The SU men’s basketball could not seem to have the ball bounce their way early on in the season. Things have quickly turned around for the Raider squad, which has put together a solid seven-game winning streak.

The men’s basketball team started out their season 4-4, with their seventh and eighth games of the season against West Chester University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania ending in double-digit losses.

Even with the slow start, the Raiders displayed a lot of heart. The team quickly responded from the big losses with a big victory in a 94-93 home-thriller against Seton Hill University.

The Raiders got a strong performance out of guard Abe Massaley, who led the team with 24 points against Seton Hill, while sophomore Dustin Sleva scored 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the win.

This was only the beginning of a breakout season for the sophomore. Sleva has been a force for the Raiders this season, picking up 11 double-doubles in just 17 games. Sleva is tied for second in the nation double-doubles and also ranks third in the nation with an average of 11.6 rebounds per game. Sleva also averages 13.7 points per contest on the season.

The Raiders are currently sitting fourth in the East division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, with a 12-5 record and a 9-4 record in conference play.The Raiders willed their way back into the division race with the current seven-game winning streak, but will have a tough stretch moving forward and playing all three teams sitting ahead of them in the East division in their next five games.

The team has been very successful as of late, scoring at least 70 points per game during the winning streak. The team also eclipsed 75 points in all seven of those contests. The team has been scoring a lot of points and currently sits in sixth place in points per game for in the PSAC. The Raiders also have shot well from deep this season, averaging 7.1 3-point field goals per game.

The streak featured victories over Mansfield University, Kutztown University, Clarion University, The University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, Millersville University, Lock Haven University and Cheyney University.

Abe Massaley, who is averaging 15.2 points per game, has paced the Raiders offensively this season. That 15.2 points per game is good enough for 10th in the PSAC this season.

During the streak, freshman guard Antonio Kellem has played well, averaging 10.9 points per game on the season, including a season-high 20 points against Lock Haven. Senior forward Tony Ellis has also been a key contributor during the streak, piling up double-digit points in three of the seven games, including a season-high 20 points against Lock Haven.

The team has played well all year and hopes to continue their winning ways in their upcoming games. The next five games will be critical to the team’s chances of moving on into the postseason. The Raiders will face PSAC powerhouse West Chester University, who currently leads the conference, on Jan. 30th in West Chester. The Raiders will also have tough matchups with a Feb. 1st matchup against the second place team in the PSAC East, East Stroudsburg University, at home in Heiges Field House.

The SU men’s and women’s teams have combined for a 27-7 record—the best combined start in school history. Both teams have been extremely effective this season and hope to keep momentum heading into the final month of the regular season.

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