SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Despite rallying from a 10-point halftime deficit to force overtime, the Shippensburg men's basketball team fell victim to the strong shooting and transitional attack of the Lock Haven Bald Eagles, dropping an 81-78 overtime decision Wednesday night inside Heiges Field House.

Shippensburg (6-10, 0-1 PSAC West) rallied early in the second half to take a one-point lead with 13:01 to play after a 14-3 run in which Shippensburg capitalized on high-percentage shots. The first 26 points scored in the second half by the Red Raiders were in the paint, as Shippensburg finished the game with 40 points from the paint.

Catapulting the resurgence was a strengthened defensive effort as well as a significant offensive contribution from red-shirt freshman David Reisinger. Reisinger recorded career highs in points (22), rebounds (five) and minutes (32) by coming off the bench to lead Shippensburg in scoring.

Lock Haven (1-14, 1-0 PSAC West) remained in the contest by riding the strength of its star, junior forward Billy Arre, who finished the game with 28 points and a season-high 15 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.

After missing a desperation three-point attempt at the end of regulation, the Bald Eagles exploded out of the gates with a 7-0 run to start overtime, capped off by a lay-up from Arre.

A three-pointer by senior Alex Jones brought Shippensburg within one point with 35 seconds remaining, but Reisinger missed an open three-pointer in the final seconds that could have tied the game.

The loss ended a seven-game winning streak over Lock Haven, as the Red Raiders had not dropped a game to the Bald Eagles since a 60-57 loss on Jan. 21, 2004 in Thomas Fieldhouse. Over that span, Shippensburg had won each contest by an average of 22.7 points per game.

Additionally, Shippensburg has now dropped two consecutive PSAC Western Division openers after winning three-in-a-row. Last season, the Red Raiders opened conference play with a 76-51 loss to Edinboro.

Lock Haven entered the contest allowing opponents to shoot 48 percent from the field while connecting on just 40 percent of their attempts, but reversed those statistics on Wednesday night. The Bald Eagles shot 48.3 percent from the field, including 80 percent in the overtime session, while holding the Red Raiders to just 40.8 percent shooting.

For Shippensburg, freshman Dane Lauber delivered a career-high 12 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists, while Jones finished with 14 points and a team-high four assists.

The Red Raiders will continue their three-game home stand to open PSAC Western Division play this Saturday when they host Edinboro from Heiges Field House. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m. The Fighting Scots defeated Slippery Rock on Wednesday night, 83-68.

- Red Raider Basketball -