Box Score

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - The Shippensburg men's basketball team had a quality scoring chance in the final five seconds of its contest on Saturday afternoon against Kutztown, but a last-second jump shot rimmed out as the Raiders dropped a 69-68 decision to the Golden Bears in a seesaw battle from Heiges Field House.

Shippensburg (9-8, 1-3 PSAC East) held a 38-37 lead at halftime, but no lead was safe in the contest. Saturday's game featured 14 lead changes and nine ties, and neither team led by more than five points during the entire contest. 

The intense divisional contest was riddled with whistles at seemingly every turn, particularly in the second half. The teams combined to shoot 67 free-throw attempts in the game, as 47 fouls were whistled, including 31 in the second half. Shippensburg was 22-of-34 from the line, while the Golden Bears were 20-of-33.

After red-shirt junior center Derrick Graff made 1-of-2 free throws with 24 seconds remaining to bring Shippensburg within one point, the Raider full-court press forced Kutztown's Dave Ben to airmail a full-court pass out-of-bounds. Shippensburg called timeout to draw up a play with 17 seconds remaining.

Off the in-bounds play, junior guard Stephon Draper crossed mid-court and penetrated into the lane. He dished a pass that found its target, junior forward Daziah Miller, but Miller could not handle it cleanly. The ensuing loose ball ricocheted off a Golden Bear underneath the hoop, giving the Raiders one last chance with five seconds left.

With the final in-bounds opportunity, Draper threw a high pass behind the three-point line that got to graduate guard Ryan Kraft. Kraft made a couple of dribbles and put up a contested jumper from just outside the free-throw line that bounced off the back of the rim, and Kutztown secured the rebound at the buzzer for the victory.

Draper was the top offensive weapon for Shippensburg in the contest, leading the Raiders with 18 points including a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. He also totaled six assists, five rebounds and four steals in 32 minutes of action while hitting the team's only two three-pointers in the game.

Kraft had a solid all-around game with five points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals, while junior forward Brian Oleksiak finished with seven points and eight rebounds. Graff added 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Miller added 13 points and five rebounds off the bench in a season-high 23 minutes of action.

Kutztown (14-3, 3-1 PSAC East) got 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four blocks and three steals from Ben, who was 6-of-20 from the field in the contest. Forward Ryan Washington had 14 points, six assists and five blocks while guard Andre Woodlin had 14 points, six rebounds and three steals.

Shippensburg will hit the road for a two-game trip beginning Wednesday. The Raiders will take on Bloomsburg from Thomas Fieldhouse. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.