SRU men’s basketball team drops season opener, 83-70, at Shepherd

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W. Va. – Seniors Jabril Bailey (New Castle, Dela./Delcastle HS) and Maron Brown (Salisbury, Md./Wicomico HS) scored 21 and 19 points, respectively, Friday night in a losing cause as the Slippery Rock University men's basketball team dropped its season opener, 83-70, to hosting Shepherd University in PSAC/WVIAC Challenge action.

Brown, a first-team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division selection last winter, also grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds for SRU, which will meet Alderson-Broaddus (1-0) in a 5 p.m. game Saturday at Shepherd.

Junior Tabari Perry (Cambridge, Md./Cambridge-South Dorchester HS), a transfer from junior-college power Cecil (Md.) College, scored 12 points in his first Rock game and was one of three SRU players to grab five rebounds. Bailey and senior post player Jade Burka (Butler/Butler HS) also had five rebounds each.

Jonathan Motichka scored a game-high 27 points for Shepherd (1-0), which will take on Edinboro, a PSAC-West rival of The Rock, in Saturday's second game.

Alderson-Broaddus beat Edinboro, 83-80, in overtime in the opening game of Friday's doubleheader in the Butcher Center.

The Rock and Shepherd battled to a 31-31 stalemate in the opening half of Friday's game before the Rams outscored SRU by a 52-39 margin in the final 20 minutes.

Behind Brown's lead, The Rock recorded a 38-37 edge in rebounds but the Green and White committed 17 turnovers compared to only seven for Shepherd.

SRU shot a respectable 47.9% (23-48) from the field but made a frigid 12.5% (1-8) from 3-point range and a lukewarm 69.7% (23-33) at the foul line.

Shepherd, meanwhile, shot 42.65 (29-68) from the field, hit 27.6% (8-29) of its long-range shots and sank 71.4% (17-25) of its free throws.

The Rock, after taking on Alderson-Broaddus, will turn its attention to next Friday's (Nov. 19) home opener against Ohio University Eastern. Tipoff in Morrow Field House is set for 7 p.m.