In the Press: Chambersburg Public Opinion

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Senior Dylan Edgar scored a career-high 31 points Wednesday night and secured his eighth double-double of the season with 11 rebounds as the Shippensburg University men's basketball team finished strong to defeat Lock Haven, 74-67, in PSAC East play at Heiges Field House.
 
Shippensburg (9-8, 5-8 PSAC) snapped a two-game losing streak; it has not lost three straight games all season – and secured a pivotal victory toward the conference playoff race. SU moved into a three-way tie for fifth place with Mansfield and Lock Haven and has an early leg up on both teams having defeated each once this season.
 
SU worked the ball into Edgar all night long, as the senior big man was 14-of-24 from the field and a solid 3-of-5 at the free-throw line. His previous career high of 24 points came twice during the 2012-13 season.
 
The guard play from the Raiders was equally integral to the team's success Wednesday, as freshman Justin McCarthur, sophomore Abe Massaley and junior A.J. Maun helped control the pace of play and yield the team's first positive assist-to-turnover ratio in its last eight home games.
 
McCarthur continued his impressive run with 13 points, five rebounds and two steals while tying his career high with six assists. His drive and feed down low to Edgar with 1:57 remaining put the Raiders up by five, and he answered a pair of Bald Eagle free throws with 68 seconds left by making a running jumper in the paint.
 
Massaley notched 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting and dished out four assists of his own while grabbing three rebounds.
 
Maun continues to blossom in his vital role as the lead guard off the bench, as he scored eight points (including two three-pointers) and had four rebounds, two steals, and a career-high four assists.
 
Junior Tony Ellis had a strong 17 minutes off the bench, scoring five points and grabbing six rebounds.
 
Shippensburg finished with 21 assists, which ties its most in league play this season, compared to 17 turnovers. The Raiders also held a 39-33 advantage in rebounds.
 
Lock Haven (5-12, 5-8) battled in a game that featured 11 ties and nine lead changes, as neither team led by more than seven points in the contest. The Bald Eagles got 18 points from sophomore Bootsie Walker, who was 7-of-12 from the field. Junior Al Blount was 4-of-6 from three-point range and scored 14 points.
 
Reigning PSAC Eastern Division Player of the Year and current PSAC leading scorer Wali Hepburn, however, was limited to a season-low 10 points by the Raiders and shot just 4-of-16 (25.0 percent) from the field.
 
Shippensburg hits the road Saturday to take on Cheyney at 3 p.m. from Cope Hall.