FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mounties Make it Two in a Row with 60-52 Win over Shippensburg – Pemberton's Double-Double Leads the Way

MANSFIELD – Charles Pemberton hit a critical layup late in the game and recorded a double-double to lead Mansfield to a 60-52 win over Shippensburg in a key PSAC East contest Wednesday night on First Citizens Community Bank Court at Decker Gymnasium.

The win averaged an early season loss at Shippensburg and kept the Mountaineers alive in the hunt for a PSAC playoff berth.

"I liked the way we played defensely tonight," said head coach Rich Miller who moved past his former head coach Tom Ackerman into second place on Mansfield's all-time wins list with his 128th victory.
For us every win keeps us alive but every game is tough and they are going to keep getting tougher all the way to the end."

Shippensburg held an early lead, taking a 10-5 advantage on a 3-pointer by Jay Hardy four minutes into the game before the Mountaineers came storming back using a 14-1 run over the next five minutes to take a 19-11 lead on a layup by Ralik Wise.

The Mountaineers kept that eight point lead through the end of the first half and extended it to 40-27 two minutes into the second half on a jumper by Thomas Moore.

Shippensburg rallied, using an 8-0 run to cut Mansfield's advantage to 40-35 five minutes into the second half but Mansfield countered with a quick 7-0 run to extend the lead to 47-35 on a Moore 3-pointer with just under 12 minutes to play.

Mansfield still had a 54-44 lead with just under six minutes remaining before Shippensburg started to slowly get back into the game after Moore, the Mountaineers point guard, picked up his fourth foul and went to the bench.

Shippensburg went on an 8-0 run, pulling to 54-52 on a layup by Dustin Sleva with two minutes to play.

Wise hit a free throw for Mansfield to extend the lead to 55-52 and then stole the ball and Pemberton scored on a layup in traffic to put the Mountaineers up 57-52 with just over a minute to play.

Shippensburg missed two straight 3-point attempts and Moore hit 3-of-4 free throws over the last 42 seconds to ice the win.

Pemberton, who scored a career-low one point in the game at Shippensburg earlier in the season, led three Mountaineers in double-figures with 15 points and also pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds.

Joe Bell and Thomas Moore each added 14 points for Mansfield which won its second game in a row.

Sleva scored a game-high 22 points for Shippensburg with Dylan Edgar adding 14 points.

Even with the win, the Mountaineers remain in seventh place in the PSAC East after Lock Haven held off Kutztown. Mansfield trails Lock Haven by ½ game for the sixth and final playoff spot from the PSAC East and trails Shippensburg and Millersville by 1 ½ games. Mansfield has three games remaining the regular season while Lock Haven, Millersville and Shippensburg each have four games remaining.