The Shippensburg University men’s basketball team kept its hot streak rolling this week, picking up its eighth and ninth consecutive wins over Kutztown and Lock Haven Universities. The Raiders moved to 16-3 (12-1 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) on the season and remain in first place in the PSAC Eastern Division.
SU’s first game was a home matchup with Kutztown in which the Raiders prevailed, 94–82. Shippensburg shot 59% from the field and 52% from 3-point range. The Raiders also continued their great free throw shooting, going 88% from the line.
Junior Jake Biss led SU in scoring, pouring in 27 points to go along with three assists, two steals and a rebound. Biss also connected on five 3-pointers in the game.
Shippensburg head coach Chris Fite discussed the importance of Biss’s scoring after the game.
“He’s the guy who makes it go for us. We want him to be aggressive and facilitate for us,” Fite said. “It’s nice when his shots are falling because it can become hard to stop.”
Jake Biss looks to attack the rim against Kutztown University. Biss scored 27 points in the victory.
Off the bench against Kutztown, redshirt sophomore Dom Sleva scored a career-high 21 points on a perfect shooting night, going 9-of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free throw line. Sleva also grabbed eight rebounds.
Sophomore Luke Nedrow finished with 11 points and seven rebounds, while sophomore Carlos Carter tallied 16 points with five rebounds and two assists. Junior Kiyon Hardy chipped in nine points off the bench.
In their second game of the week, the Raiders defeated Lock Haven 88-70 on the road on Saturday afternoon. The Raiders’ hot shooting continued as they shot 52% from 3-point range in the win.
This game, it was senior John Castello’s turn to achieve a career high in scoring as he scored 26 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.
Biss continued his impact on both ends of the floor, tallying 18 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals. Carter provided 15 points, while Sleva posted 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench.
LHU could not handle the Raiders in the paint as SU finished with a 42-28 rebounding advantage, including 16 offensive rebounds. SU won the points in the paint matchup as well, 36-30.
With his team’s current win streak standing at nine, Fite attributed the Raiders’ success to their consistency and depth off the bench.
“I’m really pleased with how consistent we have been defensively,” Fite said. “Another factor in our run is the depth and balance we have on our roster that any given night a guy can step up and have 15 or 20 points or impact the game in a certain way.”
The Raiders will remain on the road for their next game as they take on Shepherd University Wednesday night at 8 p.m. at the Butcher Athletic Center.
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