Narrow Loss
SLIPPERY ROCK — One point. Specifically a free throw with 4.6 seconds left. That was the difference in Slippery Rock’s 49-48 boys basketball loss to visiting Grove City on Tuesday.
“I’m not frustrated with our players,” said Slippery Rock coach AJ Motta. “I’m frustrated to see the game end like it did, knowing how hard our guys worked and how hard they prepared. I’m proud of how they played tonight.”
The Rockets (11-6, 3-2) led 45-43 before Grove City’s Brett Loughry drained a 3-pointer and hit a pair of free throws in the span of 21 seconds, giving the Eagles a 48-45 edge with 1:33 remaining in the game.
SR’s Levi Prementine, who led all scorers with 18 points, completed a 3-point play to tie the game with 1:12 left. The Eagles then took more than a minute off the clock before they made their move, which resulted in Nathan Greer at the line. The junior guard missed the first attempt and made the second.
The Rockets got the ball across midcourt, but could muster only Prementine’s off-balance attempt from beyond the arc that was well short of the basket.
It was a seventh straight victory for Grove City (10-7, 5-0), the defending District 10 champions in Class 4A.
“Slippery Rock is a really good team and we knew it would be tough coming in here,” said Grove City coach Chris Kwolek. “Defense is the biggest reason for our success and it come up big tonight.”
Motta pointed to the end of both halves as the difference in the game.
“We had a 10-point lead late in the first half, then turned the ball over a number of times (leading to six points for Grove City),” he said. “There’s a big difference between a 10-point lead and a four-point lead at halftime.
“Then at the end of the game, Greer hitting that free throw was big for him, big for Grove City. It’s just a tough way to lose.”
Prementine had a great individual effort to put the Rockets up 40-38 after three quarters. First, he blocked a 3-point attempt from Loughry at the top of the key, retrieved the loose ball and dribbled just inside the midcourt line before letting a shot go just before the buzzer.
Swish.
“Every game, he makes a play that only Levi Prementine can make,” said Motta. “He’s a super athlete.”
The Rockets made four of five 3-point attempts in the second period, including two from Max Kovacik, to build a 32-22 advantage.
Loughry led the Eagles with 17 points and Greer scored 16.
For Slippery Rock, Josh Book netted 13 points.
The Rockets and Eagles meet again Feb. 16 at Grove City.
GROVE CITY 49
Jimmy Irani 2 0-0 4, Nathan Greer 7 2-3 16, Paul Grubba 2 0-0 4, Gavin Lutz 2 0-0 5, Brett Loughry 5 4-4 17, Christian Kurz 1 0-0 3, Kamden Martin 0 0-0 0. Totals: 19 6-7 49.
SLIPPERY ROCK 48
Levi Prementine 7 2-3 18, Max Kovacik 3 0-0 9, Anderson Franco 2 0-0 5, Josh Book 4 4-4 13, Braden King 1 0-0 3, Doug Popovec 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17 6-7 48.
Grove City 14 14 10 11 — 49
Slippery Rock 14 18 8 8 — 48
3-point goals: Grove City 5 (Loughry 3, Lutz, Kurz); Slippery Rock 8 (Kovacik 3, Prementine 2, Franco, Book, King).
