Becoming the head coach of a new team has its challenges. One of the biggest challenges that a new coach faces is helping his team notch their first win.
Head men’s basketball coach Chris Fite recorded his first win as a head coach on Saturday when the Shippensburg University Raiders downed the Chestnut Hill College Griffins 70–64 behind stellar games from sophomores Joe Lococo and Jay Hardy.
Lococo recorded a team-high 27 points along with two blocks, two rebounds and three steals.
Hardy tied a season high with 13 points to go along with his two rebounds.
The Raiders also received solid contributions from redshirt freshman Marcus Williams who finished with a team-high10 rebounds off the bench.
Freshman Abe Massaley also grabbed nine rebounds and recorded seven points for the Raiders.
SU pulled out the win despite committing 24 turnovers to the Griffins’ 10. The Raiders’ bench was also outscored 25–16.
The biggest contributing factor to the Raiders’ victory was their shooting.
The team shot 51.2 percent from the field, including 77.8 percent from three-point range and 75 percent from the free-throw line.
The Raiders will look to record their second win when Bloomsburg University comes to Heiges Field House for a 3 p.m. tipoff on Saturday, Dec. 7.
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.