MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – A grinding, physical PSAC East battle between Millersville and Shippensburg turned into one of the most frantic finishes ever seen in Pucillo Gymnasium as Millersville survived Shippensburg's Carlos Carter missing a point-blank lay-up at the buzzer to knock off the PSAC East-leading Raiders, 56-55. 

For nearly a month, Millersville (10-8, 7-5 PSAC) couldn't figure out a winning formula, dropping five of six games. But over the last five days, the Marauders have willed themselves to victories, eking out three-straight single-digit wins relying on late-game defensive stops and timely baskets. The Raiders entered Monday's tilt as winners of five in a row but ran into a Millersville team that out-toughed a taller, more veteran Shippensburg club.

"Toughness: defense and rebounding," said Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel. "That's a game between two PSAC East teams with a history. It's a rivalry. We got stops, rebounds, took charges. There are still things to learn from. But that's a toughness game that a month ago I'm not sure we win. That's a credit to this team."

Despite the physicality of the game, the two teams combined to attempt just 20 free throws, and four of those were Millersville attempts in the final minute as Shippensburg tried to extend the game. It was Millersville's inability to convert free throws (making two of those four) that made the closing seconds a harrowing experience for the Marauders. 

Millersville freshman Keith Mency went to the line with 33 seconds to play with a chance to give his team a three-possession lead. He made the first but missed the second, and Shippensburg's Dom Sleva drilled a contested three from the right wing 10 seconds later. Matt Dade, who led Millersville with 15 points, drew the clock-stopping foul, missed the first and made the second for a 56-52 lead. Shippensburg quickly pushed the ball into the front court and found Trey Martin, who sank another well-guarded three with 13 seconds to play. 

Millersville handled the initial backcourt trap from the Raiders and pushed it across the timeline with a long pass to Drew Stover. Stover handed the ball to guard Mekhi Hendricks just in front of the half court line, but just as he received the ball,  Sleva ran through Hendricks' arms and knocked the ball free. In a race against time,  Sleva took three dribbles toward his hoop, and nearing the 3-point line he lobbed a pass to a wide-open Carter at the rim. Carter jumped to finish the alley-oop but shorted the shot off front iron. 

Despite the wild finish, the Marauders put themselves in position for the win with a defense that held the Raiders scoreless for nearly nine minutes down the stretch. The Raiders erased Millersville's 17-point first-half lead and built a 49-45 advantage of their own with nine minutes to play. But Denzel Figueroa's three-point play was the last Raider field goal until Sleva's 3-pointer with 23 seconds left. Down four, the Marauders answered with a 10-0 run, forcing eight Shippensburg turnovers and six-straight misses from the field. Five different Marauders scored in that stretch, and Keith Mency, Ryan Davis, Stover and reigning PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week Dylin Borden all recorded steals as part of the epic defensive stand. Twice in the last two minutes, Borden drew charges that negated Shippensburg buckets. 

"Shippensburg was in first place and on a roll, and we played them really well," said Stitzel. "I was concerned about the length of their wings against our smaller guards, but our guys battled. Ryan Davis made a great impact off the bench guarding Carter with his length and athleticism. Tonight, we needed his length. It's next man up mentality for this team right now. We have to have guys ready to go." 

Only Dade reached double-figures for Millersville, finishing with 15 points, but four Marauders scored at least eight, four players recorded two or more assists, five finished with at least one steal, and all nine players who played grabbed a rebound, led by Mency and Justin Nwosu's five. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Millersville shot just 39.6% from the field and 4-of-18 from three but held Shippensburg to 42.6% shooting and 33.3% shooting from three. Shippensburg struggled against Millersville's defense early, scoring 10 points in the game's first 13 minutes. The Raiders opened the game 4-of-18. Meanwhile, Dade score eight points himself in that same time frame. 
• Millersville's largest lead of 17 points came with 3:15 left in the first period when Day Waters' 3-pointer doubled up the Raiders on the scoreboard, 34-17. Shippensburg closed the half on a 10-0 run, making its last five shot attempts, and then made its first two shots of the second half for a 17-2 run before and after halftime. 
• Millersville has won the last two meetings between the teams with winning scores of 55 and 56 points. 

 MORE FROM COACH CASEY STITZEL
• On the team's confidence level: "If we end up having a nice season, we'll look back on that comeback at Gannon," said Stitzel. "We took that comeback and went up to Lock Haven, played with confidence there, and started the game off tonight with confidence. We have to get to where we don't have a lull like we did tonight before halftime. But this is a young group still learning to win, and when you win games like this and still get learning lessons, that's great."

UP NEXT
• Millersville looks to stretch its winning streak to four Wednesday against another PSAC East rival, West Chester. Tip from Pucillo Gymnasium is set for 7:30 p.m.