Box Score

ERIE, Pa. - A second-half charge proved to be too much for the Shippensburg men's basketball team on Saturday afternoon from the Mercyhurst Athletic Center (MAC), as the Red Raiders ended a 20-day layoff by dropping a mandated PSAC crossover to Mercyhurst, 76-64.

Shippensburg (6-4) played strong defense in the opening half and held strong against the Lakers, trailing by just seven points at halftime. The Red Raiders led by five points in the opening minutes and held the home team to just 27 points in the first half but also shot just 29 percent from the field during that same span.

Mercyhurst (8-2) took control with a frenetic rush to start the second half. The Lakers raced out of the gates with a 13-2 run over the first 3:33 of the second half to build a 40-22 lead. That momentum continued with three-pointers and forced turnovers, and Shippensburg fell behind by as many as 29 points.

The Red Raiders continued to fight hard and hustled despite their deficit. Several players chipped in during the final six minutes as SU closed the game on a 21-4 run. Senior forward Daziah Miller had six points, freshman guard Lamar Jackson added five while a total of six players also chipped in with points down the stretch.

The team's leading scorer was redshirt sophomore forward Will Royal, who returned to the team and delivered 12 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench. Miller and Jackson added 11 points while senior forward Brian Oleksiak contributed seven points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Shippensburg will finish the PSAC crossover weekend at 3 p.m. on Sunday from Slippery Rock.

Notes: Both teams ended long layoffs away from the court...the Red Raiders had not played a game since its last trip to the MAC on December 13 while the Lakers had not taken the floor since December 16...junior guard Justin Minter returned to the team and added four points, two rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes...redshirt sophomore guard Jordan Stasyszyn joined the team but did not play.