Box Score

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. — The Shippensburg University women's basketball team suffered a heartbreaking defeat in a pivotal battle of the top teams in the PSAC Eastern Division on Wednesday night when West Chester's Dallas Ely scooped in a go-ahead layup with 1.6 seconds left to steal an 87-86 victory over the Raiders from Heiges Field House.

In a game that featured two of the top three scoring teams and three of the top four scorers in the PSAC, points were hardly at a premium as nine players scored in double figures, including all five of SU's starters – the second time they've achieved that feat this season.

SU's starters accounted for all but seven points as Shippensburg (9-6, 3-2 PSAC East) matched its season-high of 21 assists.

The Raiders led for all but 9.6 seconds of the game and led by as many as 14 points with 13 minutes left but the Golden Rams (11-5, 6-0) out-scored Shippensburg 22-10 in the paint in the second half – including the deciding Ely bucket.

SU was powered by a pair of double-doubles from sophomore Stephanie Knauer and freshman Morgan Griffith – the second time this season the pair recorded double-doubles in the same game.

Knauer scored a team-high 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting and added 11 rebounds and a career-high five steals. Griffith, meanwhile, pulled down a career-high and Raider season-best 17 rebounds to go along with 11 points – a total that included a go-ahead free throw with 10.7 seconds left that broke a tie and preceded WCU's game-winner on the next possession.

With a 4-of-8 effort from three-point range, senior Sarah Strybuc scored 18 points and added a game-high seven assists. Freshman Lauren Gold contributed 15 points, six assists and six rebounds while sophomore Caitlyn Deeter totaled 14 points.

Freshman Logan Snyder was SU's lone bench scorer with seven points in 17 minutes of action.

Shippensburg grew its lead to double digits with a 26-16 lead past the midway point of the first half, but the Golden Rams responded with a 10-2 run and cut the Raider lead to as few as one with five minutes left. SU managed to enter halftime with a 49-41 lead and used an early 8-0 run in the second half to stretch its lead to as many as 14 four minutes into the half.

An Ely jumper with 3:04 left tied the contest at 79-79 – the game's first tie since the score was 3-3. Holding onto a one-point lead with under a minute left, the Raiders benefited from a huge Knauer layup to put the hosts up three, 85-82, with 42 seconds left. Ely responded, however, with a three-pointer with 24 seconds left for the game's fourth and final tie of the contest.

Griffith made the second of her two free throw attempts on the ensuing possession before Ely – the PSAC Eastern Division's leading scorer entering the contest – capped off her midweek theatrics with the game-winner that gave WCU its first lead since a minute and 36 seconds into the game. Gold's ensuing heave from half court fell short.

The Raiders travel to Mansfield on Saturday for a 1 p.m. contest against the Mountaineers from Decker Gymnasium.