Bloomsburg Men's Basketball Falls to Shippensburg

BLOOMSBURG- Michael Varanavage (Philadelphia/Archbishop Ryan) scored 14 points, including a game-tying three-pointer with 2:39 remaining, but it would fall just short as the Bloomsburg University men's basketball team was defeated 60-58 by Shippensburg University on Wednesday Evening.

Bloomsburg would get out to an early lead thanks to Bryson Mills (Williamsport/Benjamin Franklin) . Mills knocked down a three-pointer and hit a tough lay-up to give Bloomsburg a 10-5 advantage five minutes into the game. Shippensburg would draw within two points over the next two minutes, but a Varanavage lay-up and an off-balance three-pointer by Mark Wartman (Mahanoy/Mahanoy Area) gave Bloomsburg a 17-10 lead with ten minute left in the half. Shippensburg would close the half on a 19-6 run to take a 29-23 lead into halftime.

In the second half, Shippensburg would extend their lead to as many as 11 points in the first eight minutes. Bloomsburg would make a run to close the gap. Daniel Hoover (Lansdale/North Penn) and Larry Webster (Elkton, Md/Elkton) hit back to back lay-ups, and Hoover found a cutting Webster for a two-handed dunk to cut the Shippensburg lead to five, 46-41 with just over ten minutes left.

Shippensburg would hold a nine point advantage with five minutes remaining, but a pair of Hoover free throws and back to back lay-ups by Varanavage and Ronnie Benson (Harleysville/Souderton) cut the Shippensburg lead to three, 54-51 with 3:58 to go. A Justin Minter jumper put Shippensburg back up three, 56-53, before Varanavage's three-pointer tied the game at 56-all. Two fouls in the last two minutes doomed the Huskies, as Shippensburg was able to ice the game from the free-throw line.

Webster finished with 10 points while Mills and Benson each added nine. Kraft led Shippensburg with 14 points.

With the loss, Bloomsburg falls to 4-14, 1-4 in the PSAC East.