Dustin Sleva carried the Raiders in a 20-point victory over Slippery Rock on Saturday afternoon at Heiges Field House.
The Rock and the Raiders were tied at 28 at halftime, but Shippensburg started the second half with a 15–6 run that blew the game open. The Raiders led by 11 points with 9:19 remaining, holding Slippery Rock to just six points the rest of the game.
Sleva provided his third double-double in as many games this season, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds. He also shot 8-of-14 from the field.
Abe Massaley was in foul trouble for most of the first half, but ended up surging for 11 assists compared to just one turnover.
Freshman John Castello stepped up in his first collegiate start, and had 14 points to go along with seven boards in 34 minutes on the court.
Justin McCarthur had a great afternoon, playing 40 minutes and finishing with 13 points, two assists and a steal. Like McCarthur, Antonio Kellem played 40 minutes and finished with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
The Raiders shot 45 percent from the field in the contest, which included a 51 percent shooting mark in the second half. Slippery Rock was limited to 1-of-18 shooting from 3-point range. SU’s defensive effort forced Slippery Rock to commit 17 turnovers.
On Sunday, Shippensburg surged past Edinboro, 105–73, behind many great Raider performances. SU led 53–33 at the break and never looked back as the Raiders held the lead for the entire game.
Kellem led the Raiders in scoring with 25 points, eight rebounds and one assist. He shot 9-of-12 from the field, including 6-of-7 from 3-point range.
Sleva had another fantastic afternoon, as he claimed his fourth double-double of the season in four games with 23 points, 10 rebounds and two assists in the game. He shot 8-of-15 from the field during the contest.
Massaley shot only 2-of-7 from the field for five points, but dished out 10 assists and added seven boards.
Castello had a stellar performance with 17 points, 13 rebounds and three assists.
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