The No. 24-ranked Shippensburg University men's basketball team used a 14-2 run midway through the second half on Wednesday night to gain separation from host Shepherd and defeat the Rams, 80-68, in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division matchup from the Butcher Athletic Center.
 
Shippensburg (17-3, 13-1 PSAC) extended its win streak to 10 games by shooting 62 percent from the field in the second half, including 55 percent (6-of-11) from three-point range, while limiting Shepherd (9-11, 5-9) to 38 percent from the field for the game.
 
The Raiders also finished 12-of-13 at the free-throw line, and are now 48-of-51 (94.1 percent) from the free-throw line over the last four games.
 
Last year's matchup between the two teams – a 74-67 Shepherd victory in Heiges Field House in which the Raiders shot just 31 percent from the field – featured a combined six turnovers. Wednesday's game was similar, as Shippensburg committed just six turnovers (none in the second half) while Shepherd had just seven.
 
The Rams opened the game with a 10-2 run and led for much of the first half, marking the first time that the Raiders had trailed by more than one possession at any point in the last three games. Shippensburg took a 34-30 lead late in the first half, but Shepherd scored the final five points of the frame to take a 35-34 lead into the intermission.
 
Shippensburg's 14-2 run came in a 3:20 stretch of the second half that gave the Raiders a 61-49 lead with 8:54 remaining. The Rams would only get as close as six points the rest of the way.
 
Senior John Castello and junior Jake Biss were the keys for the Raiders. Castello posted his second straight 20-point game and his sixth of the season, totaling 25 points and 12 rebounds for his third straight double-double and sixth of the season. He was 8-of-14 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. Castello had 16 of his points in the second half.

With his performance Wednesday night, Castello (1,441 points) moved past Matt Markle (1,417 points from 1988-92) and Abe Massaley (1,417 points from 2013-17) into ninth place on Shippensburg's career scoring list.
 
Biss scored 22 points, including four three-pointers, to go along with six assists and five rebounds. It is the second straight game Biss scored 22 points, and the sixth time this season he has exceeded the 20-point mark. It is also the eighth time this season that Biss finished with five or more assists.
 
Redshirt-sophomore Dom Sleva and junior Kiyon Hardy combined for 22 points off the bench. Sleva scored 12 points, including a pair of three-pointers, and was 4-of-4 at the free-throw line. Hardy had 10 points on a 4-of-6 shooting night and grabbed four rebounds.
 
Sophomore Luke Nedrow had four points and four rebounds. Nedrow's four points were key, as he scored on Shippensburg's first two possessions of the second half to flip a three-point deficit into a one-point lead.
 
Sophomore Carlos Carter had four points and four rebounds, while senior Lamar Talley had three points and two rebounds.
 
Shepherd entered Wednesday's game averaging a league-best 12.6 three-pointers per game while shooting above 40 percent from long range. The Rams shot 32 percent (8-of-25) from three-point range on the night. Jarrell Jones was one of four players in double figures for the hosts, finishing with 13 points.
 
Shippensburg returns to action at 3 p.m. Saturday when it hosts East Stroudsburg from Heiges Field House.