SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – In what was the close to a special season, the Lock Haven University men’s basketball team (17-12, 12-10 PSAC) fell to Shippensburg University (19-10, 16-6 PSAC), 75-54, on Wednesday night in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Quarterfinal matchup.
For the Bald Eagles, Wednesday night capped a record-setting season for The Haven. The 17 wins marks the program’s most since 2013-14, and Monday’s first-round win over Millersville marked The Haven’s first PSAC playoff win in 33 years.
In front of a packed Heiges Field House in Shippensburg, the scoring came fast in the opening minutes, and Shippensburg held a 11-8 lead at the game’s first media timeout.
After the No. 5 seed Bald Eagles led at 15-13, the East’s top seed Raiders closed the half on an extended 28-10 to take a 41-25 lead into halftime.
James Price’s (Joppa, Md./Archbishop Curley) six points led the Bald Eagles at halftime, but the Riader’s Carlos Carter paced all scorers with 13 at the break.
In the second half, The Haven clawed back into the game, cutting the lead to 10 at 55-45 with just under 10 minutes to play. The Raiders were able to keep LHU at bay in the final minutes, and the Bald Eagles got no closer as Shippensburg pulled away with the 75-54 win.
Eli Washington (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) and Jalen Gorham (York, Pa./MacDuffie School (Saint Michael’s)) each posted a team-high 12 points, and were joined in double figures by Price with 10 points.
On the glass, Dymir Montague (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann-Goretti) hauled in team-high eight rebounds, but Shippensburg held a 47-30 advantage in rebounding.
For Shippensburg, Carter’s 20 points were a game-high, and the Raiders will now host the PSAC Semifinals and Final on Saturday (March 4) and Sunday (March 5).
(Photo: Lock Haven Athletics/Austin Melius)
