The Shippensburg University men’s basketball team fell Wednesday night to their rivals the Millersville Marauders, despite a solid night from junior Jay Hardy the team wasn’t able to pull out the win in a pivotal league showdown.
Shippensburg was only down by one point in the first half 35-34 thanks in large part to Hardy. The athletic junior had 19 first-half points for Shippensburg thanks in large part to 7-of-9 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from the 3-point line. Hardy cooled down going into the second half scoring only five points and finishing with a game-high 24 points for Shippensburg.
Shippensburg also received a big contribution from senior Dylan Edgar who had a double-double with 20 points and a game-high 17 rebounds. This was Edgar’s 10th double-double of the season and his second in the team’s last three games. Along with his double-double Edgar also shot a career best from the free throw line, sinking 10-of-13 on the night.
Freshman Dustin Sleva chipped in for the Raiders with 10 points and five rebounds. Freshman Justin McCarthur had seven points and six assists while sophomore Abe Massaley had six points, five rebounds and four assists.
Despite a solid contribution from multiple players Shippensburg couldn’t rally back against Millersville.
Millersville had five players score in double figures led by team high 18 points from freshman Sam Light.
Shippensburg fought back from eight-point deficit late in the second half. Down by two with 50 seconds left, and despite two missed free throws by Millersville, the Raiders couldn’t make a comeback.
This loss was a big one for Shippensburg with the playoffs right around the corner. Shippensburg is currently the six seed in the Eastern Division tied with Mansfield. Shippensburg does hold the tiebreaker over the Mounties thanks to their victory over No. 1-seeded East Stroudsburg. The loss also ensures that the Raiders will not host a playoff game this spring.
The playoff standings are almost set with East Stroudsburg in first, Kutztown in second and West Chester in third. Millersvile has all but secured the fourth seed with their win against Shippensburg while Lock Haven moved into the fifth spot with a win at Cheyney Wednesday.
With the top six seeds this making the playoffs Shippensburg has no room for error. Shippensburg plays at Lock Haven Saturday at 4:00 pm and the Red Raiders close out their season at home against Cheyney Wednesday February 25th at 8:00 pm.
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