Box Score Millersville, Pa. - In a meeting between the top teams in the PSAC East and West, Millersville held the upperhand and a double-digit lead over Slippery Rock with two minutes left in the first half. But after nine dreadful minutes for the Marauders, Slippery Rock had opened its own double-digit lead and eventually held on for a 69-64 win in Pucillo Gymnasium Friday evening.

Millersville (8-4, 4-2 PSAC) took a 32-21 lead on a Brandon Belt 3-pointer with 2:02 left in the first period. But the Marauders went ice cold just as Slippery Rock got red hot. The Rock scored the final four points of the half to pull within seven, and ripped off a 26-2 run until Kemar Williams ended the Marauders' drought at the 13-minute mark.

Millersville missed 12 consecutive shots from the field, two free throws and committed two turnovers in the stretch. The Rock, meanwhile, scored on 11 of its first 12 second-half possessions. Darious Clark, who missed his first eight shots from the field and first eight threes, found his rhythm with 14:40 left and hit back-to-back triples to build Slippery Rock's lead to 47-34.

The Marauders trailed by 12 (56-44) with 6:23 left, but using full court pressure, put together a 15-6 run of its own to cut the Slippery Rock lead to 61-59 with 1:39 to go on a fastbreak layup by Anthony Coleman.

Millersville forced Slippery Rock into a long jumper on its next possession, but Clark flew through traffic, caught the miss and hammered it home with two hands, giving his team a four-point lead and effectively crushing the Marauder comeback.

Clark's putback slam summed up the Rock's offensive evening. The best rebounding team in the PSAC was back at it with 49 boards including 17 on the offensive glass which led to 19 second chance points. Millersville, which ranked third in the PSAC entering the game, managed just 34 boards and nine second chance points.

Millersville hit four first-half 3-pointers, but couldn't manage much in the half court offense in the second period, shooting just 7-of-25 from the field. 16 of the team's 32 second-half points came from the free throw line. Shooting 32.1 percent from the field, it was just the third time that Millersville has been held under 40 percent shooting all season.

Elijah Obade tallied his eighth double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Belt scored all 12 of his points on four threes. Williams scored a career-high 11 points in 25 minutes. Slippery Rock was paced by Devin Taylor's 17 points and 13 rebounds.

The Marauders need to rebound quickly as they host another PSAC West contender Saturday. Tip between Millersville and Edinboro is set for 7:30 p.m.