SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Sophomore forward Daziah Miller recorded a double-double in his first game for the Shippensburg men's basketball team, totaling 23 points and a career-high 15 rebounds to guide the Red Raiders to a 79-77 overtime upset over No. 14 Alderson-Broaddus at Heiges Field House.
Despite the two teams combining for 40 turnovers and shooting a combined 63 percent from the free-throw line, the final four minutes of the contest and the subsequent overtime period provided more than enough excitement for two teams that were collectively shaking off some preseason rust in their first regular season game.
Shippensburg (1-0) had established tempo early in the contest by employing a strong defensive scheme that held the visiting Battlers to just 25 points in the first half.
Last season, Alderson-Broaddus (0-1) averaged 82.9 points per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the floor en route to a perfect 18-0 record in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC).
After leading by as many as nine points in the second half, the Red Raiders held a five-point lead, 59-54, with 4:42 remaining in regulation. The Battlers kept nagging away at the lead, however, and a three-pointer from Zach Green tied the score at 61-61 with 2:18 remaining.
The Red Raiders appeared to gain the upper hand with 1:06 remaining, as senior guard Alex Jones drained a long three-pointer to give Shippensburg the lead. After Alderson-Broaddus fought back to tie the score with 20 seconds remaining, the Red Raiders had an opportunity to work for the final shot.
After calling a timeout to draw up a play, Shippensburg's plan backfired, however, as a bad pass from Jones and a subsequent pileup of bodies resulted in Alderson-Broaddus' Terrell Eargle standing on the free-throw line in a tie game with five seconds left.
Eargle, a 65 percent free-throw shooter last season, needed to make just one of the two attempts to give the Battlers the lead. He wound up missing both, however, and a desperation heave from Jones clanged off the backboard and sent the two teams into the extra session.
In overtime, Miller used his size and strength to dominate the paint. He recorded six points and three offensive rebounds in the extra session to ultimately guide the Red Raiders to the victory. Miller's final decisive act came with nine seconds remaining, as he blocked a three-point attempt from Green to seal the victory.
Eight of Miller's 15 rebounds for the game were offensive boards, as his dominant effort in the paint helped Shippensburg hold a 48-38 advantage on the glass.
Three other players finished the day in double figures for Shippensburg, including junior forward Tariek Belcher. Teammates with Miller at Harcum College, the duo combined for 38 points and 23 rebounds on Saturday as Belcher added 15 points and eight rebounds before fouling out in regulation.
Red-shirt sophomore center Derrick Graff added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Red Raiders, while Jones delivered 11 points and five steals.
For the Battlers, Stan Hall led all scorers with 27 points on 9-of-18 shooting, while Sam Liggins added 23 points.
Shippensburg will return to action this Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., as the Red Raiders will host the Shepherd Rams in the third annual "Food For the Hungry" game. Both teams will be collecting canned goods and non-perishable food items with all fans that donate a food item receiving free admission. The donations will then be given to each teams' respective local food bank.
For more information about donating food to the cause, please contact Shippensburg head coach Dave Springer at 717-477-1449.
- Red Raider Basketball -
