Box Score

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. - The Shippensburg men's basketball team held the homestanding Warriors of East Stroudsburg to a season-low 19 second-half points on Saturday afternoon and erased a 17-point second-half deficit, but the Raiders could not score over the final two minutes in a 64-63 loss from Koehler Fieldhouse.

Shippensburg (11-12, 3-7 PSAC East) completed its 11th game this season that was decided by six points or less. Close games have not been kind in 2008-09 to the Raiders, who have now lost five of their seven conference games by a combined total of nine points.

East Stroudsburg (14-9, 5-5 PSAC East) was on fire in the first half, shooting 62 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes and leading 45-30 at intermission. Senior forward Chris Bach, who finished with a game-high 22 points, combined with fellow Warrior Andy Heimbach for 27 first-half points.

With 12 minutes remaining in the contest, Shippensburg trailed 59-42 but was ready to embark upon its epic comeback. Red-shirt junior center Derrick Graff, who finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, began the rally with a lay-up and a free throw at the 11:46 mark.

Junior forward Daziah Miller provided the next seven points of the run with two field goals and three free throws. Following a jumper from Bach, freshman guard Craig Van Scyoc hit a three-pointer that brought the Raiders within eight points at the 7:12 mark.

After a tip-in from Miller put Shippensburg within six points, junior guard Brian Oleksiak provided the offensive punch with back-to-back three-pointers that tied the score at 63-63 with 2:34 to play. The Shippensburg rally concluded as an 18-2 run for the Raiders over a 9:36 stretch of the second half.

With 2:01 to play, Bach was sent to the charity stripe for East Stroudsburg's only two free-throw attempts of the second half. Bach missed the first attempt but made the second, and the subsequent 64-63 score would hold for the duration of the contest.

The final exchange over the last 25 seconds of the game provided a boatload of excitement but no scoring. Red-shirt freshman guard Lamar Drayton stole the ball from Heimbach with 24 seconds to go and went coast-to-coast but had it stolen away by Mike Demarco as he went for the go-ahead shot.

Despite his turnover, Drayton stole it right back from the Warriors at mid-court and the Raiders called a timeout with 12 seconds remaining to dial up a play. Unfortunately, no Raider could get an open shot and a turnover with one second left clinched the win for East Stroudsburg.

Graff's performance resulted in his fifth double-double of the season, while Miller finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Oleksiak continued his exceptional play with eight points, 11 rebounds and three steals in 32 minutes off the bench.

Graduate guard Ryan Kraft scored 11 first-half points and also provided two assists and two rebounds. With four games remaining in the regular season, he needs 53 points to reach 1,000 for his Shippensburg career.

Shippensburg will return to action on Wednesday night for a PSAC Eastern Division contest with the Huskies of Bloomsburg. Tip-off from Heiges Field House will begin at 8 p.m.