Men's Basketball | 3/3/2017 10:00:00 AM

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. — The Shippensburg University men's basketball team returns to the PSAC Semifinals for a second consecutive year with hopes of reaching the conference championship game for the first time since 2005-06. Standing in SU's way is No. 2 IUP, the PSAC West No. 1 seed that is currently on an 18-game winning streak.

Saturday's game, which will begin at 3:30 p.m. from Indiana's Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex, marks a rematch of almost exactly three months ago. The Raiders and Crimson Hawks initially met this season on Dec. 3, with Shippensburg winning 87-80 at IUP. It remains the only PSAC loss for the Crimson Hawks (27-2), which finished 21-1 in conference play. IUP's only other loss came to No. 1 Fairmont State on Dec. 19.

The first meeting was a wild one that included SU opening up a 50-31 lead with 18:36 remaining. However, IUP charged back to take a one-point lead with 4:41 left, but the Raiders had the final kick, finishing the game on a 14-6 run to win in the KCAC. Most notably in the wild game, SU shot a season-high 40 free throws, making a season-high 36. Raider guards Abe Massaley (22 points) and Justin McCarthur (21 points) led the way for SU in the first meeting.

Much has happened since, with IUP completing a perfect 16-0 season in PSAC West divisional play. The Crimson Hawks rank second in the PSAC in scoring defense and free throw shooting while sitting fourth in field goal percentage. Leading the way is PSAC West Athlete of the Year, Jacobo Diaz, who averages 14.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Point guard Dante Lombardi - the son of IUP head coach Joe Lombardi - averages 13.6 points per game and 5.2 assists per game (sixth in PSAC). Junior guard Anthony Glover (13.1 points per game) and senior forward Devon Cottrell (11.1 points per game) provide excellent balance for the Crimson Hawks.

The Raiders (24-3) meanwhile are in the midst of the best season in SU history. With a win Saturday against IUP, the Raiders will set the single-season record for victories. Saturday will be a matchup of Athletes of the Year as Diaz will face off against Shippensburg's Dustin Sleva, who was awarded the PSAC East Athlete of the Year Thursday. Sleva is the only player in the PSAC averaging a double-double with 21.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. He is supported by sharpshooter junior Justin McCarthur who holds the SU single-season record for three-point field goals, having already drained 86 triples this season. McCarthur averages 15.9 points per game, making him and Sleva the top scoring tandem in the PSAC at 37.7 points per game. Running the show for Shippensburg is Abe Massaley - the lone senior in the starting lineup. Massaley averages 13.2 points and 5.1 assists (eighth in PSAC) per game. 
Freshman big man John Castello has been huge for the Raiders mainly at the defensive end and on the glass, but his offense was most important Wednesday as he poured in 19 points on 7-of-7 shooting in SU's quarterfinal win over East Stroudsburg. Castello is fourth in the PSAC in rebounding at 9.4 boards per game to go along with a 10.1 points per game scoring average. The glue for SU's starting five is sophomore Antonio Kellem, who missed seven games from Jan. 25 - Feb. 15 due to an ankle injury. The Raiders went 4-3 without Kellem, who averages 12.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while playing outstanding perimeter defense. SU is 20-0 in games that Kellem has played this season.

In the other PSAC semifinal, Kutztown (PSAC East No. 1 seed) will take on Gannon (PSAC West No. 2 seed) at 1 p.m. from the KCAC. The Raiders have split two meetings with Kutztown this season, but have not faced Gannon.

Game notes, with more detailed information on the SU men, can be accessed through the link posted above. In-game updates will also be posted to Twitter (@ShipURaiders) and a behind the scenes look at SU's trip to the PSAC Final Four can be found on Snapchat (shipraiders).