Box Score

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University women's basketball team trimmed its double-digit second-half deficit to as few as two points with 1:30 remaining on Saturday afternoon but couldn't complete the late comeback in a 71-62 loss at PSAC East foe East Stroudsburg from Koehler Fieldhouse.

The Raiders (9-5, 3-1 PSAC East) were saddled by an uncharacteristic 59 percent free-throw proficiency and 21 turnovers as East Stroudsburg (8-7, 3-2) turned a nine-point Raider halftime lead into a lead of its own as large as 12 points with eight minutes remaining.

The loss snapped Shippensburg's seven-game win streak to the Warriors as its last loss to ESU came on Jan. 16, 2010 (58-55 at ESU).

Freshman Morgan Griffith recorded her fifth double-double of the season with a career-high 16 points on 8-of-14 shooting and 14 rebounds. The performance marks the second straight year that a Raider freshman posted a double-double at East Stroudsburg (Alex Gildea had 12 points and 10 rebounds at ESU on Jan. 26, 2013).

Sophomore Stephanie Knauer added 15 points and seven rebounds while senior Sarah Strybuc scored a team-high 17 points.

ESU, meanwhile, used a 13-player rotation as nine different Warriors played double-digit minutes. Allison Howard led all scorers with 19 points to go along with 14 rebounds.

After a back-and-forth start that saw the Raiders down 21-18 with under eight minutes left before halftime, Shippensburg used a 9-2 run – with seven points coming from Knauer – to grab a 27-23 advantage at the final media timeout of the half.

SU closed the half on an 8-1 run in the final 1:41 to take a nine-point lead into intermission, up 37-28.

ESU came out on fire to start the second half, however, with a 12-3 run to knot things up at 40-40 with 16 minutes left. The Warriors later used an 11-0 run to open up a 12-point lead with eight minutes left, but Shippensburg responded with eight consecutive points of its own to cut its deficit to 60-56 at the final media timeout of the game.

A free throw from sophomore Caitlyn Deeter later trimmed the ESU lead to 63-61 at the 1:30 mark but the Raiders shot 0-for-7 from the field in the final 1:04 of regulation.

Shippensburg hosts West Chester on Wednesday at 6 p.m. from Heiges Field House.