CHEYNEY, Pa. - A stifling Cheyney defense limited the Shippensburg men's basketball team to its lowest point total of the season, as the Red Raiders shot just 33.3 percent from the field in a 75-47 loss to the Wolves on Sunday afternoon inside Cope Hall. Shippensburg is now just 1-5 this season on the road.
Shippensburg (6-9) was within four points of the Wolves in the early going, trailing 22-18 with 10:05 remaining until halftime. However, a 16-4 run to close the first half and a 12-4 run to start the half gave the home-standing Wolves a 26-point lead, 52-26, with 16 minutes to play.
Red-shirt sophomore center Derrick Graff continued his maturation as a significant post presence for the Red Raiders, delivering a game-high 19 points to go along with a team-high six rebounds. Graff has now scored in double figures in each of the past six games and has averaged 17.3 points per game over that span.
Freshman guard Justin Minter tied his career-high with 12 points, posting double figures for the third consecutive contest. Senior guard #Alex Jones# added nine points by connecting on three of his five 3-point attempts.
Cheyney (7-4) was able to dominate the game on the glass, out-rebounding the Red Raiders by a 39-24 margin. The fast-paced attack of the Wolves was keyed by four starters scoring in double figures, including 17 from Dawud Morris and a double-double from Dominique Curry. Cheyney also shot 50 percent from the field and connected for 10 of its 21 attempts from behind the 3-point line.
Sunday's contest was the complete opposite of last year's meeting between the two teams, a 71-57 victory for the Red Raiders in which Cheyney shot just 34.4 percent from the field and trailed by as many as 22 points in the second half. With today's decision, the Wolves have now won five of their last seven games against the Red Raiders dating back to the 2000-01 season.
Shippensburg opens PSAC Western Division play at home against Lock Haven on Wednesday. Tip-off is at 8:00 p.m. Prior to the contest, there will be a short ceremony dedicating the new wood floor.
- Red Raider Basketball -
