SLIPPERY ROCK — It was a microcosm of the season.

Close, but not close enough.

The Slippery Rock High boys basketball team did some good things, showed flashes with scoring spurts and stops on defense, but in the end the things that have haunted the Rockets all season haunted them again in a 73-51 home loss Tuesday night to Conneaut.

The final score was a bit deceiving — Slippery Rock trailed by just 10 points early in the fourth quarter and by 11 with a little more than two minutes left.

“We're very close,” said Slippery Rock coach Randy Armagost. “First year, we were trying to get enough players. Second year, we were trying to develop the players. Third year, we do a lot of things right, but the ball won't go through the rim.”

Slippery Rock (2-19) came into the game shooting just 22 percent on the season.

That percentage was a little better against the Eagles — 38 percent.

“There's like a half of a lid on the hoop for us,” Armagost said. “The kids get frustrated and it's hard sometimes to keep them in the right mindset. I can't point to one game this season, though, when anyone has quit. I take my hat off to them for that.”

Defense was the problem for Slippery Rock in the second half.

Conneaut scored 47 points in the final two quarters on 15-of-25 shooting.

“Usually there's one or two quarters when we struggle,” Armagost said. “Sometimes it's the first. Sometimes it's the last.”

Slippery Rock had trouble containing Tanner Niemann and Cole Askey.

Niemann scored 26 points — 12 in the fourth quarter — and Askey pitched in 16.

Jack Allen led Slippery Rock with 16 points and Logan Croll added 14.

Croll got hot from behind in the arc in the third quarter and that spilled into opening minutes of the fourth.

He hit three 3-pointers during that span to get the Rockets within 10.

But Slippery Rock couldn't get closer.

“We do most things right, that's the thing,” Armagost said. “The press doesn't bother us any more. We've made tremendous progress. But we need to make more.”

Slippery Rock will have at least one more chance this season.

Conneaut will not.

The Rockets chose to stay in the open District 10 4A playoffs despite just two wins. In fact, had Slippery Rock beaten the Eagles, it would have hosted Harbor Creek Friday in the opening round of the playoffs.

Instead, the Rockets will travel to Corry.

For Conneaut, the win was a bittersweet end to the season.

The school has a .500 playoff rule and the Eagles finished 8-14.

“Not our choice,” said Conneaut coach Ben Sperry. “This was meaningful because we got to send the seniors out the right way on a positive note.

“Unfortunately our school has that rule,” Sperry added. “I think the rule is backwards. We had four or five close losses against really good teams. I think we're going to try to get that changed for next year.”

For Slippery Rock, it gets at least one more chance to improve.

That's how Armagost is looking at it.

“I don't know if it's right or wrong to go to the playoffs,” Armagost said. “There can't be too many negatives on it when you're rebuilding.”

CONNEAUT 73

Tanner Niemann 9-18 5-5 26, Kyle Sheets 2-7 4-6 8, Eli Boyce 3-5 2-3 9, Austin Gabel 1-1 0-0 2, Payden Ordos 2-3 0-0 5, Noah Richardson 2-4 0-0 4, Cole Askey 6-11 1-1 16, Mason Kroniser 1-1 1-1 3, Abe Hochstetter 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 26-47 13-16 73.

SLIPPERY ROCK 51

Ryan Davis 0-0 0-0 0, Judah Roth 3-11 0-0 8, Jack Allen 5-5 6-9 16, Mitchell Houston 0-2 1-1 1, Logan Croll 5-18 0-0 14, Zack Thompson 2-3 2-4 6, Brady Prementine 0-1 0-0 0, Ethan Plesakov 2-6 0-0 4, Alex Duffalo 0-0 0-0 0, Gavin Riefer 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 18-47 9-15 51.

Conneaut 10 16 21 26 — 73

Slippery Rock8 8 17 18 — 51

3-point goals: Conneaut 8 (Niemann 3, Boyce, Ordos, Askey 3); Slippery Rock 6 (Roth 2, Croll 4)

Friday: Slippery Rock at Corry