SLIPPERY ROCK — This one did not go according to script.

Slippery Rock, the top rebounding team in all of NCAA basketball this season, was out-boarded by 13. The Rock managed only six offensive rebounds and surrendered 18.

SRU did not score a field goal in the final six and a half minutes, either.

But the team managed to hang on for a 64-60 men’s basketball victory over Edinboro in a first-round PSAC Tournament game Saturday night at Morrow Field House.

“We gutted this one out, a good team win,” SRU coach Kevin Reynolds said. “We definitely didn’t have our ‘A’ game tonight. But it’s the mark of a good team to find a way to win anyway.

“We guarded tonight and we hit our free throws at the end.”

The Rock (20-9) put together its third consecutive 20-win season for the first time in the program’s history. Reynolds has produced five 20-win teams in his seven years at SRU.

But this 20th win didn’t come easily.

The Rock led by as many as 11 in the first half and took a nine-point lead into halftime. Edinboro (14-13) battled back to knot the game at 48 with 9:52 to play in the game.

A 10-0 SRU run at that point — fueled by senior guard Antonio Butler — gave the hosts the lead they never lost.

Butler snapped the draw with a trey and fed Malcolm Richardson for a wide-open three. Richardson capped the run by sticking back an offensive rebound with 7:50 left.

Butler had 19 points and four assists in the game after managing just five points in the first half. He reached double figures for the 21st consecutive game.

“We weren’t running our sets very well in the first half,” Butler said. “We settled down and ran our offense in the second half and I got better looks as a result.”

Still, the Fighting Scots weren’t done.

Will Marrow scored eight points down the stretch for Edinboro, including a free throw that pulled the Scots within 61-59 with 32.8 seconds to go.

Butler took care of things from there, sinking two free throws with 28.1 seconds left and one with 20.3 to go, enabling SRU to hold on.

“We take pride in how much players in our program improve from their first year here to their second,” Reynolds said. “Antonio averaged 7.5 points per game last year. This year, he’s averaging 17-plus and he’s a leader.”

“I want the ball in my hands late in close games,” Butler said. “I wasn’t good in those situations before this year. But now I’m a senior and I have to make it happen.”

Besides Butler, the only Rock player in double figures was senior guard Desma Nicholson. He came off the bench in the first half when Richardson got in early foul trouble and drained five treys in five tries for 15 points. All of those came in the first half.

Nicholson played 27 minutes Saturday. He had been averaging only 11.

“I was nervous when I first went to the scorer’s table to check in,” Nicholson admitted.”I was too hyped up. I had to get my emotions in check.

“Once that first shot went in ... yeah, I was feeling pretty good.”

Edinboro coach Pat Cleary said Nicholson played a key role in the game.

“We could have guarded him a little better, but sometimes a guy is just feeling it,” Cleary said. “He did a great job. Those were all big shots.”

Henri Wade-Chatman scored 20 points for Edinboro — his third 20-point game against The Rock this season — while Marrow had 15 points and 11 rebounds, Jaymon Mason 14 points. Casey Baker had 10 rebounds as Edinboro held a 43-30 edge on the boards.

SRU defeated Edinboro 75-64 and 69-65 during the regular season.

“It stinks to lose a game like this,” Cleary said. “I’m proud of the way our guys came in here and played tonight. We gave up 35 points on offensive rebounds in our two regular season games against Slippery Rock and that cost us both games.

“We played well enough to win this game. We just didn’t finish enough plays.”

Edinboro shot just 33 percent from the floor (21 of 62). SRU sank nine treys.

The Rock travels to No. 1 seed Gannon in the PSAC quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

“We will have to bring our ‘A’ game that night, for sure,” Reynolds said. “Edinboro really took it to us on the glass tonight. We can’t let that happen again.”

Notes: Saturday marked Reynolds’ 100th home game. SRU has won 81 of those. ... Nicholson entered the game having sunk 15 treys all season,. Nine of those came in a 134-69 pounding of Ohio University Eastern. ... SRU is the only college team in the country, all divisions, with 1,300 rebounds. The Rock has 1,349 this season. ... SRU is now 17-0 this year when leading at halftime.