EDINBORO, Pa. - The Shippensburg men's basketball team limited the highest scoring team in the PSAC West to just 24 first-half points and led by as many as 15 in the second half, but the Red Raiders could not deter the vigilant Fighting Scots of Edinboro, who earned a 70-62 victory on Saturday afternoon inside McComb Field House.
Shippensburg (6-17, 0-7 PSAC West) dictated the pace of the game in the opening 20 minutes and held a 10-point halftime lead, 34-24, after embarking upon a 15-4 run over the final 6:09 of the first half.
The Fighting Scots began to chip away at their deficit just three minutes into the second half and ultimately tied the score at 52-52 with eight minutes remaining. The score was tied once again with 3:44 remaining, but Edinboro scored the final eight points of the game to earn the victory.
The Red Raiders employed a 2-3 defensive zone and also used a lineup with two point guards and two post players simultaneously on the court that limited Edinboro to 33-percent shooting in the first half and just 39-percent shooting for the game.
Red-shirt junior guard Ryan Kraft led the Red Raiders in the first half with 12 points and finished the game with a season-high 22, matching his production from the contest in Mansfield on December 19. Over his last three games, Kraft has totaled 51 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.
Edinboro (16-5, 6-1 PSAC West) was able to claw back into the contest with help from junior Joseph Jones, who finished the game with 21 points to lead his team. The Fighting Scots also trimmed their deficit by totaling 19 trips to the free-throw line in the second half and converting 13 of their free-throw attempts.
Additionally, the Red Raiders were whistled for five fouls in the first five minutes of the second half after just four were assessed to Shippensburg in the opening 20 minutes.
Red-shirt sophomore center Derrick Graff, fresh off an honorable mention for the PSAC Player of the Week, delivered his second double-double against the Fighting Scots this season, contributing 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Battling against one of the top post players in the PSAC, Ryan McLemore, Graff has totaled 27 points and 24 rebounds in two match-ups this season.
Sophomore guard Brian Oleksiak, who earned his second start of the season on Saturday, delivered a career-high 11 rebounds to go along with three assists, two points and two steals. He is one of just five players to play in every game this season for Shippensburg.
Edinboro has won by double figures in four of its six conference victories this season, with the only two wins in single digits coming at the hands of Shippensburg. The Red Raiders fell to 1-9 on the road this season, while Edinboro won its 19th consecutive home game inside McComb Field House.
Senior guard Alex Jones contributed 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting after being held scoreless for the first time in his Shippensburg career last Saturday at Slippery Rock. Freshman Justin Minter scored nine points in 33 minutes to mark the ninth game out of the last 10 that he has scored at least nine points.
Shippensburg will conclude its five-game road trip on Wednesday when the Red Raiders travel to Lock Haven to take on the Bald Eagles from Thomas Fieldhouse. Game time is set for 8 p.m.
- Red Raider Basketball -
