Box Score

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Junior forward Lauren Beckley posted her eighth double-double of the season with 34 points and 14 rebounds to help guide the Lady Raider basketball team to a 77-67 victory over East Stroudsburg on Saturday afternoon before a national television audience and a capacity crowd of more than 2,400 people from Heiges Field House.

Shippensburg (8-7, 2-0 PSAC East) overcame an eight-point deficit at the beginning of the second half with a 9-0 run, taking a 38-37 lead at the 16:34 mark. The teams exchanged buckets throughout the next several minutes and the score became tied for the 10th time in the game, 45-45, at the 12:35 mark.

The Lady Raiders would not trail for the remainder of the contest but did not pull away until the 6:21 mark, when a three-pointer from Beckley gave Shippensburg a 65-57 lead. Shippensburg hit five of its final six free-throw attempts in the final minute of play to seal the 10-point victory.

Beckley recorded her second consecutive game with at least 30 points and achieved the feat for the third time this season. In two conference games this week, Beckley totaled 65 points and 27 rebounds while contributing to Lady Raider victories over the Warriors and Mansfield. 

Sophomore Kasey Gardner and senior forward Elise Mercer both contributed to the secondary scoring with double figures in the contest. Gardner finished with 15 points, three assists and two steals while Mercer scored 14 points, dished out five assists and was 8-of-10 from the free-throw line.

Playing in its first home conference game as a member of the PSAC Eastern Division since the 1986-87 season, Shippensburg put forth an inspired effort in the second half before a packed house with 48 points and shot over 50 percent from the field for the second consecutive game and just the third time this season.

East Stroudsburg (7-8, 0-2 PSAC East) received another strong effort from Jackie Yandrisevits, who battled Beckley all game long and totaled 25 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two assists before fouling out in the final minutes. The Warriors also got 14 points from DeAnna Rayam and 12 points from Alexa Ditzi.

Shippensburg will return to action on Wednesday, January 21 in a PSAC Eastern Division contest from Millersville University. The first of two regular-season matchups between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the PSAC East pre-season coaches poll will begin from Pucillo Gymnasium at 6 p.m.

Notes: Shippensburg was the only institution from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and one of just four women's Division II programs in the nation granted the privilege this season to host a game on CBS College Sports Network, which reaches approximately 20 million homes throughout the United States...the contest is archived online and available for viewing at www.ncaa.com and will also be re-aired each of the next two days (Sunday and Monday) on CBS College Sports at 2 p.m.