SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University men's basketball team clinched a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament berth with a resounding 96-72 victory over East Division foe Mansfield on Senior Day Saturday at Heiges Field House.
Shippensburg (13-13, 8-11 PSAC) shot a season-best 57 percent from the field, including 64.3 percent in the first half, to withstand a hot-shooting start from Mansfield (3-23, 2-18) before pulling away.
Redshirt-junior
Michael Dickson went off against his former team, netting a game-high 25 points on a white hot 9-of-11 from the field (82 percent). He also dished out six assists.
Mansfield temporarily kept pace with the Raiders thanks to a 46.2 first half three-point percentage, as the two teams combined for 12 three-point makes before halftime.
The Raider lead was just one, 19-18, before a 7-0 run capped by a Dickson fastbreak bucket opened up an eight -point advantage, 26-18, and facilitated a Mountaineer timeout with 8:34 remaining in the first half.
Shippensburg upped its lead to 12 at halftime and did not look back.
Timmy Conner scored 19 points, including 14 in the first half and a 4-of-9 night overall from beyond the arc.
Denzel Figueroa nearly had a double-double, contributing 11 points, nine rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.
Jaydon Smith was the fourth Raider to finish in double figures, scoring 11.
Markus Frank scored nine points in limited minutes in his return from injury.
Mansfield's Diarmid Stewart shot 71.4 percent from the field for a team-high 13 points.
With the win, the Raiders clinched a PSAC Tournament berth for the second straight season, and for the tenth time overall under head coach
Chris Fite. They are locked into the No. 5 seed with only two regular season games remaining, with their first-round opponent still yet to be determined.
The 2025-26 SU men's basketball senior class – Conner, Figueroa and
Trey Martin – was recognized prior to tip off. Conner currently ranks 15th all-time in program history with 120 made threes; Figueroa is tied for seventh all-time in career blocks with 81 and Martin is a four-year starter and standout contributor on the defensive end.
The Raiders wrap up their home regular season schedule Wednesday evening against Shepherd. Tip off from Heiges Field House is scheduled for 8 p.m.
