WEST CHESTER, Pa. – The Shippensburg University women's basketball team was unable to keep pace with West Chester Saturday in a 71-57 loss to the Rams that featured the top two teams in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division.
                       
Shippensburg (15-4, 11-4) could not overcome 54.7 percent shooting from the field by West Chester in a game that included 37 combined turnovers between the two teams. The Raiders used an 18-4 run that spanned late in the first quarter and into the second to take a 27-22 lead.
 
However, West Chester responded with an 11-0 run to close the first half to take a six-point halftime advantage. The third quarter went back and forth between the two teams, but another run by the Rams – this time a 7-0 spurt – to close the quarter afforded West Chester a 12-point lead after three quarters. The Raiders were unable to move closer than nine points in the final frame.
 
Junior Morgan Griffith recorded her sixth straight double-double, totaling 19 points and 13 rebounds. She is averaging 19.8 points and 11.2 rebounds over the last six games.
 
Griffith was joined in double digits by Lauren Gold, who scored 15 points, a total that included 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc.
 
Sophomore Vicky Tumasz contributed eight points off the SU bench, including a pair of three-pointers. The Raiders made six three-pointers in the first half, but were limited to two makes from deep in the final 20 mins.
 
Junior Colleen Young and junior Logan Snyder each scored four points and tied for a team-high with four assists.
 
With the victory, West Chester takes over as the PSAC East leader. The Raiders now sit a half-game back of the Rams in the division.
 
The loss marks the first time in 38 games that SU has lost consecutive games (December 2014).
 
The Raiders will look to get back on track Monday, when they host East Stroudsburg in a makeup of a game postponed due to snow on Jan. 23. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. from Heiges Field House.