By: By: Bill Morgal, Sports Information Director
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Kristy Trn '93/'94M picked up her 200th head coaching victory at her alma mater on Sunday afternoon from Heiges Field House as the Shippensburg University women's basketball team put forth a stupendous effort in an 83-62 victory over No. 22 Gannon, a squad that reached the Division II Final Four last season.
Shippensburg (5-7) held a 48-46 lead with 11:21 remaining in Sunday's matinee and executed a flawless conclusion to the contest, scoring 35 points down the stretch. In a 7-minute span of play in the second half, the Lady Raiders unleashed a 22-3 run to build a 70-49 advantage with 4:47 to go.
Most impressively, Shippensburg was perfect from the free-throw line - finishing the game 22-of-22 from the charity stripe. It has been at least 13 seasons since SU has not missed a free throw in a contest and the first time the feat was accomplished during Trn's tenure as head coach.
SU also posted a season-high 20 assists compared to just 13 turnovers. During the team's game-changing run, the Lady Raiders flawlessly executed their offensive sets; either making a pass to find an open three-point shooter or drawing an extra defender to dish the ball off for an easy lay-up.
Freshman
Sarah Strybuc started the run with two key three-pointers and was on fire in the second half. She was 5-of-7 from three-point range in the contest, finishing with a career-high 19 points along with three assists.
Three players were 6-of-6 from the free-throw line in the game: senior
Kasey Gardner and sophomore guards
Shawna Wert and
Dana Wert. All three players converted multiple free throws during the run.
Freshman
Ashley Giedemann hit a couple of key shots during the run as well and finished with 15 points and five rebounds. Giedemann scored five consecutive points in one stretch and hit a jumper that put the Lady Raiders up by 24 points with 2:21 to play.
Overall, Shippensburg was lights out from three-point range. SU was 11-of-21 (52 percent) in the contest, including 7-of-9 in the second half. Six different players sank at least one three-pointer in the game, including freshman guard
Raediah Lyles.
Dana Wert was once again sensational from the point – scoring 16 points and dishing out a career-high nine assists without committing a turnover. She was 4-of-7 from the field, made both of her three-point attempts, grabbed two rebounds and forced two steals. In two games this weekend, Dana totaled 23 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds.
Shawna Wert finished with 11 points and three assists while junior
Lindsay Howard delivered six points, three rebounds and two blocks. Howard was the only other Lady Raider to reach the free-throw line and finished 4-of-4 from the stripe.
Trn ranks seventh all-time among PSAC coaches for career victories while at a league institution. Her squad finished this weekend with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio in both games while sinking 21 three-pointers and shooting 38-of-45 from the free-throw line.
Shippensburg begins PSAC Eastern Division play at 6 p.m. Wednesday inside Heiges Field House against Kutztown.