FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Fouls Make Difference in 75-71 Loss at Shippensburg
 
SHIPPENSBURG – Thomas Moore scored a career-high 23 points, but Mansfield was hampered by 31 total fouls as Shippensburg came away with a 75-71 victory in PSAC action Saturday afternoon at Heiges Fieldhouse.
 
Moore hit seven field goals including four 3-pointers while playing all 40 minutes for a game-high in scoring. The junior is averaging 19.0 points over the last four games after returning from injury.
 
Joe Bell was limited to just four points in the first half, but ended the game with 19. Bell is now 76 points away from passing Tommy Harvey for the program scoring title with 1,778 career points.
 
Kenny Johnson came off the bench to score 10 points, the most for the junior since the season-opener against Penn College. Charles Pemberton, who was in foul trouble for much of the game, was held to just one point but led Mansfield (6-9, 4-7 PSAC) in rebounding with seven boards.
 
Justin McArthur led Shippensburg (8-6, 4-6 PSAC) with 20 points after going 8-for-9 from the free throw line. Dustin Sleva and Sam Pygatt added 12 points with Dylan Edgar and Jay Hardy putting up 10 points.
 
Free throws made all the difference for Shippensburg who connected on 24-of-33 attempts from the charity stripe.
 
Mansfield gained the early lead, but Shippensburg took over control and led 15-10 with 11:18 left in the half. Both teams exchanged leads over the next five minutes before Mansfield jumped out to an eight point lead capped by Matt Knezovic's 3-pointer and jumper at the 2:47 mark.
 
The Raiders closed out the half on a 6-0 run to trail 32-30 at the break.
 
Shippensburg opened the second half with a 3-pointer to take the lead before holding a 39-34 lead with 17:39 to play. Three minutes later, Mansfield tied the game on a Johnson jumper. The Mountaineers led 52-47, but Ship quickly regained the lead on a McArthur jumper with 9:51 remaining.
 
After three lead changes and three ties, the Raiders took the lead and never looked back to win their second straight.
 
Mansfield returns home to host Bloomsburg at Decker Gymnasium on Wednesday.