Men’s basketball uses second half surge to overpower Wilmington University

The Shippensburg men’s basketball team triumphed over Wilmington with a total team effort.

The Raiders finished the game with their second highest point total this season, racking up 88 points to Wilmington University’s 72. Junior point guard Abe Massaley led the team, scoring 24 points for the Raiders, his second highest point total this season.

Wilmington played a tight first half, keeping pace with SU and closing out the first half trailing by just a point, 44-43. The Raiders broke open the second half with a 14-5 run to give them a 10-point cushion, eventually securing a road victory against the Wilmington Wildcats. There were a few key factors that added up to a Raider win over Wilmington.

SU stepped up their defensive pressure in the second half, forcing Wilmington to drop from 53 percent shooting from the field in the first half to just 33 percent in the second. Rebounds were also key, with the Raiders out-rebounding Wilmington 49-35. Sophomore Dustin Sleva had his third double-double in the last five games for SU, scoring 15 points and shooting 60 percent from the field. He also delivered 10 rebounds.

Freshman Antonio Kellem turned in 11 points and seven rebounds over the course of the game. He also played responsibly, not turning the ball over once throughout the 25 minutes he played.

Several players stepped in off the bench to power the Raiders to victory. Sophomore Clay Conner tied his season total of six assists in just the first half, tallying eight assists and seven points against the Wildcats. He also added four rebounds and three steals over his 26 minutes.

Sophomore Tony Ellis put up eight points, while also putting up one of his best defensive performances, totaling 12 rebounds, which is the second-highest number he has put up in a Raider uniform.

SU was shooting at nearly 67 percent from the 3-point line in the first half, with seniors A.J. Maun and Jay Hardy and sophomore Justin McCarthur all shooting at 50 percent or better on the night. The Raiders finished the game shooting 9-for-18 from the 3-point line.

Shippensburg held the lead for 35 minutes during the 40-minute game. The Raiders have a 4-2 record and look to build off oftheir strong start this season.