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SHIPPENSBURG, PA - Sekou Fofana (Philadelphia, Pa./West Catholic) had a game-high 23 points and grabbed six rebounds, but the Bloomsburg University men's basketball team was unable to mount a second half comeback in a 93-60 loss to Shippensburg Wednesday night. The setback dropped the Huskies to 5-13, 2-10 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), while the Raiders improved to 16-5, and 10-3 in the PSAC.

The Huskies struggled out of the blocks Wednesday, as Shippensburg raced out to a 10-0 lead just 4:07 into the first half. The deficit would swell to 14 midway through the period on back-to-back three's from Antonio Kellem and another triple from Jake Biss, but an 8-2 Bloomsburg run would trim the Raiders lead to eight with 8:43 to play in the half. Fofana jump-started the run with a conventional three-point play, while Austin Harriott (Philadelphia, Pa./Hun School) and Peyton Mortellite (Hammonton, N.J./Hammonton) also splashed in buckets for the Huskies.

Bloomsburg would remain within striking distance until the 6:00 mark of the first period, but a 9-4 Shippensburg run to close the half would give the Raiders a 39-26 lead at the break. Travis Elmore (Tobyhanna, Pa./Pocono Mountain West) had eight points to pace the Huskies, who were just 12-of-32 from the field and 1-of-5 from three-point range as a team in the first half. 

Leading by 16 with 15:51 remaining in the second frame, Shippensburg would rip off a 15-1 run over the next 4:20 to build a 67-37 lead midway through the half. The deficit would balloon to 33 late in the period, as consecutive hoops from Daylon Carter and Carlos Carter would cap the victory for the Raiders.

The Huskies shot just 38.3% from the field and 18.1% from beyond the arc for the game, and were out-rebounded by the Raiders, 51-30. John Castello tallied a career-high 19 rebounds and added 15 points for Shippensburg, while Biss finished with a team-high 18 points. Kellem posted 17 points and five assists, while Dion Harris II and Dom Sleva chipped in 11 points and 10 points, respectively.

Fofana was the high man for Bloomsburg, going 6-of-15 from the field and 10-of-12 from the free throw line for his 23 points. Elmore finished with 10 points, but was limited to just 19 minutes of action due to foul trouble. Harriott finished with nine points and a team-high seven rebounds, and Mortellite tallied eight points.

Bloomsburg returns home this Saturday, February 2, to host West Chester. Tip-off with the Golden Rams is set for 3:00 p.m.