The Shippensburg University men’s basketball team kept its forward momentum rolling this week, picking up its sixth and seventh victories in a row over Bloomsburg and Seton Hill Universities.
The Raiders (14-3, 10-1 PSAC) used a balanced scoring attack to propel them in Wednesday’s home victory over Bloomsburg 102-78. Five players reached double figures in the scoring column.
Senior John Castello led the way with 22 points and 16 rebounds shooting 7-of-8 from the field and 3-of-3 from beyond the 3-point line.
Junior Jake Biss added 14 points while dishing out seven assists. Off the bench, redshirt sophomore Dom Sleva tallied 15 points, junior Kiyon Hardy put up 13 points and senior Daylon Carter poured in 13 points.
Sophomores Carlos Carter and Luke Nedrow each scored eight points, while senior Lamar Talley had nine points to go along with six rebounds and three assists.
The Raiders shot 53% from the field and shot 44% from 3-point range in the win. They also shot 81% from the free-throw line and lead the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in free throw shooting percentage.
SU led by as many as 29 points down the stretch as it used a 31-9 second-half run to extend its lead.
In the Raiders’ road tilt against Seton Hill University, five SU players again reached double figures in scoring in the 73-57 defeat of the Griffins.
Biss, Castello, Hardy, Sleva and Talley combined for 55 points themselves as each player tallied 11 points. Nedrow had seven points and five rebounds and senior Derek Ford knocked down two 3-pointers off the bench.
Shippensburg held Seton Hill to just 14 first-half points as the Griffins started the game 0-of-13 from the field and missed their first 11 three-point attempts.
West Chester University, one of the Raiders’ biggest rivals, lost both of their games this week. As a result, the Raiders are currently alone in first place in the PSAC Eastern Division.
Shippensburg returns to action when it hosts Kutztown University on Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Heiges Field House.
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