Box Score
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Senior Kasey Gardner scored a game-high 24 points and sophomore guard Shawna Wert tallied a season-high 20 points on Saturday afternoon from Heiges Field House as the Shippensburg University women's basketball team withstood a furious second-half rally by Clarion to achieve a 78-69 victory over the Golden Eagles in PSAC crossover competition.

Shippensburg (4-7) led by as many as 15 points in the contest but only had a one-point advantage with 4:49 to play. Gardner answered the call 50 seconds later with her fifth three-pointer of the game, and the defense forced a turnover that prefaced a crucial possession in a four-point game.

Following a media timeout, SU got five consecutive shots on the same possession, remaining vigilant around the basket and capping off the opportunity with a lay-up by Gardner that put SU up by six points with 2:39 to go. Shawna Wert made a lay-up at the 1:35 mark and freshman Sarah Strybuc drained a three-pointer with 65 seconds left to help the Lady Raiders clinch the victory.

SU only trailed in the game for 51 seconds and built a 36-21 lead at halftime; closing the first half on a 10-2 run over the final 4:45. Gardner had 11 points at the intermission while the Lady Raiders hit five first-half three-pointers.

Clarion (2-9) made its first eight shots of the second half to trim its double-digit deficit in no time flat. In fact, the Golden Eagles scored 22 points in the first six minutes of the frame after scoring just 21 points in the entire first half. Clarion got within one point of the lead on two occasions in the second half, but the Lady Raiders never relinquished their advantage.

SU posted a positive assist-to-turnover ratio for the second time this season and was smart with the basketball. The Lady Raiders recorded a season-high 18 assists and committed a season-low 10 turnovers. Shippensburg only committed four turnovers in the first half and did not give up the ball during the final nine minutes of the game.

Gardner finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals. She has scored at least 15 points in every game this season. Shawna Wert also had five assists and five rebounds without committing a turnover. She was 8-of-9 from the free-throw line.

Junior Lindsay Howard made her first six shots from the floor and totaled a career-high 13 points to complement three rebounds and two blocks. Strybuc totaled 11 points; her third double-digit scoring effort this season.

Sophomore guard Dana Wert scored seven points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out four assists and finished 3-of-4 at the free-throw line.

Shippensburg hosts Gannon at 1 p.m. Sunday from Heiges Field House.

Notes: SU finished 10-of-23 from three-point range; the second time this season that the Lady Raiders posted at least 10 trifectas in a game…the Lady Raiders were 16-of-23 from the free-throw line (69.6 percent); the second-lowest proficiency this season…junior Kaitlin Capriccio made her season debut and provided two valuable minutes off the bench in the first half.