SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University men's basketball team used a balanced scoring effort on Sunday to extend its winning streak to three games, outlasting visiting Clarion by a 79-72 score in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover contest from Heiges Field House.
 
Shippensburg (8-5, 5-4 PSAC) led by as many as 16 points late in the first half before Clarion (8-7, 5-4) got within eight points of the lead at the intermission. The Golden Eagles trailed by just two points with 3:28 to play and were within three points of the lead in the final 90 seconds, as the second half materialized into a physical, back-and-forth affair.
 
The Raiders, however, got a one-handed tip-in from sophomore Dustin Sleva with 1:22 to go before sophomore Clay Conner drained a three-pointer from the corner with 33 seconds remaining to clinch the victory.
 
Conner had the best game of his young career, tying his career high with 19 points in 23 minutes off the bench. He was 6-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-3 from three-point range, and made all four of his free-throw attempts.
 
Seven different Raiders scored at least six points in the contest. Sleva finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and three assists – including 2-of-3 from three-point range. SU hit nine three-pointers as a team, marking the fifth time this season the Raiders have done so.
 
Junior Abe Massaley had 11 points, six rebounds and two assists. Senior Jay Hardy had 11 points, four rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Justin McCarthur had nine points and three assists off the bench.
 
The Raider bench out-scored Clarion's by a 37-14 margin. In addition to Conner and McCarthur, senior Tony Ellis was excellent in the post with six points and seven rebounds. Overall, the Raiders have gotten 79 points from their bench over the last two PSAC contests.
 
Shippensburg also took full advantage of 15 offensive rebounds, posting a 23-4 advantage in second-chance points in the contest. SU's 23 second-chance points matches a season high.
 
The Raiders begin a three-game road swing this week, first facing Pittsburgh-Johnstown at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday from Sports Center.