MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – The No. 5 Shippensburg University men's basketball team had an off day shooting Saturday in an 82-65 loss at Millersville in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division matchup from Pucillo Gymnasium.
 
SU (18-1, 14-1 PSAC) posted its second-worst shooting effort of the season as the Raiders made just 38.1 percent of their field goal attempts (24-for-63) in its first loss of the season. The Raiders entered Saturday as one of three unbeaten teams in Division II.
 
Saturday marked the first time this season that SU – the PSAC leader in three-pointers per game – made less than seven shots from beyond the arc. The Raiders finished 6-of-26 from beyond the arc.
 
Junior Justin McCarthur made three of SU's six triples – the rest of the Raiders were 3-for-18 from deep – and finished with 11 points and three assists. Junior Dustin Sleva led SU with 16 points and six rebounds, but played just 26 minutes as he picked up his second foul with 12:07 remaining in the first half. Sleva did not return to the floor until the second half began, with SU trailing 40-32.
 
Senior Abe Massaley had 14 points and three assists. Freshman John Castello came up a bucket short of a double-double, finishing with eight points and 12 rebounds.
 
Massaley twice brought the Raiders within a point with a driving layup at the 12:28 mark in the second half and a fadeaway jumper with 9:49 left, but the Marauders never relinquished the lead. Following the latter Massaley bucket, Millersville used an 11-2 run to take control of the game for good.
 
The Raiders made just 12-of-34 (35.3 percent) of their shots from the floor while also converting only 6-of-11 free throws in the second half. SU did not have a field goal over the final 5:34 of the contest.
 
Senior Chris Nwandu added seven points for the Raiders and freshman Lamar Talley played a season-high 15 minutes off the bench, contributing three points, five rebounds and two blocks.
 
No. 5 Shippensburg will look to rebound Wednesday as it hosts No. 11 Kutztown at 8 p.m. from Heiges Field House. The first 200 fans will receive free Ship "Sportsmanship" gloves, and at halftime of the game, fans are invited down to the court for a three-point competition, sponsored by The Commons, in which prizes will be available for those that make a three-pointer.