SLIPPERY ROCK — Play on. Denell Stephens recorded 20 points and eight rebounds, leading four Slippery Rock University players in double figures, as The Rock defeated Indiana (Pa.) 86-69 in a first-round PSAC men's basketball tournament game Tuesday night at Morrow Field House. The Rock (21-7) won its ninth consecutive game, building a 22-point lead by halftime. IUP (21-7) never threatened in the second half. "We had a good night shooting the ball tonight and they didn't," SRU coach Kevin Reynolds said. "If they shot 47 percent like they did here Saturday (a 73-72 SRU win), we were probably going to lose this game." The Crimson Hawks shot 40 percent Tuesday, but only 35.5 percent in the first half. Conversely, The Rock shot 50.7 percent (34-of-67). SRU's biggest lead was 80-49 with 5:44 left in the contest. "They're the best transition team in the league," IUP coach Joe Lombardi said of The Rock. "We didn't do a good job of controlling that phase of the game tonight. "Our players were shell-shocked at halftime and so was I. We're not used to being in that position." The 86 points allowed matched a season-worst for Indiana. Pitt defeated the Crimson Hawks 86-60 Nov. 22. Besides that game and a 16-point loss at Gannon, IUP was either tied or leading in the final minute of its four losses this season. IUP built an 11-4 lead in the first five minutes before The Rock went on a 15-4 run in the next six minutes to grab the lead it never lost. Leading 36-26 with 5:23 left before intermission, SRU closed out the half on a 16-4 run. Maurice Douglas had 18 points and six rebounds for SRU. Kyle Camper had 15 points and 12 assists — giving him a nation-leading 300 assists for the year — and Maron Brown contributed 14 points. Butler graduate Jade Burka produced four points and six rebounds in 15 minutes of action. "Our swagger has never been bigger than it is right now," Douglas said. "We feel like we can't be beaten." Gerald Brooks paced IUP with 32 points and seven rebounds. Two other Crimson Hawks who average in double figures, Darryl Webb and Thomas Young, were held to five and two points, respectively. Webb picked up three fouls in the game's first eight minutes. Young tweaked an ankle in the first five minutes. "Thomas never went off tonight like he normally does," Lombardi said. "Brooks, Webb and Young are our big three and we need two of them to have good games to be effective. "We're not a good come-from-behind team. We're not built that way. We're not a fullcourt pressure team." The Rock will play Kutztown (25-3) — a 97-86 winner over Mansfield Tuesday night — in the PSAC semifinals at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Gannon. The Golden Bears are riding a 14-game winning streak. Host Gannon plays Cheyney in the other semifinal at 7:30. SRU, which is playing in the tournament for the first time since 2000, is trying to win the second PSAC men's basketball title in school history. The 1962-63 squad won the other.

INDIANA (Pa.) 69 Gerald Brooks 13-21 6-10 32, Darryl Webb 2-6 1-2 5, Thomas Young 1-7 0-1 2, Ashton Smith 4-11 4-4 12, Sean Christiansen 2-6 3-4 9, Joe Rocco 1-1 0-0 2, Justin Gartner 0-1 0-0 0, Julian Sanders 2-9 2-2 6, Maurice Polen 0-0 1-4 1.

Totals: 25-62 17-27 69 Maron Brown 6-8 0-0 14, Denell Stephens 9-14 0-1 20, Kyle Camper 6-11 1-1 15, Maurice Douglas 6-15 3-4 18, Michael Evans Jr. 1-4 0-0 3, Gary Satterwhite 0-1 0-0 0, Bryen Spriggs 2-3 0-0 4, Jamar Scales 1-2 3-3 5, Erroll Robinson 1-5 1-2 3, Jade Burka 2-4 0-0 4.

SLIPPERY ROCK 86

Totals: 34-67 8-11 86

Halftime score: SRU 52-30

3-point goals: Christiansen 2; Brown 2, Stephens 2, Camper 2, Douglas 3, Evans Jr.

Friday: PSAC Semifinals: Kutztown vs. SRU, 5:30 p.m., at Gannon