SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - The Shippensburg University men's basketball team returned to form on Saturday afternoon with a renewed defensive effort and hot shooting from red-shirt junior guard Ryan Kraft that tamed visiting Kutztown, 79-64. The Red Raiders led by as many as 32 points in the second half and totaled 23 points off turnovers.
Shippensburg (2-3) struggled defensively in its last two outings, allowing 82 points to Alderson-Broaddus and 87 points to Millersville, but the Red Raiders improved on Saturday by holding Kutztown to 34-percent shooting and just 25 points in the first half.
Shippensburg's defense was vigilant throughout the contest and limited the Kutztown starters to just 27 points while holding Dave Ben, the leading scorer for the Golden Bears, to just two points on 1-of-6 shooting.
With the score tied 17-17 with 10:50 remaining in the first half, the Red Raiders embarked upon consecutive runs that gave them control of the contest. To conclude the opening 20 minutes, Shippensburg strung together a 23-8 run that gave them a 40-25 halftime lead.
The second half began with Shippensburg exploding for a 22-5 run that gave them a 62-30 lead with 13:13 to play. Over a stretch of 15:57, the Red Raiders outscored Kutztown by a 45-13 margin.
A key contributor to Shippensburg's offensive prowess was Kraft, who drained a career-high six three-pointers while leading all scorers with 20 points. He had totaled five three-pointers in a game twice in his career entering play on Saturday.
Sophomore forward Daziah Miller delivered his fifth consecutive double-digit scoring effort to open the season, narrowly missing a double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds.
In the paint, red-shirt sophomore center Derrick Graff established his presence early and totaled 13 points and eight rebounds while blocking two shots. Meanwhile, red-shirt senior guard Alex Jones provided stability in the backcourt by dishing out six of the team's 19 assists.
Shippensburg returns to action on Sunday when it hosts East Stroudsburg beginning at 3:00 p.m., following the women's game.
- Red Raider Basketball -
