Box Score
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mounties Edge Shippensburg 80-77 to Keep Alive in PSAC Playoff Hunt

SHIPPENSBURG – Joe Bell and Brady Burke combined for 41 points while freshman Ryan Krawczeniuk scored all seven of his points in the final two minutes of play to lift Mansfield to a critical 80-77 PSAC East win at Shippensburg Wednesday to keep the Mountaineers postseason hopes alive.

The win, combined with Lock Haven's 91-85 victory at Kutztown puts the Mountaineers ½ game behind Kutztown for the sixth and final playoff spot from the PSAC East. Mansfield has one game remaining in the regular season when they host Bloomsburg this Saturday. Kutztown host Shippensburg on Saturday before traveling to Bloomsburg in the regular season finale on Wednesday.

The game was close throughout but a 13-2 run by the Mountaineers midway through the first half gave Mansfield a 30-19 advantage on a 3-pointer by Burke.

Shippensburg countered with its own run closing the gap to 38-37 with just over a minute left in the half with Mansfield taking a 40-37 advantage into halftime.

The second half was much of the same with Mansfield holding a slight lead for the first eight minutes of the half. Shippensburg took its first lead of the second half at 55-53 on a 3-pointer by Jay Hardy, and after a Mansfield rally, regained the lead at 62-61 on a pair of free throws by Abe Massaley with just over seven minutes to go.

Mansfield rallied behind a 10-0 run, capped off by a 3-pointers by Charles Becoats, giving Mansfield what seemed a safe 71-62 lead with under five minutes to play.

But Shippensburg didn't fold, staging a comeback that cut the led to 76-75 on a pair of free throws by Joe Lococo with just under a minute to remaining.

Krawczeniuk became the game-hero in the last minutes of the game, scoring Mansfield's last seven points over including hitting two free throws with 22 second left to extend the lead to 80-77.

Shippensburg had the final possession and Lococo's 3-pointer with three seconds remaining rimmed out with Charles Pemberton pulling down the final rebound.

Bell scored a game-high 21 points and pulled down seven rebounds while Burke, who hit his first eight shots of the game, scored a career-high 20 points as he ended the night connecting on 8-10 from the floor including 4-5 of his 3-point attempts. His previous high was 10 points reached twice this season.

Charles Pemberton had another monster night, recording his ninth double-double of the season by scoring 14 points and pulling down a game-high 14 rebounds. He also blocked four shots.

Jay Hardy topped four Shippensburg players in double-figures with 18 points. Lococo added 17 points.

Mansfield host Bloomsburg in the regular season finale and Senior Day this Saturday on First Citizen's Community Bank Court in Decker Gymnasium.