MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Saraj Ali scored 23 points and Cesar Tchilombo recorded a third consecutive double-double with 12 points and 17 rebounds as the Millersville men's basketball topped Bowie State 88-71 for a fifth-straight win. 

Five Marauders scored in double figures despite the team shooting 42.6% from the field--its lowest shooting percentage since Nov. 15. The Marauders offset the shooting challenges with a season-high 31 free throws on 41 attempts and a season-high 18 offensive rebounds for 15 second-chance points. Tchilombo finished with seven offensive boards. 

The game was a slog as the teams combined for 77 free throw attempts and 54 fouls were called. Four players, including Tchilombo fouled out of the game. Millersville's 27 fouls were its most since March 4, 2019

"The way Bowie State played us and the way the game was called favored them," said Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel. "What's frustrating about a game like that, is that for the first 10 minutes, nothing was a foul. All of a sudden there is a stretch where everything is a foul. We haven't played a team like that in a little bit. They didn't have much pattern in the offense, and they did a good job of just going to the basket."

Ali benefited from the whistle as well. He scored 11 of his points at the line, matching a season high in free throws made. 

"He's got that knack for getting to the rim and drawing fouls," said Stitzel. "Today was one of his better defensive games. We want him to lead by example with that."

Millersville led wire-to-wire, but it was tough to build a substantial lead. While Bowie State scored just six points in the first 10:23 of the game, the Marauders only led by 10. The Marauders led 37-30 at the break and quickly pushed the lead to 14 with a 10-3 run to start the second half. E.J. Matthews-Spratley, who finished with 14 points, hit back-to-back threes and scored a jumper as part of that run. Millersville never led by fewer than 10 points and led by as many as 19. 

"The good news is that the lead never got to single digits," said Stitzel. "There are five or six plays when we have the lead that we have to get rid of. If you want to beat someone like Gannon, plays like that will cost you the game. We did a good job on the glass early and gave up 10 offensive rebounds in the second half. Defensively, the field goal percentage was good. We are guarding for 30 of the 40 minutes. We have to understand that to beat really good teams and be a really good teams, you have to rebound and guard for 40. There will be days like today where the ball doesn't go in. If you guard and rebound with the talent we have, you will win games."

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Aamir Hurst added 14 points on 5 of 10 shooting and made a season high two 3-pointers. Day Waters went 0 of 4 from three, snapping a steak of 10 consecutive games with a 3-pointer. He still managed 10 points for his 20th-straight game in double figures. 
• Tchilombo has four double-doubles in his last five games, averaging 12.8 rebounds per game in that span. His 17 boards were the most by a Marauder since Justin Nwosu's 19 in 2022. 

UP NEXT

• Millersville hosts No. 15 Gannon on Sunday at 3 p.m. Gannon has eliminated Millersville from the PSAC Tournament in each of the last two seasons including a double-overtime win in 2025.