SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University men's basketball team battled toe-to-toe Wednesday night with defending PSAC Champion East Stroudsburg, exchanging the lead 10 times in a tightly-contested league game, but it was the Warriors who came away with a 73-69 decision over the Raiders inside Heiges Field House.
 
Shippensburg (4-2, 0-2 PSAC) and East Stroudsburg (4-2, 3-0) played within two possessions for all but 29 seconds of Wednesday night's game, with the Warriors leading by seven points for two brief occasions in each half and the Raiders grabbing a six-point lead during the second half.
 
The turnover differential proved too much for Shippensburg to overcome, as the Raiders committed 21 turnovers off which the visitors scored 31 points. ESU committed just 10 turnovers.
 
SU out-rebounded ESU, 43-39, but the Warriors managed 16 offensive rebounds and had 14 second-chance points.
 
Four Raiders posted double figures, with junior Jay Hardy leading all scorers with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Hardy shot 4-of-8 from three-point range and keyed multiple Raider rallies with his distance shooting.
 
Senior Dylan Edgar stormed his way to another impressive double-double of 14 points and a career-high 17 rebounds despite being fettered to just six points and three boards in the first half. Edgar hit a lay-up with 1:03 remaining that got the Raiders within two points of the lead, and SU ultimately had a possession and a chance to tie the game in the final 30 seconds but was stymied its final comeback.
 
Freshman Justin McCarthur scored 13 points, including a pair of three-pointers. Fellow freshman Dustin Sleva had 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists – keying SU's strong start with seven points in the first six minutes of play and a pair of first-half three-pointers.
 
Sophomore Abe Massaley contributed nine points and six assists before fouling out late in regulation.
 
The game featured two key runs. Trailing 39-34 in the first minute of the second half, Shippensburg embarked upon a 20-9 run over the next six minutes to build its largest lead of the game, 54-48, with 13:05 remaining. Hardy hit two of his four three-pointers during the run.
 
ESU responded, however, with a 19-6 run over the next eight-plus minutes to lead 67-60 with 4:44 to play.
 
The Raiders will host PSAC Eastern Division rival West Chester Saturday at 3 p.m. from Heiges Field House.