CALIFORNIA, Pa. – The Shippensburg University women's basketball team could not overcome a first-half blitz from West No. 1 seed California (Pa.) University on Saturday, as the Raiders dropped a 78-62 decision to the host Vulcans in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Semifinal held inside Hamer Hall.
 
Shippensburg (21-7) could not recover from a first half in which California (22-5) shot 61 percent from the field and scored 15 points off 12 SU turnovers. The Vulcans led 42-26 at the intermission, but the two teams played an even second half: 36-36.
 
The Raiders performed admirably over the final 20 minutes, shooting 58 percent (15-of-26) from the field while totaling eight assists to just six turnovers. Shippensburg finished the game 48 percent from the field and committed 18 turnovers to California's 16 – the Vulcans entered the contest ranked sixth in Division II for both fewest turnovers and turnover margin based on their high-pressure defensive approach.
 
SU put forth several short runs in the second half, but Cal seemed to counter whenever the Raiders were attempting to wrestle away the momentum. An 8-0 burst by the Raiders made it an 11-point game with 1:49 left in the third quarter, but the Vulcans got a three-pointer sandwiched between four free throws to respond with a 7-0 run.
 
Junior Colleen Young was SU's leading scorer in a game for the fifth time this season; she finished with 18 points on 9-of-11 shooting. Young used her speed to score both in transition and with aggressive drives to the hoop. She also had two assists and two steals.
 
Junior Lauren Gold scored 12 points, making 8-of-8 free-throw attempts, while totaling five assists and four rebounds. Gold is now 26 points shy of 1,000 for her career. Her single-season free-throw percentage this season sits at 90.5 percent (124-of-137), which eclipses her own school record set as a freshman in 2013-14 (90.0; 153-of-170).
 
Gold is the first player in PSAC history to have multiple seasons with a free-throw percentage of 90 percent or better. Her performance this season marks just the sixth time in league history that a player has shot at least 90 percent at the free-throw line with a minimum of 80 attempts.
 
The third quarter ended on a three-pointer by sophomore Vicky Tumasz – SU's only three-point attempt of the second half. Shippensburg finished just 1-of-5 from three-point range, marking its fewest attempts from deep in a game since Dec. 3, 2014 (41 games).
 
Saturday's game featured the Player of the Year from both the PSAC Eastern and Western Divisions. SU junior Morgan Griffith, the East Player of the Year, picked up her fourth foul with 7:27 to play in the third quarter, limiting her to just 28 minutes in the contest. Griffith still managed 11 points and eight rebounds.
 
California's Miki Glenn, the Western Division Player of the Year, entered the game as the PSAC's leading scorer and ranked among Division II's Top 10 in both assists and steals per game. Glenn led all players with 25 points, seven assists and four steals in the game while also grabbing six rebounds. Both Glenn and Griffith are tied for the PSAC lead with 16 double-doubles this season.
 
Junior Logan Snyder had eight points, six rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Kristin McGeough, who played 12 minutes off the bench filling in for Griffith, performed well with eight points on 4-of-7 shooting.
 
Shippensburg, having won its most games in one season since the 2000-01 campaign, was playing in the PSAC Semifinals for the first time since the 2003-04 season. 
 
The 2016 NCAA Division II Selection Show will air at 10 p.m. Sunday on ncaa.com.