MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - James Sullivan poured in a season-high 25 points, and the Millersville Marauders kept rolling, scoring a key 77-69 victory over visiting Slippery Rock. 

Millersville (15-4, 9-4 PSAC) extended its winning streak to six and defeated Slippery Rock (10-5, 6-3 PSAC) for the first time in five tries, dating back 2014. Slippery Rock started the week ranked No. 8 in the D2SIDA Atlantic Region poll, but Millersville put its eighth mark in the win column since New Year's Eve--a span of nine games. 

The Marauders led for more than 36 of the game's 40 minutes and never trailed after a Jaden Faulkner lay-up made the score 4-2 with 16:34 to play in the first half. 

Sullivan, who has scored at least 21 points in four of the last six games, continued his lights-out shooting, hitting 8-of-12 shots from the field and 8-of-9 free throws. Khari Williams totaled 18 points and drilled a dagger of a baseline jumper in the final minute. Caden Najdawi recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 boards while also matching a season-high with four blocks. 

GAME HIGHLIGHTS
• Millersville's sticky defense held Slippery Rock to just four points for the first 9:25 of the game and led by as many as 11 in the first period. Faulkner's bucket on the final possession of the half gave Millersville a 36-28 edge at the break. The Marauders limited Slippery Rock to 11-of-31 (.355) in the first half, but The Rock's six made threes kept the visitors within striking distance. 
• Millersville still held a 13-point lead (67-54) with 7:15 to go, but a 7-0 run from The Rock cut the Marauders' lead down to 67-61 with 4:52 to play. Millersville, however, leaned on its defense and got stops on Slippery Rock's next four possessions. With 1:39 remaining, James Sullivan curled around a screen and drilled a pull-up jumper from the left elbow to push Millersville's lead back to 10. Slippery Rock responded with two, but Williams worked an isolation on the left side, dribbling hard to the baseline before stopping and sinking the shot to put the game out of reach. 

POSTGAME REACTION FROM COACH CASEY STITZEL
• On the ability to close out wins: "In the past that was an issue of ours, losing the lead with turnovers or missing foul shots. We learn from our failure. It got down to six and then we got a stop, made some foul shots and before you know it, it's back to 10. We never let it get under a two possession game, and that's experience, and we are shooting our foul shots better down the stretch." 
• On Sullivan's play: "The game is slow for him right now. I thought he could have shot it a couple more times. His moves are crisp. He's gotten craftier at the rim. Not only does he do that at the rim, we give him the assignment to guard a Division I transfer and he did a great job. He's playing at a PSAC MVP level."

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Slippery Rock's Frankie Hughes came in averaging 16.3 points per game, and he was limited to nine points on 3-of-10 shooting. It was just the third time this season that he has been held under 10. 
• Justin Nwosu gave the Marauders 11 points and eight rebounds, including a pair of put-backs off of four offensive rebounds. 
• Millersville won the rebounding battle 46-35, improving to 13-0 when grabbing at least 40 rebounds.

NOTES
• Millersville is now 10-1 when four or more players score at least 10 points. 
• Millersville entered the game ranked seventh in Division II in rebounding margin. 
• Sullivan's 25-point outing was the second-highest total by a Marauder this season. 

NEXT
• Millersville's next three games are on the road. The first stop is Saturday, Jan. 29 at Bloomsburg.