FAIRMONT, W.Va. – The No. 9 Shippensburg University men's basketball team dropped a fast-paced, emotional Atlantic Region semifinal to sixth-seeded Wheeling Jesuit on Sunday evening, 97-91, from Joe Retton Arena on the campus of Fairmont State University.
 
Shippensburg (27-4), the Atlantic Region's No. 2 seed, was facing Wheeling Jesuit (25-7), the Atlantic Region's No. 6 seed, for the first time since 1994. The two teams each shot 52 percent or better from the field – including 56 percent by WJU, marking just the fifth time this season an opponent exceeded 50 percent against the Raiders.
 
All 91 of SU's points on Sunday came from its first starters. Junior Dustin Sleva paced the Raiders with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and finished with six rebounds and a team-high six assists. A loose-ball foul on a missed free throw was assessed to Sleva with 3:25 remaining, removing him from the contest in a two-point game.

Sleva totaled 674 points this season, a new single-season school record that surpasses the mark of Keith Hill (652 in 1990-91). He also finished with 105 assists -- 15th in the PSAC -- while being the only conference player to average a double-double throughout the regular season (21.7 points, 11.0 rebounds). 
 
Junior Justin McCarthur scored 21 points, shooting 4-of-8 from three-point range and 6-of-12 from the field. McCarthur also had three assists and three steals. Sophomore Antonio Kellem also hit four three-pointers, scoring 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting with five rebounds, four assists and four steals.
 
In the post, freshman John Castello was held scoreless in the first half but finished with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and a team-high seven rebounds. His thunderous transition dunk and subsequent free throw three minutes into the second half capped off an 11-0 run for the Raiders that transformed a three-point deficit into a seven-point lead.
 
Senior Abe Massaley, playing his final game as a Raider, scored 19 points, including three three-pointers, and had five assists. Massaley, the first recruit of SU head coach Chris Fite, completes a storied career with 1,417 points (tied for sixth in school history), 496 assists (second in school history). His senior season also included 42 three-pointers, a total just three less than his career total entering the year.  
 
Shippensburg trailed at halftime, 48-44, having yielded its most points in the first half this season. The frantically-paced opening frame featured 18 lead changes, including 13 in just the first 10 minutes alone. The Raiders were shooting 60 percent from the field at the intermission; Sleva had already raced out to 15 points and four assists on 6-of-8 shooting, while Kellem had totaled 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting (3-of-4 from three-point range).
 
SU captured the momentum to begin the second half, opening the final frame on a 27-8 run to lead 71-56 with 12:51 remaining. During that stretch, the Raiders were 8-of-10 from the field, 4-of-6 from three-point range, and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line.
 
Wheeling responded with a 7-0 run to get within eight points, but the Raiders still held a 10-point lead, 78-68, with 10:07 to play. The next two minutes proved decisive, however, as the Cardinals used another 7-0 run to get within three points, 78-75, with 8:29 to go.
 
The score was tied, 83-83, with 4:51 remaining. Sleva was forced to exit with his fifth foul with 3:25 remaining, and Wheeling responded with a 6-0 run to lead by seven points, 90-83, with 1:11 left.
 
Shippensburg had a couple of chances to cut it to one possession late, forcing a steal in a four-point game with 50 seconds left, but a three-pointer sailed long and the Cardinals raced up the floor for an uncontested layup. After once again cutting the deficit to four points with 23.5 seconds remaining, the Raiders forced a turnover but could not succeed on the ensuing in-bounds. WJU responded with a pair of free throws to ice the game.
 
Shippensburg concluded its best season in school history having set a multitude of school records including wins (27), points (2,614), points per game (84.3) free-throw percentage (.786), three-pointers (317) and more. A full rundown of SU's season accomplishments will be available this week on shipraiders.com.
 
"I've got nothing but pride and love for my team," Fite said after the game. "Our guys have been tremendous all year long. They've been committed to one another and our school. They've exceeded my expectations by far. They certainly have raised the bar for Shippensburg basketball. Hopefully we can keep moving forward."