SLIPPERY ROCK - Season-high efforts gave the Slippery Rock University men's basketball team an ultimate high Wednesday night.

Bill Johnson scored a career-high 33 points, Mason Glick produced SRU's first triple-double of the season and The Rock scored a season-best 85 points in stunning Edinboro, 85-74, at Morrow Field House.

The Fighting Scots (18-4, 5-2) entered the game as the top-ranked team in the East Region, the 15th-ranked team nationally and in sole possession of first place in the PSAC West.

No more.

"Teams are looking past us and they shouldn't be doing that," Johnson said. "We're out to prove ourselves. We feel like we can be a pretty good basketball team and we're playing with a chip on our shoulder."

The Rock (6-17, 4-4) has pulled into playoff contention in the PSAC West after defeating heavily favored California (Pa.) and Edinboro within two nights of each other.

SRU is 6-4 at home and 0-13 on the road. Three of its final four games - including Saturday afternoon at Lock Haven - are away from home.

"I've said all along, this program has to take baby steps," SRU coach John Marhefka said. "We've taken a couple of them this week. Now we have to go on the road and take a couple more."

Wednesday's game had six lead changes and six ties. The final tie came when Johnson drained a 3-pointer to knot the game at 50 with 12:24 to play.

The final lead change occurred seconds later, when Johnson sank two free throws for a 52-50 Rock advantage.

Those plays began a 28-8 SRU run that gave it a 75-58 lead with 3:34 remaining.

"We've been taking teams' best shots and we should be good enough to do that," Edinboro coach Greg Walcavich said. "But John is doing a tremendous job with Slippery Rock.

"They were better in January than they were in December. They're better in February than they were in January. That's what any coach wants."

The Scots had one run left in them. They outscored The Rock 13-4 to pull within 79-71 with 1:02 left, with the latter two points coming when Devon Knight picked Glick's pocket in the backcourt and laid the ball in.

SRU turned the ball over again in the backcourt on its next possession as Johnson and Glick couldn't connect on a pass.

This time, Glick stole the ball back and The Rock canned six free throws in the next 14 seconds to put the game away.

"We beat a very good basketball team," Marhefka said. "Mason stealing that ball back was a very big play."

"If we score there and cut it to six, it's interesting," Walcavich said. "We gave the ball back to them. That's the way it goes."

Glick had 11 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his triple-double. His final two points came at the foul line with 29 seconds left.

"There was a buzz on the bench during that final minute," Glick said. "The guys knew what was going on. They wanted to get me the basketball."

Johnson's 33 points included an 18-for-18 effort at the foul line. He is averaging more than 90 percent at the line and The Rock leads the PSAC with a 75.1 percent accuracy from the line.

Five SRU players hit double figures Wednesday. Glenn Reepmeyer had 16 points, Jason Bratten netted 15 and Brandon Thompson had 10.

Edinboro's loss spoiled a stellar effort by Jakim Donaldson, who had 20 points and 24 rebounds for the Scots.

EDINBORO (74)

Jakim Donaldson 7-23 6-9 20, Torry Mitchell 3-13 0-0 9, Rob Sims 4-11 0-0 9, Chris Ravello 1-7 1-2 3, Daren Tielsch 6-9 1-2 14, Devon Knight 4-5 0-0 10, Arvin Kotrri 2-2 0-0 5, Dan Grabill 0-4 2-2 2, Joe Cephas 0-1 0-0 0, Ryan McLemore 1-2 0-1 2. Totals: 28-77 10-16 74

SLIPPERY ROCK (85)

Bill Johnson 6-13 18-18 33, Mason Glick 4-11 2-3 11, Ryan Yarosik 0-2 0-0 0, Jason Bratten 5-5 2-5 15, Glenn Reepmeyer 8-12 0-0 16, Brandon Thompson 3-6 4-5 10, Sean White 0-0 0-0 0, Dejan Janic 0-1 0-1 0. Totals: 26-50 26-32 85.

Halftime - Edinboro, 40-35. 3-point goals - Edinboro 8-30 (Mitchell 3-12, Sims 1-4, Ravello 0-6, Tielsch 1-1, Knight 2-3, Kotrri 1-1, Grabill 0-2, Cephas 0-1), SRU 7-14 (Johnson 3-6, Glick 1-4, Yarosik 0-1, Bratten 3-3). Rebounds - Edinboro 48 (Donaldson 24), SRU 33 (Glick 12). Assists - Edinboro 12 (Sims 5), SRU 19 (Glick 11). Total fouls - Edinboro 24, SRU 17. Fouled out - Tielsch (Ed), Reepmeyer (SRU); Technical fouls - none.