MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Short-handed because of illness, playing on tired legs after three games in five days, and deep into foul trouble, Millersville men's basketball still scratched out a crucial 91-87 PSAC East win against Lock Haven, snapping the Bald Eagles' winning streak at nine. 

After a game at first-place East Stroudsburg, a down-to-the-wire win at West Chester Monday night and a find-a-way win against the PSAC's hottest team in Lock Haven, the Marauders can now take a breath with a bye over the weekend. Escaping the gauntlet with two wins was no easy feat, and the bench saved the day in Wednesday's win. Day Waters, who scored 28 points two days prior, played just over two minutes. J.D. Gross was pressed into the starting lineup for the first time this season and delivered a career-high 14 points, eight rebounds and a career-high four blocked shots.

Jaden Faulkner scored 19 points in 23 minutes but was saddled with foul trouble the entire game, and fouled out with 3:10 left as Lock Haven was making headway with its full-court press and at a time when the Marauders desperately needed ball-handlers. Dylin Borden came off the bench for the first time in the game and provided a steady hand in the back-court with three assists, two rebounds, a steal and three much-needed free throws. 

"With Day out and Jaden in foul trouble, we were basically without two starters for most of the game," said Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel. "The lineups were weird, and it's one of those games where you just have to find a way to win the game. We always talk about next man up. It's cliche, but it is true. It is that time of year where you show up to a shoot-around and someone is under the weather. It's time for someone to step up."

In addition to Faulkner, starting center Drew Stover also fouled out but managed 12 points, two assists and three blocks in 27 minutes. Matt Dade scored 19 points and carried the undermanned Marauders on offense down the stretch. Jahme Ested steered the ship in a season-high 39:57 of playing time, totaling 11 points and three assists. Ested was the one constant on the floor as Stitzel was forced to get creative with lineups, subbing offense-defense as early as the first half because of the foul trouble. 

The Marauders led by 10 at the half and maintained a double-digit lead for much of the second half, even stretching it to 16 points. But Millersville hit 10 team fouls with more than nine minutes remaining, and that coincided with Lock Haven's rally. In a five-minute stretch, the Bald Eagles out-scored the Marauders 25-9, tying the game 71-71 with 6:46 to play. Lock Haven shot 13 foul shots in that short stretch while Millersville hurt itself with six turnovers against the press. 

"It was the second time in two games we let a team back into the game, and a lot of it was self-inflicted," said Stitzel. "We've got to take care of the ball. But at the end of the day, that team was in first place. Get a win with good execution at the end of the game." 

Dade answered Lock Haven's charge with a three-point play and a transition finish off an assist from Borden. Millersville had reclaimed a two-possession lead but was hardly in the clear. With 29 seconds to play, Millersville missed back-to-back free throws, and Isaiah Stewart hit a contested 3-pointer with 17 seconds left, pulling the Bald Eagles to within 89-87. Millersville avoided a five-second call on the in-bound by using its final timeout. Millersville executed the ensuing in-bound play to perfection with Dade running free for a breakaway slam dunk, emphatically clinching the Millersville win. 

"I thought we took what we learned in the East Stroudsburg game and ran with it the last two games," said Stitzel. "We are at 16-4. To be honest, I think we are playing average basketball, and there is room to improve. But the bye is here, and we need the rest. Our players are a little tired, so it's a good chance to reset and go through the East one more time. All the goals we set at the beginning of the year are still alive. Holding on to these close wins now will help us in the long run."

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Gross set career highs in points, rebounds, blocks and free throws made. 
• Millersville shot 53.7% from the field, topping 50% for the fourth time in the last five games. 
• Ested (5 for 5), Gross (4 for 4) and Faulkner (3 for 3) combined to go 12 for 12 at the line. Millersville made 27 of 35 (.771) as a team. 
• Lock Haven's Justice Shoats scored a game-high 25 points while playing all 40 minutes. Lock Haven shot 45% from the field, 71.4% from the line and 9 of 23 (.391) from three. 

GAME NOTES

• The victory keeps Millersville (11-3) in second place in the PSAC East but bumps Lock Haven (11-3) out of first and into a tie for second. East Stroudsburg now sits alone in first at 12-2. 
• Millersville clinched a PSAC Tournament berth with the victory, marking the sixth consecutive season that Millersville will play in the postseason. 
• Millersville improved to 12-0 when leading at halftime, 11-0 when winning the rebounding battle (37-29) and 15-1 when out-scoring the opponent in the paint. 
• Millersville has won seven consecutive regular season home games against Lock Haven and seven of the last eight games overall. 

UP NEXT

• After the challenging run of three games in five days, Millersville is off until it hosts Shippensburg on Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m.