CHERRY TWP — The game started out looking like a shootout. It ended as a blowout.

Slippery Rock limited Moniteau to nine total points in the middle two quarters and cruised to a 54-36 non-league boys basketball victory Saturday night.

The win snapped a 13-game losing streak for the Rockets (3-15).

“It's been a long time since we won, but these kids always give me everything they've got,” Slippery Rock coach Randy Armagost said. “I'm happy for them.”

When Tyler McFadden sank a free throw with 3:34 left in the first quarter, the host Warriors (6-13) had a 13-12 lead. The lead changed hands six times in the opening period.

But when the Rockets' Oliver Valera sank a trey to give his team a 15-13 advantage with 2:38 left in the quarter, the lead changed for good.”

“We didn't protect the basketball and their size gave us problems,” Moniteau coach Jerry Day said. “We had no answer for their inside guys. They're big and physical.

“Slippery Rock plays a tough schedule in a very good league. That showed tonight.”

During the middle two quarters, Moniteau attempted only 16 shots and turned the ball over 11 times. The Warriors had seven turnovers and only five field goal attempts in the second quarter.

As a result, the Rockets took a 37-22 lead into the fourth period. Their lead peaked at 48-24 when Valera hit another 3-pointer with 3:07 to play.

Slippery Rock sank seven treys in the contest.

“We hit some shots tonight,” Armagost said. “Defense and holding teams down on the scoreboard has not been a problem. For us, it's been scoring points.

“We've been preaching defense from the start with this team. I knew that had to be our strength. But in past games, when the other team would put up a run against us, we couldn't get back in the game.”

The Warriors had no such run in them Saturday night. They were coming off a narrow loss at KSAC South co-leader Keystone Friday night.

“Maybe that was part of it, I don't know,” Day said of his team's struggles Saturday. “Mentally, we just didn't play a strong game tonight.

“We're right on the edge for the playoffs. We're finally healthy for the first time, but we're in a stretch of five games in eight days. That's pretty tough.”

Nick Wherthey paced Slippery Rock with 15 points. Logan Croll netted 11 points — including three treys — and five rebounds. Rod Williams had 18 boards as the Rockets enjoyed a massive 39-19 rebounding edge.

“Rod was a monster on the boards tonight. He dominated in there,” Armagost said.

Ethan McDeavitt had 11 points, six rebounds and four assists for Moniteau. Jared Lominski added 11 points and five boards, Gage Neal three assists.

Armagost was coaching his first game in the Moniteau gym as an opponent. He had been head coach of the Warriors for a number of years.

“This wasn't about that, though,” he said. “We're not looking at going to the playoffs or anything. It's all about learning lessons for us right now.”

SLIPPERY ROCK 54

Hunter Prementine 2-3 1-2 6, Nick Wherthey 6-14 2-2 15, Emerson Tuten 0-0 0-0 0, Oliver Valera 2-6 0-0 6, Mitchell Houston 2-5 0-0 4, Luke Brandon 1-5 0-0 2, Judah Roth 0-1 0-0 0, Duncan McCoy 1-1 0-0 2, Logan Croll 4-11 0-0 11, Rod Williams 1-6 4-4 6, Zach Thompson 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 20-54 7-8 54.

MONITEAU 36

Gage Neal 0-5 0-0 0, Ethan McDeavitt 5-10 0-0 11, Jared Lominski 5-10 1-2 11, Ross Tenney 3-7 0-0 8, Tyler McFadden 1-4 3-4 6, Cory McKinlay 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 14-38 4-6 36.

Slippery Rock 17 10 10 17 — 54

Moniteau13 4 5 14 — 36

3-point goals: Prementine, Wherthey, Valera 2, Croll 3; McDeavitt, Lominski, Tenney 2

JV: Slippery Rock, 52-35 (SR: Zach Thompson 19, Tyler Christy 8; M: Dean Hershey 12, Cory McKinlay 9

Tuesday: Hickory at Slippery Rock, Moniteau at Karns City