SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - The Shippensburg defense scored 28 points of 26 West Chester turnovers as the Lady Raiders defeated the Golden Rams 74-62 Saturday afternoon at Heiges Field House. Shippensburg also had four players in double figures, led by a career-high 18 points from junior forward Elise Mercer.
Senior guard #Megan Fogle# also added a game-high 18 points, moving her past 1,200 points for her career as she now has 1,212 which is 12th in school history. She also added a career-high eight assists, tying the mark she set earlier this season against East Stroudsburg at home, and six rebounds.
Sophomore guard #Michelle Metz# totaled 15 points, six rebounds and six assists, all career-highs while sophomore forward Lauren Beckley added 16 points and six rebounds despite playing most of the game in foul trouble.
As a team, the Lady Raiders (10-3) tied a season-high with 22 assists which came on 27 field goals.
Defensively, Shippensburg totaled 11 steals as West Chester (7-3) committed at least 26 turnovers for the second consecutive game. During that stretch, the Golden Rams have totaled 58 turnovers after committing 32 in an 82-53 home loss to California (Pa.).
West Chester has managed just one win in its last three contests since losing its leading scorer and rebounder, senior forward Katie Kline, in an 82-37 victory over Lincoln at home on December 8. A 2007 All-PSAC Eastern Division First Team selection, Kline was averaging 12.4 points and 7.6 rebounds before suffering a season-ending foot injury.
The Lady Raiders led by as many as nine in the first half, 20-11 with 9:50 remaining after West Chester totaled eight turnovers in the game's first 10-plus minutes.
However, the Golden Rams would answer with a 9-0 run over the next 1:34, the final seven points of which were scored by Natalie Winters, to tie the game at 20-20. With the score tied at 30-30 with 4:11 left, Shippensburg closed the half on a 10-4 run to take a six-point halftime lead, 40-34.
Metz and Fogle each had 12 first half points with Metz adding four assists and Fogle contributing four rebounds and three assists. Beckley was limited to just four points and four rebounds in 12 foul-plagued minutes.
Shippensburg stretched its lead to as many as 14 in the second half before an 8-0 run by the Golden Rams cut the margin to six, 58-52 with 8:03 to play.
Undeterred, the Lady Raiders responded with an 8-0 run of their own 1:43 to push the lead back to 14.
Shippensburg will play the second of three-straight PSAC crossover games on Sunday when it welcomes Millersville to Heiges Field House. Game time is at 1:00 p.m. On Saturday, the Marauders defeated Lock Haven on the road, 70-56.
- Lady Raider Basketball -
