By Matt Kellam

Jaden Statum scored 22 points in the Greyhounds thrilling triple overtime win to send Shippensburg to the District III championship game.

In 30+ years and over 400 wins, Shippensburg head coach Ray Staver has seen a lot of exciting basketball games.  Add Monday night to that list.

The Greyhounds needed three overtimes and a missed three point shot at the buzzer to hold off West York, 51-49, to advance to Thursday’s District 3-5A championship game against unbeaten Lampeter-Strasburg.  L-S advanced with their own three overtime win over Hershey, 87-82.

Shippensburg, 20-3, started strong on defense by holding West York to a lone three point shot in the first quarter while scoring 10 of their own including a buzzer beating lay-up from leading scorer, Jayden Statum.  He finished with 22 points.

West York, behind sophomore Mark Walker who finished with 17 points, got their offense going in the second quarter to cut the lead to two at halftime, 18-16.

The Greyhounds maintained the lead through the third quarter until a Bradon Detz three with 1.5 seconds left put the Bulldogs on top, 34-31.

Then the fun began.  With 1:46 left in the game and the Bulldogs holding a 41-38 lead, Anthony Smith had his shot blocked and Graison Michaljuk saved the ball in to a wide open Trae Kater who buried a three pointer from the wing to tie the game at 41.

West York held the ball for the final shot of the game and with five seconds to go Mark Walker drove the lane for what looked like a game winner.  But Kater came across to partially block the shot and send the game to overtime.

In the first overtime Anthony Smith, who had a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds, made two free throws to give the Greyhounds a 43-41 lead.

Smith went back to the line with 26.5 seconds to go but missed the front end of the one and one.  Jeremy Thomas gathered the rebound and was fouled himself. He made both shots for a 45-41 lead.

Mark Walkers’ fourth three-pointer of the night cut the lead back to one, 45-44 with :17 seconds. On the ensuing inbounds, Statum was fouled but only able to make one of two free throws.

The Bulldogs Jaden Walker went for the game winning three but missed and in the battle under the basket A.J. Williams was able to tip the ball in with .05 left on the clock to send the game to the second overtime.

In the second overtime, with the score tied at 48, the Bulldogs ran the final 1:48 off the clock. Jaden Walker drove and was fouled with 6.9 seconds to go. He missed both free throws but the Bulldog’s Jovan DeShields grabbed the rebound and had two chances to end it but missed both.

Enter overtime number three.  After a Jaden Walker free throw gave the Bulldog’s a 49-48 lead, Shippensburg spread the floor.  Statum got the ball into the lane and his turn-around jumper was good.

“I  felt like it was going in as soon as it left my hand,” said Statum.

DeShields had two more chances to give West York the lead with a close in shot and follow-up but was unable to convert and Smith grabbed yet another rebound and passed to Spencer Edey, who was fouled.

Edey made one of two to set up the final sequence.  West York called time out with 20.7 seconds to go to set up the final play. Detz got the ball at the top of the circle but his three pointer was well off the mark.  Smith grabbed the rebound as time expired.

Statum added, “This game felt like forever.  It was gut check time. This team fights and fights.  We have a mission and we’re getting there and we’ve got to get the job done.”

Thursday nights championship game will start at 7:45 with pre-game at 7:30.

SHIPPENSBURG 51, WEST YORK 49
 Shippensburg
Jayden Statum 9 1-2 22, Traevon Kater 1 0-0 3, Jeremy Thomas 2 5-8 10, Graison Michaljuk 2 0-0 4, Anthony Smith 4 3-6 11, Spencer Edey 0 1-2 1 Totals: 18 10-18 51.
West York
Jaden Walker 1 5-9 7, Braden Detz 2 2-4 7, A.J. Williams 4 1-1 10, Javair Powell 1 0-0 2, Mark Walker 6 1-1 17, Jovan DeShields 3 0-1 6. Totals: 17 9-16 49
SHIPPENSBURG       10       8      13     10     5     2     3–51
WEST YORK                3      13     18       7     5     2     1–49
Three Point Shots: Shippensburg 5 (Statum 3, Kater and Thomas); West York 6 (Mark Walker 4, Williams, Detz)