Box Score

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Senior women's basketball forward Lauren Beckley tied the Shippensburg University record for career points on Sunday afternoon from Morrow Field House as the Lady Raiders snapped a six-game losing streak with a 69-66 victory over Slippery Rock in a PSAC crossover contest.

Beckley's achievement came at the conclusion of a seesaw battle that featured six ties and 28 lead changes. She finished with 21 points and nine rebounds in the contest, tying the scoring record of 2,057 points set by Stacey Cunningham '84 while surpassing Shanna Oaddams '07 to move into second place on the school's all-time rebounding list (972). 

Shippensburg (6-8) trailed by one point at halftime but had already received valuable contributions from several players, including eight points and three rebounds from sophomore forward Kaitlin Capriccio and a pair of three-pointers from senior guard Sheila Wasser. Also in the first half, sophomore forward Jenn Morrow added two layups and had an assist while sophomore guard Erin Varley sank a three-pointer.

Slippery Rock (3-8) featured the torrid shooting of senior guard Nikki Presto, who shot 7-of-7 from the field in the first half and had 16 points by intermission. A three-pointer from Julie Molloy extended The Rock's lead to six points with 13:39 to play, but the back-and-forth atmosphere began to take control when the Lady Raiders re-gained the lead with a jumper from Varley at the 9:52 mark.

Beckley racked up 19 of her 21 points in the second half and was instrumental down the stretch along with junior forward Kasey Gardner, who finished with 18 points. The teams exchanged leads until a Beckley trifecta gave Shippensburg a 60-58 lead with 4:12 to go. Freshman guard Kerry Conroy extended the lead to five points with a three-pointer on the next possession.

Another jumper from Presto brought The Rock within three points with 1:01 to go but Shippensburg's free-throw shooting produced down the stretch to clinch the victory. Gardner and Beckley combined to make 6-of-8 attempts in the final minute of play.

Rebounding was another significant factor, with Shippensburg totaling a 40-24 edge on the board. Gardner was a workhorse for the Lady Raiders, dominating the glass with a career-high 15 rebounds (including 12 on the defensive end). Capriccio added five rebounds and Conroy also added four boards while seven different players finished the game with at least one rebound to their credit.

Shippensburg will return home next Saturday for a 1 p.m. crossover against Indiana (Pa.), who dropped a 57-41 decision on Sunday to West Chester.

Notes: Cunningham and Beckley are tied for seventh on the PSAC all-time scoring list.