The Shippensburg University men’s basketball team moved the ball strategically and looked for high-percentage shots, as senior big man Dylan Edgar lifted the team to a thrilling 74-67 win over Lock Haven on Wednesday night at Heiges Field House.

The senior captain, one game removed from an 11 rebound, 14 point double-double in a win over Millersville, paced the Raiders in the first half, putting up 14 points and three rebounds, making 6-of-14 from the floor. He had a monster night, finishing with a career-high 31 points and picking up 11 rebounds.

“We’ve been working on that a lot, especially after the last game,” Edgar said. “A lot of teams in the PSAC don’t have guys that can guard me, so we just worked on getting the ball inside. Our guys have enough faith in me that if I get doubled just to kick it out to them, and I’m comfortable with that because I know that they are going to knock down their shots.“

The game was a close one, with nine lead changes and eight points the largest score differential. The Raiders (9-8, 5-8 PSAC East) pulled away in the end however, winning the matchup 74-67.

Freshman Justin McCarthur had another brilliant outing for Shippensburg, posting 13 points, five rebounds and six assists.

Freshman A.J. Maun totaled a career-high six assists and almost tied a career high in points with eight. He also had four rebounds in the contest.

The Raiders totaled 21 assists in the game to the Wolves’ 11, and picked up 15 points from its bench.

“One of the things we wrote on the board before the game was to share the ball,” Shippensburg coach Chris Fite said.. “We really want to trust each other and make plays for each other, and sometimes that means passing up a good shot for a really great shot. That’s something we did well tonight.”

Lock Haven saw four payers score in double digits in the contest, including a 18-point, seven rebound showing from sophomore Bootsie Walker.

The team made 41.7 percent of its field goals and 84.6 percent from the free-throw line, but shot only 6-for-21 from beyond the arc.

“We’re not a very good 3-point shooting team, so for us to shoot that many threes, that’s kind of why we struggled,” Lock Haven coach Mike Nestor said. “We took too many quick shots I think, but when things were going right we were playing pretty good ball.”

The win moved the Raiders a step closer to qualifying for a playoff berth, moving into fifth place in the PSAC East alongside Lock Haven and Mansfield. Shippensburg beat both squads earlier in the year; the top four teams in the PSAC East and West qualify for the playoffs.

"This was a big win for us,” Edgar said. “Our motto all year has been to bounce back, and we were able to do that tonight. We haven't been playing very well, so it was nice to return to form."

The Raiders travel to Cheyney (1-16, 0-12 PSAC East) on Saturday to take on the Wolves at 3 pm.

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