SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Sophomore guard Shawna Wert led the Lady Raiders with 20 points on Wednesday night from Heiges Field House but the Shippensburg University women's basketball team dropped a nail-biter to Kutztown, 77-72.

Shippensburg (5-8, 0-1 PSAC East) overcame numerous deficits in the second half of a back-and-forth, physical division opener. Despite trailing for most of the final frame, the Lady Raiders took a one-point lead with 1:46 remaining on a pair of free throws by Wert.

Kutztown (8-5, 1-0 PSAC East) answered on the next possession with a three-pointer by Kristen Murray, who finished with 19 points and seven assists. The Golden Bears extended their lead to three points before SU answered with two more free throws by Wert with 45 seconds remaining. Wert was 11-of-12 from the free-throw line and continues to lead the league in makes from the charity stripe.

In the final minute, however, Kutztown made all four of its free-throw attempts while Shippensburg could not convert a tying three-point shot in the final 40 seconds. The loss marks the first time in the last five meetings between the two programs in which the home team did not come away with the victory.

Junior Lindsay Howard continues to serve as a viable option in the paint as SU's center. She scored a career-high 15 points on Wednesday night, shooting 7-of-12 from the floor to go along with four rebounds. Howard was limited to just 15 minutes because of foul trouble.

Senior Kasey Gardner provided another well-balanced performance, scoring 12 points, grabbing seven rebounds, dishing out five assists and recording three steals. Gardner surpassed the 1,500-point plateau in the contest and now sits ninth all-time in SU history with 1,505 career points.

Sophomore guard Dana Wert finished with nine points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals. She was 4-of-4 from the free-throw line and never left the floor in the game.

Shippensburg hits the road Saturday to face Cheyney from Cope Hall. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.