SHIPPENSBURG, PA –
Jamil Manigo (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) led West Chester with 15 points, but host Shippensburg was too much for the visiting Golden Rams in a 76-67 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference men's basketball game inside Heigis Fieldhouse Wednesday evening.
West Chester (12-9, 6-9 PSAC) ended the game on a 14-1 run, holding Shippensburg (15-6, 12-4) to just one point over the final 6:21 of the game, but the Golden Rams' 20-point deficit was too much to overcome in the final 7:49. Eight of West Chester's nine losses on the season have come by single-digits. In fact, the nine-point defeat Wednesday is just the second-largest margin of defeat suffered by the Golden Rams this winter.
Eli Barrett (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg) led the final push with six of his eight points during that stretch. Five other Golden Rams chipped in the rest during the comeback bid. Defensively, West Chester forced Shippensburg into four turnovers in the final five minutes and without a point over that same span.
West Chester shot just 35.4 (23-for-65) and outrebounded Shippensburg by a 44-40 margin. The Golden Rams outscored the Raiders 33-27 in the second half as a matter of fact. But, the 15-point halftime deficit proved to be too much.
Matt Dade (Collegeville, Pa./Episcopal Academy) scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Kyle McGee (Jersey City, N.J./St. Mary's of the Assumption) had 10 points and four boards.
Shippensburg shot 42.9 percent (27-for-63) from the field and put five players in double figures. Rashon Johnson led all scorers with 17 points. Youssef Diabate led all rebounders with 10 boards in just 17 minutes of action.
West Chester returns home Saturday afternoon for another PSAC showdown this time with Bloomsburg inside Hollinger Field House at 3 p.m.
