SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg men's basketball team out-scored visiting Slippery Rock by 20 points in the second half on Saturday to open its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) schedule with a sturdy 68-48 victory from Heiges Field House.
 
Shippensburg (3-0, 1-0 PSAC) and Slippery Rock (2-2, 0-1) were tied at halftime, 28-28, before the Raiders opened the second half on a 15-6 run to lead 43-34 with 14:51 remaining after a four-point play by junior Justin McCarthur. SU led by 11 points, 53-42, with 9:19 remaining, and then held The Rock to just six points for the remainder of the game.  
 
Junior Dustin Sleva provided his third double-double in three games this season, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds on 8-of-14 shooting. Sleva was 3-of-4 from three-point range and added an assist, block and steal in 36 minutes.
 
Senior Abe Massaley was forced to the bench for much of the first half due to foul trouble but was exceptional in his 22 minutes on the floor, handing out 11 assists to just one turnover. Massaley had assists on nine of SU's 15 second-half field goals. He finished with five points and also had one rebound and one steal.
 
Freshman John Castello stepped up in his first collegiate start and was on point, contributing 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Castello added seven rebounds and a steal in 34 minutes on the floor.
 
McCarthur played 40 minutes and finished with 13 points, two assists and a steal. He was 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. Sophomore Antonio Kellem, like McCarthur, played 40 minutes and finished with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Kellem had three assists, two steals, and two rebounds while committing just one turnover.
 
The Raiders shot 45 percent from the field in the contest, including 51 percent in the second half. SU limited Slippery Rock to just 1-of-18 shooting (5.6 percent) from three-point range. The Rock also committed 17 turnovers to SU's 11.
 
Shippensburg hosts Edinboro at 3 p.m. Sunday from Heiges Field House.