The Shippensburg University men’s basketball team lead for all but the first 49 seconds in a near wire-to-wire victory over the Edinboro University Fighting Scots in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) tilt Saturday afternoon inside Heiges Field House, 77-71.
The Raiders (5-5, 2-3 PSAC) maintained a double-digit advantage for much of the contest after holding the Fighting Scots (2-9, 1-4) to a dismal 25.8% first-half shooting percentage (8-of-31) and 37.1% overall in the game (26-of-70). Redshirt freshman Markus Frank (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley) led the way offensively with his third double-double of the season, finishing with 24 points and 10 boards and three steals. Graduate Andrew Recchia (Mars, Pa./Mars Area) and sophomore Trey Martin (Boiling Springs, Pa./Boiling Springs) added 15 and 10 points respectively.
Recchia had the scoring touch early, netting 12 points in the first 20 minutes. After a three-pointer by junior Michael Dunn (Washington, Pa./Trinity) gave the Raiders their first lead, Recchia converted back-to-back buckets to put the Raiders up 11-3 in the game’s early stages.
The Raider point guard bookended the first half with another five-point spurt, including a contested jumper at the first half buzzer, giving the hosts a 37-27 edge at the break. Recchia finished an efficient 6-of-7 from the field and 3-of-3 from three-point territory. His three three-point makes matched a career high.
Back-to-back threes from guards JJ Eubank and Bernie Blunt later capped a 9-2 Edinboro run with under six minutes remaining in the second half, cutting a previously comfortable Ship advantage down to just four points, 66-62.
Martin, who had converted a three-point play via an offensive rebound previously in the second half, responded with another massive and-1 layup on the Raiders’ next trip to halt the Fighting Scots’ momentum. The crunch time baskets resulted in Martin’s fifth double-digit scoring effort of the season.
Sophomore Denzel Figueroa (New York City, N.Y./Carver Engineering & Science (Pa.)) added nine points, his second-highest point total of the season, and three rebounds, while Kyle Whippen (Washington D.C./Westfield (Kutztown)) totaled six points, nine boards and two blocks.
As a team, the Raiders shot 50% from the field in the first half (12-of-24) and 49.1% overall in the win (26-of-53).
Seven-foot center Madior Seye (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Blunt (17 points, four assists) paced the Fighting Scots.
Shippensburg heads on the road to begin the New Year, traveling to Pitt-Johnstown Wednesday to take on the Mountain Cats at 7:30 p.m.
