SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University women's basketball team never trailed Saturday afternoon in its return from a two-week holiday respite, getting a double-double from sophomore Morgan Griffith as it dispatched Mercyhurst in a PSAC crossover, 70-46, from Heiges Field House.
 
Shippensburg (7-6, 3-4 PSAC) took advantage of a sluggish start by visiting Mercyhurst (3-10, 1-7), as the Lakers missed their first 11 field-goal attempts and shot just 15 percent (4-of-26) in the first half.
 
SU used an 11-0 first-half run to lead 21-5 at the 8:28 mark of the opening frame and eventually led by 19 points at the intermission after sophomore Haley Scullion drained her first career three-pointer just two seconds before the horn.
 
The Raiders scored the first five points of the second half and led by as many as 27 points in the game. SU's defense limited Mercyhurst to just a 24.5 percent shooting performance on the day, the lowest rate by a Raider opponent in the last 49 contests.
 
It is also the third time this season that SU has held its opponent to a sub-30 percent performance from the field after not doing so in any games during the 2013-14 campaign.
 
Eleven of the 12 Raiders that got into Saturday's game scored points. Griffith posted her second straight double-double and her fifth of the season with team highs of 14 points and 12 rebounds. SU out-rebounded Mercyhurst, 45-36, and posted a 30-10 advantage on points in the paint.
 
Redshirt-freshman Victoria Blackburn and sophomore Colleen Young each scored 10 points. Blackburn posted double digits for the second straight game and the third time this season; Young also reached double digits for the third time this season.  
 
Junior Stephanie Knauer was afflicted with foul trouble all game long, managing just four points and three rebounds in 11 minutes. Players who took advantage included Scullion, who had five points and two steals, and junior Shaniece Jackson. In a season-high 13 minutes, Jackson scored three points, including a jumper on her first possession of the game, and grabbed five rebounds.
 
Sophomore Lauren Gold had nine points, four rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Logan Snyder had six points, five rebounds and four assists.
 
Shippensburg hosts Gannon at 1 p.m. tomorrow from Heiges Field House. The Golden Knights (7-4, 6-2) were defeated on Saturday, 57-31, by Millersville (9-4, 6-2).