SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Justin Nwosu has built a standout career on extra-effort, hustle plays. On Wednesday night in Heiges Field House, the senior tipped in a miss with less than one second remaining to give his visiting Marauders a massive PSAC East road win over first-place Shippensburg, 67-63. 

Nwosu finished with eight points, and each bucket was timely. Not only did he hit the eventual game-winning bucket, but he also sank a 3-pointer with just over three minutes left that put an end to a 7-0 Shippensburg run and gave the Marauders back the lead. It isn't the first time Nwosu has shocked the Raiders in Heiges. One year ago, he sank the game-winning jumper as well. 

"Crazy. Just crazy," said Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel. "It is a reward for crashing the glass. Justin is at his best when he is creating extra opportunities. We out-rebounded them and had 10 offensive rebounds. That made the difference tonight." 

Millersville held a 39-32 edge on the glass and only two other teams out-rebounded Shippensburg by more this season. The 10 offensive rebounds translated to nine second-chance points.

"Rebounding was huge," said Stitzel. "It was the way we won the game. I remember in the fall yelling at them for not boxing out. It's a credit to the players for how much they've learned and bought into the system. Defense and rebounding are the culture, and it's always next man up. We don't have one guy scoring 20 points every night. Multiple guys made multiple plays down the stretch."
 
Thirty seconds before Nwosu's tip-in, Millersville trailed, 62-60. Following two Rashon Johnson free throws that gave the Raiders the lead, Jahme Ested drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing, giving Millersville back the lead. Johnson was fouled again on the ensuing Raiders' possession but made one of two for the tie. Millersville did not call a timeout after Johnson's make, electing to put the ball in the hands of Ested, who received a ball screen from Matt Dade and rocketed toward the hoop. Ested took a right-handed runner that missed everything, but Nwosu was perfectly positioned on the backside. He timed his jump, out-leaped Ship center Luke Nedrow and tapped in the ball with 1.3 seconds to play. 

"We had been hurting them on the high ball screen," said Stitzel. "We had a timeout left, but we've had success with a quick hit. We got Jahme downhill, but what happens at the end of the game at every level is that guys stare at the ball because they want to see if it goes in and there is an opportunity for tip-ins.

Shippensburg still had one more chance. Dustin Sleva's heave from the baseline to the opposite end of the court was broken up by Day Waters, and Waters was pulled to the floor on the play. Rewarded with two free throws with 0.3 remaining, Waters sank both. 

"On the last play, Day did a great job, fronting their big wings and made a great defensive play," said Stitzel. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
After a slow start in Saturday's loss at East Stroudsburg, Millersville started quickly at Shippensburg, building a 37-26 lead at the half behind 51.5% shooting from the field. 

"It started with Monday's practice," said Stitzel. "We hadn't lost in a while so it's a different feeling. I was worried about how we'd respond, but they were locked in from film to practice to every drill. We knew we'd have to make shots, but I knew we'd be ready to go, and they took the loss the right way. When you play 28 games there is always an opportunity to get better."

The Raiders started the second half on a 9-2 run, but Millersville weathered the storm. After Shippensburg tied the game at 40-40, Nwosu answered with a 3-pointer. Millersville led 54-48 with just over five minutes to play but a 7-0 Shippensburg run gave the Raiders the lead for the first time since early in the first half. That's when Nwosu hit his second 3-pointer of the game. 

The second half alone saw the score tied five times and the lead change hands six times. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Dade led the Marauders with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Nwosu led the team with seven rebounds. Drew Stover added 10 points off the bench. Ested and Day Waters both scored nine. 
• Millersville has now won the last three games against Shippensburg and all have been decided by four points or fewer. 

THE RACE FOR THE EAST
• The wild race for the PSAC East title took another twist on Wednesday night. Millersville's win as the Marauders pull within a half-game of the Raiders for first place while also locking up the head-to-head tiebreaker. East Stroudsburg was stunned by Kutztown, dropping the Warriors a game back of Millersville, and West Chester's win kept it in lockstep with Millersville for second place and set up a showdown at Hollinger Field House between the Marauders and Golden Rams on Feb. 22. 

UP NEXT
• Millersville gets a much-deserved break over the weekend and turns its attention to the Feb. 22 game at West Chester.