MANSFIELD, Pa. – The Shippensburg men's basketball team raced out to a double-digit halftime lead Wednesday and used quality free throw shooting to stave off a pesky Mansfield squad for a 79-72 win in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) game at Decker Gymnasium.
 
Shippensburg (6-5, 3-4 PSAC) was led by a career effort from sophomore Dustin Sleva, who excelled in every facet of the game on his way to 20 points, 21 rebounds and six assists. All three figures led SU on Tuesday night.
 
Sleva's 21 rebounds are the most by a Shippensburg player in at least 18 years, dating back to the advent of computer-kept statistics at SU.
 
Sleva was efficient, shooting 8-of-14 from the field, including 2-of-3 from three-point range and making both of his foul shots. Seven of Sleva's 21 rebounds were on the offensive glass.
 
His rebounding effort helped SU outrebound Mansfield 46-33 and hold a 20-14 advantage in second chance points.
 
Junior point guard Abe Massaley also scored 20 points in the win as he knocked down 6-of-12 from the field and 8-of-10 from the free throw line, including a few key freebies late. SU as a team made all 11 of its second-half free throw attempts.
 
Freshman Antonio Kellem complemented Massaley and Sleva with 12 points and eight rebounds.
 
Mansfield started the game on an 8-2 spurt, forcing a Shippensburg timeout. The Raiders responded with a 20-6 run and eventually took a 43-29 lead into halftime.
 
The Mountaineers were able to cut the SU lead to as few as five points in the second half with 1:29 remaining, but the Raiders put the game on ice as Massaley, Kellem and sophomore Clay Conner combined to make 8-of-8 free throws down the stretch.
 
SU returns home Saturday to face Kutztown with tip-off set for 3 p.m. from Heiges Field House.