The Shippensburg University men's basketball team produced its most points in a season opener in nine years Saturday but ended up on the wrong end of a 112-90 loss at Frostburg State in the first match of the Bobcat Classic held inside Bobcat Arena.
 
Shippensburg (0-1) shot 44.7 percent from the field and posted 20 assists while committing just nine turnovers. The Raiders scored 52 points in the paint, received 29 points from its bench and had eight players score at least six points.
 
Frostburg State (1-0), however, shot 57.4 percent (39-of-68) from the field, including a torrid 54.5 (12-of-22) percent from three-point range, and connected on 84.6 percent (22-of-26) at the free-throw line. While SU only committed nine turnovers, the Bobcats managed 17 points off those miscues.
 
With 8:48 left in the first half, the Raiders held a 32-29 lead after trailing by as many as nine points early on. It was later a one-point game in Frostburg's favor, 44-43, at the 3:12 mark before the Bobcats closed the half on a 15-6 run to lead by 10 at the break, 59-49.
 
SU reduced its deficit down to five points in the opening two minutes of the second half before the hosts went mad – erupting on a 23-5 run over the next 4:34 to lead 84-61 at the 13:37 mark. During the decisive stretch, the Bobcats scored 15 straight points, including seven consecutive makes from the field, and forced three Raider turnovers.
 
Markus Frank led all scorers and was one of four Raiders in double figures with 28 points on 12-of-18 shooting. Frank and Denzel Figueroa had a team-high seven rebounds; Figueroa chipped in six points and two blocks.
 
Michael Dickson finished an assist shy of a double-double, scoring 10 points (going 6-of-6 at the free-throw line) while also recording two steals and two rebounds. Dickson's nine assists are a new career high, one more than his previous best of eight that was set in Game 2 of last season at the Bobcat Classic against Salem.
 
Jaydon Smith finished with 11 points, three rebounds and two assists while Timmy Conner came off the bench and delivered 13 points, four rebounds and two steals.
 
Sebastian Edwards performed well in his collegiate debut, posting eight points, three assists and two steals in 17 minutes off the bench. David Dorsey added eight points and Trey Martin contributed six.
 
The five Bobcat starters combined for 100 points. Four Bobcats finished with 20 or more points, including a team-high 23 from Trey Simmons. Former Gannon standout Mike Montano erupted for 22 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three steals on 8-of-15 shooting.
 
Last year, Frostburg claimed the season opener over the Raiders by a 74-68 score.
 
Shippensburg is back in action at noon tomorrow when it faces Bluefield State to wrap up the weekend at the Bobcat Classic. The Big Blue lost Saturday to Seton Hill, 77-72.