Box Score SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Despite Darius Stevens' first career double-double, the Clarion University men's basketball team dropped its first conference game of the season 79-65 at Slippery Rock.
 
Stevens lead the way for the Golden Eagles (1-1 overall, 0-1 PSAC West) with 23 points and 10 rebounds while adding two steals.  DeMarius Miller also finished in double figures for Clarion finishing with 11 points.  Junior Marques Jones added nine points, five rebounds and two steals while Mike Kromka finished with seven points.
 
Clarion led Slippery Rock 35-34 at halftime before getting outscored by 15 points in the second half.
 
Slippery Rock (3-1, 1-0) started the second half on a 14-3 run, and Clarion was never able to get back closer than seven, 67-60, in the half.
 
"I was pleased with how we played in the first half, minus our free-throw shooting," Clarion head coach Ron Righter said. "But they took it at us in the second half. I thought Perry played a really good game."
 
Perry would be Slippery Rock forward Tabari Perry, who had one of three double-doubles for The Rock with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Maurice Lewis-Briggs added 21 points and 11 rebounds with Kelvin Dixon chipping in with 12 points and 12 boards.
 
Slippery Rock outrebounded Clarion 53-32, although the Golden Eagles did force 19 Slippery Rock turnovers.
 
"If you had told me we would hold them in the 70s and they would turn the ball over 19 times, I would have told you I liked our chances," Righter said.
 
But Clarion was only able to turn the turnovers into 17 points mainly because the Golden Eagles shot just 34.4 percent (21 of 61) from the field partly because of 5 of 27 from three-point range. Clarion was also just 18 of 32 from the free-throw line.
 
In the first half, Clarion's biggest lead was 18-14 after back-to-back jumpers, but The Rock went on a 7-0 lead to retake the lead.
 
Late in the first half, the Golden Eagles ended the half on an 8-3 run led by six DeMarius Miller points.
 
After starting the first half on the 14-3 run, Slippery Rock extended its lead to 66-52 with 8:37 left before Clarion went on an 8-1 run behind two baskets from Stevens to cut The Rock advantage to 67-60 with 4:41 left in the game. But that was as close as Clarion got.
 
The Golden Eagles return to action at 7:30 p.m. Saturday when they host IUP in the PSAC West opener.