 overall and 14-7 in league games.
 
The Golden Knights came out hot Saturday and shot better than 70 percent for the majority of the opening 20 minutes, jumping out to an double-digit advantage at 16-5 just over six minutes into the game. Gannon maintained a double-digit lead at 27-17 with 5:43 to play in the period before Slippery Rock flipped the script.
 
The Rock put together a 14-5 run over a stretch of just more than three minutes to storm back into the game and cut the deficit to one-point, 32-31, with 2:09 to play in the half. Gannon converted a 3-pointer and Christal Malalu responded with a layup to end the half with the visitors leading 35-33.
 
Malalu tied the game at 35-35 on SRU's first possession of the second half, but Gannon answered with five straight points to keep the lead.
 
SRU answered with a 9-0 run that began with a layup from Jones and ended with a pair of free throws from Chase that put The Rock up 46-42 with 14:15 to play. Gannon would never regain the lead from there.
 
Slippery Rock pushed the edge up to seven points with 12:22 to play, but Gannon rallied back and tied the game on four occasions. After each momentum swing, The Rock connected on a crucial bucket to not allow the Golden Knights to regain the lead. The final tie came at 65-65 with 1:15 to play.
 
Merdic Green knocked down a pair of free throws with 50 seconds left to put SRU back out in front. Jones was originally fouled on the play, but was injured and had to leave the game. By rule, Gannon got to pick the shooter and chose Green, who stepped up and delivered on his only two free throws of the night.
 
After a Gannon miss on the other end of the floor, Vinny Lasley came down with a rebound and was fouled. He hit both attempts for a four-point lead and Jones knocked down his pair with nine seconds left to seal the win.
 
It marked the best free throw shooting effort of the season for Slippery Rock, which finished 94.1 percent from the charity stripe (16-of-17). The Rock shot 50 percent in the second half to finish the game shooting 46.3 percent from the field (25-of-54) and 35.7 percent from 3-point (5-of-14).
 
Gannon shot 52 percent from the field (26-of-50), 58.3 percent from 3-point (7-of-12) and 72.7 percent at the free throw line (8-of-11), but turned the ball over 16 times and allowed SRU to convert those miscues into a 21-9 edge in points off turnovers. The Golden Knights became the second team this season to outrebound SRU, finishing with a 29-27 edge on the glass. SRU and Gannon entered the game as the top two rebounding teams in the PSAC.
 
Green led Slippery Rock with 16 points, none more crucial than his only two free throw attempts of the game with 50 seconds to play. Malalu put together one of his best efforts in the paint, scoring 14 points and grabbing six boards in just 20 minutes of action as he sat with foul trouble in the second half. Khyree Wooten added 11 points and Jones scored nine points, all in the second half.
 
Chase finished with 11 points and six boards as SRU had a balanced scoring attack with eight players adding to the scoresheet.
 
Gannon got 63 of its 67 points from the five starters and only four points from the bench. Matthew Dogan led the way with a game-high 22 points, which included 16 points in the first half. Zay Jackson scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Evan Phoenix added 12 points.
 
Saturday's game marked the final regular season home game for SRU, which will close the year at Edinboro Wednesday and at Pitt-Johnstown next Saturday. The first round of the PSAC tournament is set for Monday, Feb. 27. The Rock would have to move up one spot to fourth in the league standings to earn a home game that night. The top two seeds earn a bye in round one, with the No. 5 traveling to the NO. 4 and the No. 6 traveling to the No. 3.
 
 


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