One small square of fans sat behind the Shippensburg bench snapping photos of the Red Raider players and coaches posing for a team picture.

The basketball took its final flight of the night when point guard Alex Jones, berated with chants of "air-ball" by the Penn State student section for most of the game because of his 2-for-9 performance from behind the arc, tossed it sky high -- victorious.

Division II Shippensburg defeated the Nittany Lions yesterday, 67-61, as Penn State point guard Ben Luber witnessed his worst reality. Even if this was just an exhibition, the Red Raiders had only beaten a Division I opponent twice before.

"I just think we have to play a lot harder than we did tonight," Luber said. "It's good to lose to a team like Shippensburg because it sent us back to reality."

The Lions were unable to remain unscathed through a two-game preseason schedule against the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and lost in a game that brought the Red Raider faithful to cry out as if they had won a postseason tournament thriller.

Penn State was Geary Claxton-less, as the junior swingman sat out for the first time since he broke a bone in his pinkie against Edinboro. Sitting next to him, also in street clothes, was senior guard David "Mooch" Jackson.

Jackson was taking the night off after suffering a sprained ankle, which also occurred in last Wednesday's Edinboro exhibition and hasn't practice since the injury.

As the final seconds ran off the clock, and as the Lions desperately heaved three-pointers in an attempt to pull back to pull closer, Claxton, Jackson and the rest of the players sat in shock.

Sophomore guard Nikola Obradovic sat with a towel placed over his head, as forward Milos Bogetic had his hands folded over his mouth.

A 37-28 halftime lead had vanished, and with seven seconds remaining, they watched helplessly as Shippensburg guard Chuck Davis poured in the last of his 29 points with two free throws, pushing the shame far down their throats as they were speechless.

Davis had done this before against a Div. I opponent, putting 30 on Ohio in its home gym on Dec. 17, 2005.

"The game doesn't really count in the win/loss column, but I just think that it's a little embarrassing for us," Luber said. "Nothing against [Shippensburg], they are a good basketball team, but there is no way we should lose that game."

Penn State head coach said that the hard truth is that his team will need to learn how to be Claxton-less soon. Claxton could be out until some time in early December, and the new lineup didn't perform, shooting 38.1 percent in the second half.

DeChellis inserted three new starters before the game, including junior forward Brandon Hassell, sophomore guard Danny Morrissey and junior guard Mike Walker. The new combinations had their moments, as Morrissey led all scorers with 15 points.

"We're going to play some pretty good teams this year and we've gotta improve. We've got to improve rapidly," DeChellis said. "Geary Claxton aint playing. He's a good player, and he's not playing."