Shippensburg University men’s basketball opened its season with two games this weekend. The team faced off against Frostburg State and Bluefield State at Frostburg’s Bobcat Invitational. 

The first matchup against Frostburg State’s Bobcats was on Saturday evening. The matchup produced the most points in a season opener for the Raiders in nine years. 

Unfortunately, SU was on the wrong end of the high point game with a 112-90 loss. Both teams were back and forth, but a massive run by FSU in the second half set the Raiders on their heels. 

Redshirt junior Markus Frank led all scorers with 28 points on 12-of-18 shooting. Frank and senior Denzel Figueroa each had a team-high seven rebounds. Figueroa added six points and two blocks. 

Redshirt junior Michael Dickson finished an assist shy of a double-double, scoring 10 points and nine assists. He had an impressive 6-of-6 run at the free-throw line. 

Freshman Sebastian Edwards performed well in his collegiate debut, posting eight points, three assists and two steals in 17 minutes off the bench. 

Moving to Sunday afternoon, SU earned its first win of the season against Bluefield State, 79-60. 

Dickson led the Raiders in points (31), rebounds (8), assists (5), and steals (2). He is the first Raider since 2023 to be the sole leader in all four of those categories. 

The redshirt junior continued his free-throw masterclass from Saturday by going 8-for-8 at the line. 

Senior Timmy Conner earned 13 points and went 3-for-5 from three off the bench. Frank added 12 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. 

Overall, the team finished with a 38-24 rebounding advantage and had a 17-6 edge in second-chance points. 

The Raiders will have their home opener against Chestnut Hill on Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Heiges Field House. They will also host Wilmington at 3 p.m. on Saturday, before taking on Cheyney at home at 7 p.m. on Monday.

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