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LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Shippensburg University bench boss Dave Springer earned his 100th career head coaching victory with the Red Raider basketball program on Saturday afternoon from Thomas Fieldhouse as his team improved to 6-1 by outlasting Lock Haven, 76-75.

The Raider basketball team is off to its best start since the 2005-06 season, when Shippensburg began the year with a 7-1 record. Springer, the PSAC Western Division Coach of the Year for the 2005-06 season, is in his eighth season at Shippensburg and has compiled a 100-105 record at the university. His overall record is now 111-120.

Saturday's contest was a nip and tuck battle between two familiar opponents. Both teams shot exactly 50 percent from the field and combined for just 21 turnovers.

The first half featured solid offense from both teams and a back-and-forth pace. No team led by more than six points in the opening frame, while the score was tied 10 different times. The Bald Eagles closed the first half on a 5-2 run to lead at intermission, 42-39.

Shippensburg (6-1) came out strong in the second half, gradually building a 10-point lead with 8:52 to play. The Raiders converted five consecutive field-goal attempts beginning at the 15:35 mark, with the run capped off by a 3-pointer from freshman Craig Van Scyoc. 

Lock Haven (2-5) countered with a 16-4 run over the next six minutes to take a 72-70 lead with 2:52, but Shippensburg held strong and recorded the 12th tie of the game at the 2:30 mark following two free throws from red-shirt junior center Derrick Graff.

After a Bald Eagle miss, sophomore Justin Minter got to the free-throw line and converted two attempts to give Shippensburg a 74-72 lead. The Raiders forced a turnover with 1:11 to play and converted the opportunity to go up four points with 47 seconds left on a lay-up from Graff.

Lock Haven countered with a three-point play to cut the deficit to one point with 28 seconds left, and on the ensuing in-bounds play junior Stephon Draper fell down, resulting in a turnover.

Following a timeout, senior Billy Arre got the ball in the final seconds and had a chance to win it for Lock Haven at the buzzer but missed his jump shot, resulting in the victory for Shippensburg.
 
The Raiders were without several key players in the contest and employed a unique starting lineup that included sophomore guard Jaren Gembe and Van Scyoc. The duo combined for 17 points, six rebounds and four assists in the contest.

Graff was limited to 28 minutes but made the most of his time on the court with a team-high 19 points and six rebounds. Joining him in the post was junior Daziah Miller, who made his season debut and contributed 10 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.

Junior Brian Oleksiak tied his career-high with 11 points and finished with three rebounds and two steals while converting 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Minter had eight points and two assists, while Draper came off the bench and delivered seven points. 

Shippensburg also came up big from the free-throw line, converting 17 of its 19 attempts in the contest including 14-of-15 in the second half. The Raiders are shooting 72.6 percent from the free-throw line this season and have not finished a season with a free-throw percentage above 70 percent since the 2002-03 campaign.

Lock Haven had four players score in double figures, with Eric Brennan finishing with 24 points. Warren Christian added 20 points, while Jarrell Spence and Kelvin McLean each finished with 10 points.

For the second time this season the Shippensburg defense stymied Arre, the former PSAC Western Division Player of the Year. On Saturday, Arre was just 4-of-16 from the field, finishing with eight points. Earlier this season, Arre was limited to six points on 2-of-12 shooting as the Raiders won the season-opener over Lock Haven, 63-45.

Arre has been held to single-digit scoring just six times in his 87-game collegiate career, and three of those performances have come against the Raiders - including two this season. 

Shippensburg will be off for the Christmas holiday, returning to the court on Monday, December 29 in Erie for competition in the two-day Porreco Cup from Gannon University. The Raiders will face Seton Hill on Monday at 6 p.m. and play either Caldwell or Gannon on Tuesday.