EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Vigilance was the key for the Shippensburg men's basketball team on Saturday afternoon from Koehler Fieldhouse as the Red Raiders overcame a 12-point first half deficit and an eight-point deficit in the final eight minutes to defeat East Stroudsburg, 76-72.

Shippensburg (7-11, 2-4 PSAC East) snapped a six-game losing streak against the Warriors, defeating ESU for the first time since the 2005-06 season. SU had lost eight consecutive games inside Koehler Fieldhouse, as the Red Raiders lost two neutral-site games earlier this season in the ESU Pocono Classic.

East Stroudsburg (9-8, 2-3 PSAC East) raced out of the gates with momentum but SU slowly chipped away at a double-digit deficit in a game that was whistled extremely close to the vest. The teams combined for 50 fouls and SU took full advantage, making a season-high 29 free throws on 39 attempts.

Trailing 50-41 with 16:34 to play, SU exploded on a 15-0 run to take its first lead of the game and build a six-point advantage, 56-50, with 12:13 to play. Four different players scored on the all-important run. However, the home team got hot and answered with a 19-6 run that featured two Mike DiMarco three-pointers. ESU led 69-61 with 7:39 to go.

Down the stretch, SU put it into another gear despite the fact that junior forward Will Royal and freshman Dylan Edgar played with four fouls for the final 11 minutes 31 seconds. At one point in the second half, ESU had collected 16 offensive rebounds while Shippensburg had amassed just 15 total rebounds in the game.

However, the Red Raiders out-rebounded the Warriors 13-8 in the final 7 minutes 39 seconds, using a 15-3 run during that span to take control down the stretch.

There was no shortage of drama – a three-pointer by junior Jordan Stasyszyn put SU back in the lead with 2:58 to go – and junior Dane Lauber rebounded his own missed free throw with nine seconds left in a two-point game. Lauber, who put SU ahead by two with a pair of free throws at the 31-second mark, made two more with six seconds left that iced the game.

Stasyszyn tied his career high with 20 points, shooting 4-of-5 from the field, 3-of-3 from three-point range and 9-of-11 from the free-throw line. He also had four assists and three steals. Royal had 12 points, shooting 6-of-8 from the floor.

The efforts of Edgar, particularly in the second half, cannot be overlooked. In addition to vital defense against reigning PSAC Eastern Division Rookie of the Year Terrance King during the final 10 minutes, Edgar finished the game with nine points, making 3-of-5 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line, in addition to grabbing eight rebounds in 30 minutes on the floor.

Senior Jaren Gembe had seven points, five assists and three steals; junior Craig Van Scyoc had seven points and seven boards, and sophomore John Corrigan added seven valuable points.

Shippensburg returns home Wednesday at 8 p.m. against Millersville.