SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg men's basketball team made a school-record 16 three-pointers Wednesday en route to a wire-to-wire 84-72 victory over Pitt-Johnstown in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover matchup at Heiges Field House.
SU (18-0, 13-0 PSAC) had five different players knock down three-pointers as junior
Dustin Sleva connected from deep on each of the first two possessions for SU and the Raiders never trailed for the remainder of the game. Following a layup by Pitt-Johnstown, Sleva hit a third three-pointer in as many shots in what was the beginning of a career night shooting from deep.
Sleva finished with a game-high 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including a career-high six three-pointers, to go along with nine rebounds. Junior
Justin McCarthur was sensational again for the Raiders, totaling 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting. McCarthur tied his career high by matching Sleva with six three-pointers on 11 attempts. He also added five assists and two steals in a team-high 39 minutes.
McCarthur is now averaging 19.9 points per game over his last nine games – a stretch in which he has made 37-of-70 three-pointers (52.8 percent).
Senior
Abe Massaley pitched in nine points, six assists, three steals and two blocks. In his first career start, senior
Chris Nwandu totaled seven points and four assists in 27 minutes. Nwandu, who made three of his four field goal attempts Wednesday, is now shooting 62.3 percent from the field this season.
Massaley and Nwandu each made a three-pointer while junior
Clay Conner made a pair of triples in 21 minutes. The previous school record for three-pointers made in a game was 15, which was tied earlier this year by the Raiders when they made 15 against Shepherd on Dec. 19. SU also made 15 against Pitt-Johnstown on Jan. 2, 2008.
The Raiders led by as many as 22 points with 11:45 remaining in the second half before UPJ (12-8, 7-7) clawed back to make it a 13-point game with 5:07 left following an Isaac Vescovi (19 points) jumper. However, SU responded with a Sleva three-pointer on which he was fouled and completed the rare four-point play. The Mountain Cats cut the SU advantage to 11 with 2:02 left, but Sleva again responded with a triple at the 1:10 mark to seal SU's 18th victory.
SU's 18 victories are already tied for fourth-most in school history as the Raiders remain one of three unbeaten teams in NCAA Division II men's basketball.
The Raiders will try to keep their record unblemished Saturday when they travel to Millersville for a 3 p.m. start from Pucillo Gymnasium.
