SLIPPERY ROCK — The end didn't come easily, but it finally came.

Five of its players scored in double figures Saturday as the Slippery Rock University men's basketball team snapped a school-record 21-game losing streak with a 93-83 triumph over Lock Haven at Morrow Field House.

The Rock (2-22, 1-8) had not won a game since edging West Virginia Wesleyan 54-50 Nov. 21 in the second game of the season.

"None of us knew how to handle this," sophomore guard Jamar Scales said. "We were all the best players on our high school teams and none of us had losing teams in high school."

Despite the high-scoring game Saturday, defense and rebounding made the difference for SRU. The Rock out-rebounded the Bald Eagles (3-20, 1-8) by 10 and forced 19 turnovers.

When Scales stuck back an offensive rebound, SRU had a 53-37 lead less than two minutes into the second half.

With 10:30 left in the game, that lead was down to 61-60.

"We had gotten away from what was working for us," SRU coach John Marhefka said. "We weren't contesting shots anymore. We weren't pressuring the ball in the back-court anymore.

"We stopped forcing them into mistakes."

Corey Nesser changed all that. He stole the ball in the back-court on consecutive possessions and drove the other way for easy lay-ups, widening The Rock lead to 71-62 with 6:39 remaining.

With SRU nursing an 88-82 advantage with 54 seconds left, Brandon Thompson took care of business. The sophomore guard drained a free throw, a lay-up off a fast-break and another free throw on three straight possessions to put the win away — and put the losing streak to rest.

"It's tough when you put a bunch of young guys together and they have to learn to play together while adjusting to the quicker, faster-paced game at the college level," Nesser said. "That's what we've been going through."

But Marhefka could see his team coming out of it.

"We led by four at halftime at Edinboro and lost our intensity defensively in the second half," the coach said. "The guys realized it and learned from it.

"We had a great practice Thursday. Everyone was communicating, talking to each other on the court. It was good to see."

Scales had 22 points and seven rebounds for The Rock, hitting 10 of 12 shots from the field. Thompson scored 16 points.

Dejan Jancic, SRU's lone senior on a roster with no juniors, had 11 points and a team-leading eight rebounds off the bench. Nesser and Joseph Vines scored 10 points each.

The Rock attempted only seven 3-point shots all day.

"Our defense was generating quick points the other way," Marhefka said.

The 93 points marked a season-high for The Rock.

"Scoring's not a problem for us," Scales said. "We have five starters who can score 20 points in a game at any time.

"We know our defense has to improve. We're seeing signs that it is."

Billy Arre scored 24 points to pace three Lock Haven players in double figures.

Marhefka had never experienced long losing streaks until the past couple of seasons.

"We lost 10 or 11 straight last year before going through this one," he said. "I was an assistant coach with a team that won 16 in a row.

"Hopefully, we won't have to go through anything like this again."

Nesser agreed.

"We're all young and we've all won before," he said. "If we stay together and keep working hard … Maybe we'll look back on this win as the start of something big. I hope so."

LOCK HAVEN (83)

Bruce Kennedy 1-5 0-0 2, Toby Gamble 4-6 5-6 13, James Chappell 6-13 5-8 18, Billy Arre 11-21 1-1 24, Rodney Armstrong 1-2 4-6 7, Ryan Carson 1-1 2-2 5, J.F. Leveque 2-3 4-7 8, Jason DeJesus 1-2 0-0 2, A.J. Zimmer 0-0 0-0 0, Michael Dye 2-7 0-0 4, Kyle Skinner 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 29-60 21-30 83

SLIPPERY ROCK (93)

Brandon Thompson 6-16 4-7 16, Corey Nesser 4-5 2-3 10, Jamar Scales 10-12 2-4 22, Matt Hale 2-5 1-2 7, Erroll Robinson 4-5 1-2 9, Matt Schaefer 0-2 2-4 2, Eric Novick 2-2 0-0 4, Tim Dykgraaf 1-2 0-0 2, Joseph Vines 3-7 4-5 10, Dejan Jancic 4-8 3-5 11. Totals: 36-64 19-32 93.

Halftime — SRU, 46-39. 3-point goals — Lock Haven 4-12 (Kennedy 0-2, Chappell 1-2, Arre 1-4, Armstrong 1-1, Carson 1-1, Leveque 0-1, Dye 0-1), SRU 2-7 (Thompson 0-2, Hale 2-2, Schaefer 0-2, Vines 0-1). Rebounds — Lock Haven 29 (Dye 5), SRU 39 (Jancic 8). Assists — Lock Haven 9 (Kennedy, Arre 3), SRU 16 (Hale 5). Total fouls — Lock Haven 22, SRU 25. Fouled out — none; Technical fouls — none.