Curtis Ingram made the second of two free throws with no time remaining on the clock, lifting the Edinboro University men's basketball team to a 52-51 win over Shippensburg University in the championship game of the PSAC Men's Basketball Championship.
It is the second consecutive title for the Fighting Scots (21-9) who became the first team since Cheyney University in 1982 and 1983 to win back-to-back conference championships in men's basketball. With the win, Edinboro receives an automatic bid into next week's NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship.
With five seconds remaining in regulation, Edinboro’s Torry Mitchell raced down court after Shippensburg junior guard Jamal Williams, guarded by three Fighting Scots, was forcefully stripped off the ball on his way up for a game-winning jumper. Mitchell dribbled to half court before passing off to
Ingram, who was fouled from behind attempting a lay-up just as the buzzer sounded.
Ingram missed his first free throw attempt, but was able to hit the second, clinching Edinboro's third championship in the last nine years and fourth all-time.
Championship Most Valuable Player Daren Tielsch led the Fighting Scots with 12 points and nine rebounds after finishing Friday night's win over West Chester University with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Shippensburg red-shirt junior guard Chuck Davis totaled 21 points in the loss, including 14 in the second half. In two games this weekend, he averaged 22 points per game and totaled 31 of his 44 points in the second half.
Edinboro led by as many as nine in the first half before the Red Raiders were able to cut the lead to three, 24-21, at the half. The Fighting Scots stretched their lead to as many as 11 in the second half, leading 34-23 at the 15:56 mark.
Shippensburg (24-6) then went on a 19-8 run over the next seven minutes to gain its first lead, 45-44 at 6:51, since holding a 6-5 edge with 14:02 left in the first half.
A pair of free throws from Davis gave Shippensburg a 51-48 lead with 1:15 remaining, but Edinboro’s Chris Ravello countered with a three-pointer from the left wing on the Fighting Scots next possession to tie the game.
Both teams exchanged unsuccessful possessions prior to Williams being stripped in the closing seconds.
Chris Ravello tallied 14 points for Edinboro while Ryan McLemore and Justin Moore each had 11 rebounds for the Fighting Scots who outrebounded Shippensburg, 52-36. Of those 52 rebounds, 23 came on the offensive end which led to 21 second chance points.