SLIPPERY ROCK — Slippery Rock University men's basketball coach Kevin Reynolds doesn't mind the close games — as long as he wins them.

The SRU men's basketball team found itself in another tight affair at Morrow Field House Monday night.

Once again, The Rock, behind a red-hot shooting night from Mike Evans Jr., found a way to eke out a 78-74 win over Seton Hill.

"We'll take it," Reynolds said.

Evans hit seven 3-pointers and scored 25 points to lead The Rock.

"He can win a game for you," Reynolds said.

Evans proved that against a game Seton Hill team.

The Rock continued to fire up 3-pointers, hitting 11-of-28. In three games, SRU has attempted 94 shots from behind the arc.

"We scored 33 points off 28 shots. That's good shooting," Reynolds said.

Evans was simply great.

He hit 3-of-4 from behind the arc in the first half to help SRU take a 42-39 lead at the break. In the second half, Evans hit four more 3s, most of them clutch shots, to keep hard-charging Seton Hill at arm's length.

Coming into the game, SRU had six players averaging in double digits. The Rock had just two players reach that mark Monday, Evans. and Maron Brown, who scored 16 points and added 10 rebounds.

"Any night when a guy is hot like Mike was tonight, we are going to feed him. We are going to ride him," Reynolds said. "But typically, over the course of a season, we want five guys in double figures."

Evans wasn't purely an offensive weapon. He was stellar on defense as well and was the only player in a frenetic game who played all 40 minutes.

"We thought Mike did a nice job on defense, limiting his guy to nine points," Reynolds said.

If there was one chink in The Rock's armor, it was free-throw shooting. Every game this season, SRU has struggled from the line.

Slippery Rock was 7-of-15 on free-throw shots Monday and is hitting only 52 percent this season.

"We shot 2s well. We shot 3s well. We just didn't shoot free throws well," Reynolds said. "You have to step up to the line and make shots."

Brown, though, made two huge free throws late in the game with The Rock clinging to a 76-74 lead.

The two free throws gave Slippery Rock a two-possession lead with 27 seconds remaining.

"At least we are losing a lesson in a win and not a loss," Reynolds said.

SETON HILL 74Ozren Bjelgorlic 1-3 1-1 3, Cody Boone 4-12 0-0 8, Chris Giles 6-15 9-9 23, Emmanuel Jackson 3-8 0-1 7, Kellen Holmes 3-7 6-9 12, Chris Laverty 0-0 0-0 0, Tonio Fulena 0-0 0-0 0, Justin McCoy 2-9 0-0 5, Henry Pwono 2-2 0-0 4, Conor Tilow 4-6 0-0 8, Ivan Cosovic 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 27-65 16-20 74

SRU 78Maron Brown 5-10 4-4 16, Jabril Bailey 3-7 2-5 8, Mike Evans Jr. 9-16 0-0 25, Maurice Douglas 4-14 0-1 9, Andre Tarver 3-10 1-2 8, Gary Satterwhite 0-0 0-0 0, Cecil Brown 1-2 0-2 2, Bryen Spriggs 4-5 0-1 8, Jade Burka 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 30-65 7-15 78.

Halftime score: SRU 42-38.

3-point goals: Seton Hill, Giles 2, Jackson, McCoy. SRU, Evans Jr. 7, Douglas, Tarver.