Joe Lococo had a team-high 21 points while Dylan Edgar added 15 of his own. but the Shippensburg University men’s basketball team could not overcome turnovers in its 79–69 loss against Millersville University in the first round of the PSAC playoffs Saturday night at Pucillo Gymnasium.

Lococo’s 21 points came on a night where the Raiders were without starting guard, Sam Pygatt and key reserve Akil Anderson. The depleted bench wore out SU throughout the game, as the Raiders watched a 20–20 tie transcend to a 10-point defeat.

Edgar and Lococo paced the Raiders to a 10–9 lead in the first 10 minutes of the opening half. The duo accounted for all seven of the team’s 10 points and kept the Raiders within striking distance — mainly due to the Marauders’ poor shooting efforts to start the game.

The Marauders, who had free throw woes to start the game, started to convert from the charity stripe as Elijah Obade and Xavier Mumford helped MU escape a 0–4 start from the line. Obade’s and Mumford’s free throw attempts kept the Marauders in the game despite solid shooting efforts from SU’s David Craig and Tyhiem Perrin.

After a Perrin 3-pointer knotted the game at 20 late in the first half, the Marauders, led by Anthony Coleman and Brandon Brown, erupted for a 15–4 run in the last four minutes of the half to give MU a 35–24 lead heading into the break.

That cushion was all the Marauders needed.

In the second half, the Marauders took advantage of eight SU turnovers and a plethora of Raiders in foul trouble to help guide them to a 15-point lead midway through the second half.

Coleman erupted in the second half, scoring 30 of his 36 points including three emphatic jams to seal the game for the Marauders. MU took advantage of Reggie Charles and Perrin fouling out to keep the depleted Raiders at bay.

Edgar added 11 rebounds to his 15 points while Perrin tallied an additional 14 points. A.J. Maun led all SU bench scorers with seven points.

The Raiders (7–20) finished one spot ahead of their projected finish (seventh) in the PSAC East. MU will travel to West Chester University to take on the Golden Rams in the second round of the PSAC playoffs on Tuesday night.

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