SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University men's basketball team raced out to an 18-point halftime lead Saturday over No. 18 West Chester and led by as many as 24 points in the second half en route to its 10th win in the last 11 games, defeating the Golden Rams 93-83 in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchup from Heiges Field House.
 
Shippensburg (13-3, 9-2) got all 93 points from its starters, with four of the five posting double figures. SU used runs of 11-2 and 13-4 in the first half to gain its large lead, scoring 17 points off 10 first-half turnovers by the Golden Rams.
 
The Raiders shot 45 percent from three-point range, finishing with 10 three-pointers. SU has made at least eight three-pointers in all 16 games this season.
 
West Chester (15-2, 11-2) made it a game late by going nuclear from the field in the final four minutes of play. The Golden Rams went 9-of-9 from the field, including 5-of-5 from three-point range, to get within four points, 87-83, with 56 seconds remaining. The Raiders closed it out with a clutch bucket from senior Dustin Sleva and four free throws.
 
Shippensburg, the top free-throw shooting team in the PSAC, finished 25-of-29 (86 percent) from the line – including 15-of-17 (88 percent) in the second half. Sleva was 9-of-10 and senior Justin McCarthur was 8-of-10 to highlight the production.
 
Sleva finished with 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and two blocks while tying a career high with three steals. The senior also tallied five assists, marking the tenth game this year he has finished with at least three assists. His 31 points marked the 80th time in his career he scored in double figures.
 
McCarthur finished with 20 points for the second consecutive game and the fourth time this season. He was 4-of-6 from three-point range and added three rebounds. It is his 15th game in double figures this season and the 73rd double-figure game of his career.
 
Sophomore John Castello scored 22 points, one off his career high, while grabbing a season-high 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season and the 11th of his career. He shot 8-of-13 from the field, including 2-of-3 from three-point range, and made 4-of-5 at the free-throw line.
 
Junior Antonio Kellem was the fourth Raider to reach double figures in the win, scoring 11 points, grabbing five rebounds and matching a career high with five assists. Senior Clay Conner scored nine points and had three steals.
 
West Chester entered the game as the fourth-ranked scoring defense in the PSAC, yielding 69.8 points per game, but the Raiders exceeded that average by 23 points. WCU was also holding opponents to 40 percent shooting, but the Raiders exceeded that average by shooting 49.2 percent on Saturday.
 
Tyrell Long led the visitors with 23 points on 11-of-16 shooting to lead four Golden Rams in double figures. Jawan Collins scored 16 points off the bench, shooting 6-of-7 from the field.
 
SU improved to 10-0 at home this season and is 37-3 over its last 40 games played at Heiges Field House under head coach Chris Fite.
 
Shippensburg travels to Bloomsburg on Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. tip with the Huskies from Nelson Field House.