Box Score

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. - A Valentine's Day matinee on Saturday from Koehler Fieldhouse featured two of the nation's top players going toe-to-toe on the court but the Shippensburg women's basketball team could not complete a final comeback down the stretch in a 66-62 loss to East Stroudsburg.

Junior forward Lauren Beckley finished with her 14th double-double of the season after totaling 25 points and 18 rebounds despite being held without a three-pointer for just the fourth time this season. She nearly had a double-double at the intermission with 15 points and nine rebounds through 20 minutes of play.

Her adversary on Saturday was ESU's extraordinarily talented senior forward Jackie Yandrisevits, a three-time PSAC First Team selection who had 16 points in the first half and finished the game with 29 points, eight rebounds, five steals and three very important blocks.

Shippensburg (11-12, 5-5 PSAC East) held a 53-52 lead with 9:31 to play following a jumper from Beckley but the home-standing Warriors held Shippensburg to just three points over the next six minutes to take a 61-56 lead with 3:09 left.

Two free throws from Beckley brought Shippensburg within one possession inside the final minute, but a steal and subsequent lay-up from Yandrisevits with 36 seconds to play allowed the Warriors to gain what at the time seemed to be the decisive edge.

Undaunted, Beckley found senior guard Elise Mercer underneath for a lay-up and East Stroudsburg proceeded to turn the ball over on the ensuing in-bounds play. Mercer converted another lay-up with 20 seconds to play that made the score 63-62.

After a mandatory foul, Warrior guard Mel Villano converted both free-throw attempts to make the score 65-62 inside of 20 seconds. With one last chance to tie the game, Yandrisevits recorded her second block in the final minute by rejecting a three-point attempt from Beckley with three seconds remaining. One final free throw gave the Warriors the four-point victory.

Mercer had a very strong performance for Shippensburg with her first career double-double on Saturday. She was perfect from the field, finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds while also hitting just the second three-pointer of her career in the second half. Mercer also added an assist and a steal while committing just two turnovers.

Freshman center Jenn Morrow earned her second consecutive start and battled for nine points in 19 minutes despite playing in foul trouble. Morrow scored the first four points for Shippensburg in the second half that helped the Lady Raiders get back into the game.

Shippensburg was efficient and productive in the first half with its offensive opportunities, shooting 57.1 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes that stands as the second-best production in one half of play this season. The team shot 59 percent from the field in the second half of its victory over Fairmont State on December 20.

Another key for the Lady Raiders was the team's ability to close out the first half. Trailing by 12 points with 3:16 to play in the first half, the Lady Raiders finished on a 12-2 run that left the score 34-32 at halftime. In Shippensburg's last four games, the Lady Raiders had been outscored 59-31 over the final eight minutes of the first half.

Shippensburg will return to action on Wednesday, February 18 with a home game against Bloomsburg that is set to begin from Heiges Field House at 6 p.m. The Lady Raiders will be holding Pink Zone ceremonies in recognition of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, and all fans wearing pink to the doubleheader will receive admission for just $1.