The Shippensburg University men's basketball team suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Lock Haven in double overtime Wednesday in a close, back-and-forth Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division tilt inside Thomas Fieldhouse, 106-98.
Shippensburg (6-12, 4-8 PSAC East) and Lock Haven (8-9, 5-6) traded punches in a contest that featured 16 ties and 12 lead changes, and neither team led by more than nine points at any point. Junior
Trey Martin flirted with a triple double, posting 15 points as well as career highs in both rebounds (11) and assists (7).
The Bald Eagles outscored the Raiders 15-to-7 in the decisive second overtime period. The hosts saw all five of its starters reach double figures in the double-OT affair, paced by a 23-point, 8-assist performance from senior point guard Isaiah Stewart.
Lock Haven led by two at the half, 39-37, despite an 8-0 late first half run by the visitors.
Another 8-0 spurt gave the Raiders a six-point advantage, 67-61, midway through the second half, and a Martin trey provided Shippensburg with their largest lead of the contest at seven points, 78-71, with 3:05 remaining in regulation.
The Bald Eagles responded with seven straight points to finish regulation, evening the score at 78-78 and sending the game to overtime.
Shippensburg's leading scorer, redshirt sophomore
Markus Frank had a chance to win the game at the conclusion of the second half, but his driving layup attempt rattled in and out. Frank totaled 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting and six boards.
A five-point trip by the Bald Eagles (a LaQuan Byrd three-pointer combined with an SU foul underneath the basket) gave the hosts the lead in the first extra session, which was erased by a putback from junior
Donovan Hill following an intentional miss at the free throw line in the final seconds, 91-91.
SU led 96-95 with 2:26 left in double-OT after a layup from freshman
Jaydon Smith before the Bald Eagles closed the contest on an 11-2 run.
Shippensburg saw a total of seven players score at least nine points. Smith posted 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. Junior
Timmy Conner netted 15 points. Hill and
Denzel Figueroa also reached double figures in scoring, netting 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Junior
Jalen Bowie finished with nine.
The two teams combined to commit 46 fouls. Martin and Smith both fouled out in double overtime, while Hill and Frank played much of the contest with four fouls.
The setback marks the Raiders' seventh loss by seven-or-fewer points this season.
Shippensburg returns to action with a home nonconference matchup against Cheyney Saturday at 3 p.m.
