Box Score

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - The Shippensburg University women's basketball team held a 16-point  lead against No. 19 California (Pa.) with six minutes to go in the first half on Sunday afternoon from Heiges Field House but could not sustain its momentum in the second half, dropping a 77-57 decision to the Vulcans.

Shippensburg (7-8) played outstanding basketball in the first 14 minutes of play, hanging toe-to-toe with a team that had convincingly beaten the Lady Raiders earlier this season. With the score 10-9 in SU's favor at the 13:09 mark, Shippensburg roared ahead on the strength of a 15-0 run that featured points from four different players.

The Lady Raiders showcased its scoring depth as the team's first 20 points were scored by junior forward Kasey Gardner, freshman guard Kerry Conroy, senior guard Sheila Wasser, sophomore Kaitlin Capriccio and freshman forward Isabel Scott.

A three-pointer and a lay-up from senior forward Lauren Beckley capped off the run for Shippensburg as the Lady Raiders had built their sizable advantage while keeping the Vulcans off the scoreboard for 6:28. SU forced 13 turnovers and scored 15 points off those opportunities during the opening 20 minutes.

California (9-3) responded with a run of its own, however, that allowed the Vulcans to gain momentum heading into the half. A 15-2 run over the final 5 minutes and 47 seconds of the half brought the score to 27-26 at halftime, but Shippensburg still held the lead.

Coming out of the intermission period, the Vulcans and Lady Raiders kept exchanging blows as the lead changed hands three times over the first nine minutes of the second half. With 11:21 to go, the score was tied at 43-43. Cal began to build a lead over the next couple of minutes but SU remained within six points with 7:35 remaining.

Down the stretch, however, the Vulcans forced numerous turnovers and built their lead to double digits in the final minutes. Cal forced 16 second-half turnovers and scored 27 points off Shippensburg's mistakes. Offensive rebounding was also a key as the Vulcans totaled 22 in the contest while Shippensburg finished with just 23 total rebounds.

Beckley led the Lady Raiders in scoring with 14 points and added seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Gardner had 13 points and five assists while Wasser contributed seven points and three assists. Capriccio and Conroy each added six points while redshirt freshman forward Caitlin Bamberger had another strong performance with five points, six rebounds and two assists in 13 minutes.

Shippensburg will open its Eastern Division schedule at 6 p.m. on Wednesday from Heiges Field House when the Lady Raiders host the Mountaineers of Mansfield.

Notes: Beckley tied Jahzinga Tracey for sixth place and is just 16 points short of California forward Sara McKinney for fifth place in PSAC history...she is just three rebounds short of becoming the fifth player in PSAC history to achieve 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds...Gardner is just 19 points short of 1,000 for her career.