Box Score

MANSFIELD, Pa. - Junior forward Lauren Beckley posted her seventh double-double of the season with 31 points and 13 rebounds to help the Lady Raiders snap a six-game losing streak with an 80-69 victory over Mansfield in its PSAC Eastern Division opener on Wednesday evening from Decker Gymnasium.

Shippensburg (7-7, 1-0 PSAC East), competing in its first PSAC Eastern Division game since the 1986-87 season, led for the duration of the contest and posted its first positive assist-to-turnover ratio performance since a 74-58 road victory over Slippery Rock on Feb. 2, 2008, a span of 22 games.

The Lady Raiders shot nearly 52 percent from the field and 57 percent from three-point range as four players posted double figures in scoring. In addition to Beckley's 31 points, sophomore forward Kasey Gardner contributed 21 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Senior guard Elise Mercer had 11 points, three rebounds and three assists while junior guard Michelle Metz posted 10 points, nine assists and five rebounds. Freshman Kaitlin Capriccio played 28 minutes off the bench and contributed seven points and four rebounds.

Shippensburg led by as many as 16 points in the second half and snapped the team's longest losing streak since the 1989-90 season. Beckley has now totaled 30 or more points in three games this season and is averaging 19.9 points per game.

Mansfield (4-10, 0-1 PSAC East) got 18 points from Nicole Pender and 16 points from Alicia Espigh. The Mountaineers won last year's meeting between the two teams by a 76-56 margin.

The Lady Raiders led by nine points for most of the first half but Mansfield tied the game at 37-37 with 2:24 to play in the first half. Shippensburg led by two points at halftime and locked into a back-and-forth pace with the Mountaineers, as the game was tied once again at 55-55 with 11:08 to go.

Over the next seven minutes, Shippensburg took control by storming out with a 13-2 run as four different players scored during the stretch. The Lady Raiders hit seven free throws down the stretch to cement the victory.  

Shippensburg will return to action on Saturday, January 17 for its home conference opener against East Stroudsburg with a game that will be broadcast live on the CBS College Sports network. The first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive a free T-shirt, and non-student admission will be just $1.

The broadcast will also be syndicated through regional sports networks and made available for free videostreaming at www.ncaa.com. Tip-off is set for 1:04 p.m.