Gallery: (2-5-2025) 2024-25 Men's Basketball vs. VILLE
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University men's basketball team battled down to the wire with regional rival Millersville on Wednesday night but came up just short, dropping a 91-89 decision to the Marauders in a physical Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division matchup at Heiges Field House.
Shippensburg (7-15, 4-11 PSAC) led by as many as eight points in the first half after a strong start but was tied with Millersville (13-8, 9-5) at the half, 37-37. It set the stage for a second half in which the two teams combined for 106 points, 39 field goals, 30 free throws and a tight finish.
Junior
Donovan Hill set a career high in scoring for the second straight game, finishing with 25 points on 9-of-20 from the field and 6-of-10 at the free-throw line. Hill grabbed 15 rebounds to record his third double-double in the last four games and his eighth overall this season. He also equaled a career high with three blocks and had two assists.
Five Raiders finished in double figures. Redshirt-sophomore
Markus Frank reached 20 points for the 13th time this season; he added eight rebounds and two assists. Junior
Timmy Conner poured in 15 points; freshman
Jaydon Smith had 13, and junior
Denzel Figueroa contributed 10 points off the bench.
Three key second-half runs proved decisive. A 12-2 Millersville run gave the Marauders a 62-50 lead at the 13:29 mark, but a quick 9-0 counter by the Raiders made it a 62-59 game with 11:43 left. The visitors immediately countered again, using a 13-4 stretch to lead again by 12, 75-63, with 8:09 to go.
Shippensburg whittled away at its deficit and got within three points, 79-76, with 4:48 left. But the Raiders were unable to slow the Marauder offense paced by Saraj Ali, who led all players with a career-high 30 points on 12-of-16 shooting. SU got back within three points with five seconds left before Aiden Gair clinched the game with a pair of free throws – making a buzzer-beating three-pointer by junior
Trey Martin for naught.
The two teams finished within one field goal of each other (Millersville 35-of-72, 48.6 percent; Shippensburg 34-of-71, 47.9 percent). MU made seven three-pointers to SU's five, while the Raiders made two more free throws (16-to-14). The Marauders committed just eight turnovers, while the Raiders committed 13.
Drew Stover had a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Marauders. Montell Cooper had 12 points, six rebounds and six assists. In addition to his 30 points, Ali had seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
The Raiders fell to 1-6 this season in home games decided by five points or less.
Shippensburg hosts Lock Haven at 3 p.m. Saturday at Heiges Field House.
