Box Score

ERIE, Pa. - Senior forward Lauren Beckley posted her third straight double-double on Saturday afternoon from the Mercyhurst Athletic Center (MAC) and junior forward Kasey Gardner added 10 second-half points but the Lady Raiders fell short on the road against Mercyhurst, dropping a 70-56 decision to the Lakers.

Shippensburg (5-8) got off to a slow start and trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half but gathered some rhythm during the final 20 minutes. With 12:31 to play, the Lady Raiders embarked upon a 16-6 run that was capped off by a four-point play from senior guard Sheila Wasser.

During the run, Beckley and Gardner were able to convert several backdoor layups and the team gained momentum with several solid possessions. SU only committed four turnovers in the second half, but the Lakers responded by keeping the Lady Raiders off the scoreboard for the next four minutes and re-taking control of the game. 

Mercyhurst (5-3) held a 36-24 lead at the intermission by forcing 15 turnovers and shooting 6-of-14 from behind the three-point line. Dana Banda had a strong impact for the Lakers in the first half with 10 points, five steals and four assists, Overall, Amy Achesinski led her team with 18 points while Samantha Loadman finished with 15 points. The Lakers shot 9-of-23 from three-point range in the contest.

Beckley, who crept closer to the Shippensburg University record for career points, finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals while converting all six of her free-throw attempts. Gardner totaled 16 points, three rebounds and three steals.

Freshman guard Kerry Conroy alternated between the 1 and 2 guard during the contest and finished with eight points, seven rebounds and seven assists over the course of 37 minutes. Sophomore forward Kaitlin Capriccio contributed two points, two rebounds and two assists and two steals in 24 minutes.

Shippensburg will conclude its nine-game road trip at 1 p.m. on Sunday with a PSAC crossover at Slippery Rock.

Notes: Last year's meeting between Shippensburg and Mercyhurst also ended in a 70-56 score...Beckley is now 21 points short of the school record for career points and just six rebounds short of moving into second place on SU's all-time list.