Box Score

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - A runner off glass in the final minute of overtime by freshman guard Kerry Conroy gave the Lady Raider basketball team the lead for good on Tuesday night from Heiges Field House as Shippensburg defeated Philadelphia University, the reigning CACC champions, 76-70.

Shippensburg (3-2) engaged in a back-and-forth battle with the visiting Rams over the final five minutes and into the overtime period, as the two teams exchanged the lead eight times in the contest. The Lady Raiders overcame deficits in the second half and overtime to achieve its second consecutive win at home.

Senior forward Lauren Beckley led all scorers with 25 points, including a pair of clutch three-pointers in the second half, while compiling 11 rebounds in 41 minutes. Beckley had already secured a double-double just four minutes into the start of the second half.

Conroy continued to display a dynamic presence on the floor and was integral in a variety of roles for Shippensburg. She finished with 13 points, made both of her three-point attempts, dished out five assists and hit the glass hard for three offensive rebounds (and five total boards) during the game. Conroy also committed just two turnovers in 40 minutes of action.

Philadelphia (2-1) focused its offense in the post with senior center Jessica Romano, who finished the game with 21 points, 12 rebounds, seven steals and two assists. Romano lowered her shoulder in the paint to produce 12 free-throw attempts in the contest, six more than any other player from either squad.

It was ultimately this momentum that keyed a Ram comeback which sent the game into overtime. During the extra session, Romano scored four of her team's six points in a three-plus minute stretch that gave the visitors a 70-68 lead.

After a jumper by Beckley tied the score at 70-70 with 1:17 to play, the Lady Raider defense stymied Romano in the post and forced a turnover. Conroy's jumper gave Shippensburg the lead, and the defense forced another turnover that resulted in two successful free throws by freshman guard Morgan Taylor.

By the time that junior forward Kasey Gardner secured the victory with two more free throws in the final five seconds, Shippensburg had converted 17 of its 18 attempts from the charity stripe in the contest (94 percent).

The Lady Raiders trailed by as many as five points in the first few minutes of the game but captured the initial momentum with a spectacular stretch of play over the final eight minutes of the first half. With the score tied 15-15 at the 8:35 mark of the opening half, SU closed the frame on a 19-5 run to lead at intermission, 34-20.

At halftime, Shippensburg had forced 12 Ram turnovers and limited the visitors to just 25 percent shooting from the field. The Lady Raiders had also gotten 13 points from their bench in the opening 20 minutes while shooting 50 percent from the field.

The Rams kept chipping away at the lead throughout the second half, creeping within one or two buckets during the final stages of the frame, before ultimately tying the game at 60-60 with 2:07 to play. Philadelphia ended up taking the lead and holding it into the final minute before two free throws from Beckley with seven seconds remaining in regulation sent the game into overtime.

Gardner did not take many shots in the game but made them count, going 4-of-6 from the field and totaling 13 points to complement eight rebounds and three assists. Taylor had six points (all from free throws), four assists, two rebounds and two steals in 39 minutes.

Another integral figure in Shippensburg's victory was sophomore forward Jenn Morrow (Etters/Red Land), who went toe-to-toe with the imposing Romano in the contest. Morrow not only played outstanding defense but she also thrived offensively with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting. She also added three blocks in 15 minutes off the bench.

Overall, nine different Lady Raiders chipped in with points, including three from senior Phylicia Bessick and two each from sophomore Kaitlin Capriccio, freshman Isabel Scott and sophomore Lindsay Howard.

Shippensburg will return to action in nine days at the East Stroudsburg University Rotary Classic.