ESU-Shippensburg Men's Basketball

East Stroudsburg, Pa. - Shippensburg sank 29 free throws, including 17 in the last nine minutes, to defeat East Stroudsburg University, 72-65, in men's basketball Wednesday night.

With the score tied at 48, Greg Pearson dropped two free throws with 8:38 remaining to put the Red Raiders ahead for good. Brian Gleason followed with a three-pointer for a 53-48 lead.

ESU closed to within three points, but Gleason dropped two more foul shots and Pearson followed with a free throw for a six-point lead at 56-50. ESU's Shahad Abdur-Rahkman hit a driving layup before the Raiders' Alston Ellis made a three-point play to break it open.

Ellis leaped high over the ESU defenders to put back an offensive rebound. He was fouled on the play and sank the free throw to up the margin to seven at 59-52 with only 4:16 left.

The Warriors never got closer than six points the rest of the way as Shippensburg wrapped it up by scoring their last 11 points from the foul line.

Pearson took game scoring honors with 18 points, making five of seven shots from the floor and eight of 11 free throws. Gleason added 14 points, including three three-pointers.

Rahkman was ESU's top scorer with 13 points, all in the second half. Juwan Justice and Rob Georges added 11 points apiece and Wayne Bishop and R.C. Kehoe nine points each. Bishop kept the Warriors alive with three three-pointers just when almost all his teammates had gone ice cold shooting.

Shippensburg upped its record to 2-3 while ESU dropped to 3-2. The Warriors will play New Haven in a first-round game of the 36th Rotary Pocono Classic Friday at 8 p.m.

Shippensburg 72

Banks 3 0-4 8, Madara 0 8-10 8, Means 0 4-4 4, Gleason 4 3-4 14, Eggleston 1 0-0 2, Ellis 2 4-5 9, Roth 1 0-0 3, Pearson 5 8-11 18, Anderson 2 2-4 6, Harder 0 0-0 0, Levetter 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 29-42 72

ESU 65

Abdur-Rahkman 5 3-5 13, Justice 2 7-8 11, Crowley 1 0-0 2, Kostic 1 0-0 2, Bishop 3 0-0 9, Fedorka 0 0-0 0, Kehoe 2 3-6 9, Kelley 1 0-0 2, Collins 2 2-2 6, Wimmer 0 0-0 0, Georges 4 3-4 11. Total: 21 18-25 65

Three-Point Goals: Shipp - Gleason 3, Banks 2, Ellis, Roth; ESU - Bishop 3, Kehoe 2

Halftime: ESU, 31-28