The Shippensburg University women's basketball team returned to conference play Tuesday night but was unable to snap its current losing streak, dropping a 62-47 decision to No. 23 California in a PSAC crossover contest held at the Convocation Center.
 
Shippensburg (5-5, 1-3 PSAC) was within three points of the lead with 5:12 remaining in the first half before California (8-1, 5-0) countered with a 14-0 run over the next four-plus minutes. The Vulcans led at the intermission, 37-23, and the Raiders were unable to get any closer the rest of the way.
 
The run proved decisive, as the teams played within a point of one another save for that 4:31 stretch of the first half. Turnovers proved costly for both teams – SU committed a season-high 24 (16 in the first half) while Cal had 17 of its own.
 
Sophomore Morgan Griffith was the only Raider in double figures; she had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. She grabbed seven of her rebounds within the first 10 minutes of the game.
 
Junior Stephanie Knauer had eight points and four rebounds; she managed just five shot attempts in the contest and was 4-of-5 (including 3-of-3 in the first half) overall.
 
Sophomore Lauren Gold had a line of nine points, five assists and four steals. Freshman Kristin McGeough chipped in five points in four minutes off the bench.
 
The Raiders were quiet from distance, shooting just 2-of-7 from three-point range. Cal had 18 three-point attempts but made only five such shots. SU did manage a 44-37 advantage in rebounds, extending a streak to seven games of besting or equaling its opponent on the glass.
 
The Vulcans got a game-high 22 points from Kaitlynn Fratz while Miki Glenn had 11 points, six steals and three assists in the first half. She finished with eight steals in the game. Glenn's two free throws with 2:48 to play in the first half were the only ones in the entire game shot as a result of a team being in the bonus.
 
The quick-moving game finished in just 90 minutes despite the eight league-mandated media timeouts. The two teams combined for just 22 fouls in the game, and neither committed more than five in the second half.
 
Shippensburg is at Slippery Rock tomorrow for a 5:30 p.m. matchup with The Rock.