BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The men's basketball team fell to Shippensburg by a final score of 92-89 in overtime during a thrilling Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division contest on Senior Day Saturday afternoon at the Nelson Field House. 

The Huskies (1-25, 1-21 PSAC East) shot the ball well throughout the game and a sharp-shooting first half gave them an 11-point lead over the Golden Rams (21-7, 16-6 PSAC) at the break, but West Chester battled back and went on a huge run late in the second half and tied it up with 40 seconds left to force overtime.

In the extra period, the two teams traded baskets until Eli Barrett and Robert Smith scored on back-to-back possessions to put the Golden Rams up by four points with under two minutes to play. Bloomsburg's Matt Bengel (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) - who led the Huskies in scoring with 28 points - would cut the deficit to one point after hitting a big three-pointer with 1:09 to go, but a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession but WCU back up by three. On the final possession of the game, Bengel shot a contested three-point shot with time expiring, but his attempt was off the mark as the Golden Rams held on, 92-89. 

Bengel's 28 points set a new career high as he paced Bloomsburg's offense during its highest scoring game of the season. Bengel started the game 5-for-5 in the first half as he scored 16 in the opening frame. 

Jake Nelson (West Chester, Pa./West Chester Rustin) also had a great game during Bloomsburg's final contest of the 2022-23 season as the forward finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds to record his eighth double-double of the season. It was Nelson's second straight double-double, and his fourth in the team's last six games. Louie Wild (Philadelphia, PA/Roman Catholic) finished in double figures for the 17th time this year, totaling 17 points as he knocked down three three-point field goals. Desmond Freeman (Greensboro, N.C./Southeast Guilford), who was the lone senior honored before the game for Senior Day, scored 12 points to reach double figures for the 13th time this year. 

West Chester had two players with 20-point games as Robert Smith finished with 22 and Elijah Allen had 20. Joshua Walker finished with 19 points and nine rebounds and Kyle McGee had a 15-point double-double as he picked up 12 rebounds.

Bloomsburg scored the first points of the game to pick up the first lead of the contest, but that would be the first of eight lead changes to occur in the first half. Trailing 22-21 with 7:15 in the first half, Bloomsburg went on an 8-0 scoring run to go up 29-22. The run was capped off by back-to-back three pointers by Wild. West Chester would cut the deficit to six points at 33-27, but the Huskies closed out the first half on a 12-7 run to lead 45-34 at the half. 

West Chester started the second half on an 8-0 scoring run to cut the deficit to 45-42. After the two teams traded a couple of scores, the Golden Rams would make it a one-point game at 49-48 with 14:48 to go, but Bloomsburg would get things going a couple minutes later to go back up by double digits. Bloomsburg led 60-55 with 11 minutes left in the game before it went on a huge 18-3 scoring run to gain a 20-point lead with 5:35 to go. During that five and a half minute stretch, Bengel, Wild and Nelson accounted for all of Bloomsburg's 18 points. 

Trailing by 20, however, West Chester used full-court pressure to get back into the game. From that point, the Golden Rams forced eight Bloomsburg turnovers and went on a 24-4 scoring run in the last five minutes to tie the game up at 82-82 and force an extra period. Both teams had the chance to regain a lead with under a minute to go, but a three by Kemble was off the mark for Bloomsburg, and Anthony Purnell Jr. missed a jumper on West Chester's final possession.

In overtime, Nelson hit a pair of free throws for the first points of the extra period. West Chester's Smith tied the game back up at 84, then Freeman knocked down a pair of free throws to give Bloomsburg a two-point advantage. Eli Barrett scored West Chester's next four points to give WCU a two-point lead, then a jumper by Smith put the Golden Rams up 90-86. Bengel hit a three to make it a one-point game, but a pair of free throws on the other end put WCU back up by three and Bloomsburg was unable to tie it up on its final possession.