By Matt Kellam

Jayden Statum became the Greyhounds all time leading scorer with 1,259 points

The once delayed battle between the two heavyweights in the Mid Penn Colonial finally took place Saturday night and Shippensburg took round one with a hard-fought 63-54 win over the Indians.

In the process, senior guard Jayden Statum became the school’s all time leading scorer, 1,259 points, when he hit two free throws at the 4:40 mark of the second quarter.

The Greyhounds, (9-1, 6-0MPC) held an early 10-4 lead in a turnover-filled first quarter but a corner three by Michael Young, who led the Indians with 17 points off the bench, gave Waynesboro their first lead of the night, 11-10.  They led 13-12 after the first quarter.

A corner three by Louis Lindsay gave Waynesboro their largest lead of the night, 20-16, but a steal and lay-up from Statum gave Shippensburg the lead back at 24-22.

A three from the top of the key by Jaylon Bean, who scored nine points before fouling out, gave Waynesboro back the lead at 25-24.

A pivotal play in the game took place with 5.4 seconds to go in the half. The Greyhounds Anthony Smith, who led all scorers with 22 points, in bounded the ball, got a great screen from Jeremy Thomas, and scored on an assist from Spencer Edy to give Shippensburg a 28-25 half-time lead.

Indian head coach Tom Hoffman felt that play changed the momentum of the game. “I went in (halftime) not feeling well about how that play developed. They get a back screen and score at the buzzer to go up by three.”

Shippensburg coach Ray Staver agreed. “That was huge. Everybody executed what they were supposed to do.”

That momentum carried into the third quarter. The Indians, (12-3, 9-1MPC), scored the first two points of the half on a Bean dunk, but then the Greyhounds started a 13-0 run on a Graison Michaljuk offensive put back and eventually led, 41-27.

Coach Hoffman added, “About a minute or two into the third, they punched and it just got away from us.”

The Indians cut the lead to 10, but a long three by Statum gave the Greyhounds a 46-33 lead heading into the 4^th.

Waynesboro was not done.  Young led a comeback that cut the Shippensburg lead to six, 54-48, but the Greyhounds got a put back by Thomas off a missed foul shot to push the lead back to 10, 59-49, and end the Indian’s hope for a comeback.

The Greyhounds have back-to-back away games when they travel to West Perry Tuesday and Northern York on Wednesday.  Both of those games have 7pm start times. Waynesboro returns to action Tuesday night at home against Northern York.

SHIPPENSBURG 63, WAYNESBORO 54
WAYNESBORO
Jaylon Bean 4 0-0 9, Reese Cover 3 2-2 9, Ryan Shaffer 3 2-2 8, Michael Young 8 0-0 17, Louie Lindsay 3 0-0 7, Tanyon Shaull 1 2-4 4. TOTALS: 22 6-8 54.
SHIPPENSBURG
Jayden Statum 5 6-8 17, Trae Kater 1 1-2 3, Jeremy Thomas 4 3-6 11, Graison Michaljuk 2 2-6 6, Anthony Smith 8 6-7 22, Erby Weller 2 0-0 4. TOTALS: 22 18-29 63.
Waynesboro    13      12      8      21 —54
Shippensburg  12      16    18      17 —63
Three point shots- Waynesboro 4(Bean, Cover, Young, Lindsay); Shippensburg 1 (Statum)