SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University women's basketball team overcame a 17-point deficit in the second half Tuesday night to take the lead with 1.6 seconds remaining, but the visitors from Goldey-Beacom made three free throws with 0.1 seconds left to prevail with a 61-59 victory over the Raiders in a non-conference matchup from Heiges Field House.
 
Shippensburg (1-6) trailed 30-19 at the intermission after shooting just 27 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes, but the Raiders rallied with a torrid second half that included 25 points in the final quarter. SU shot 56 percent from the field in the final 10 minutes, using a 15-3 run over the final four minutes of play to claim its late advantage.
 
Goldey-Beacom (2-5) missed a pair of free throws with eight seconds remaining, and the resulting rebound was awarded to Shippensburg. Trailing 58-56, SU made its rush down the floor, and freshman Ariel Jones found redshirt-sophomore Gabriela Blackburn open in the corner for a go-ahead three-pointer. It was the only three-pointer of the game for the Raiders.
 
After a timeout to advance the ball, GBC's Tanner Turner-Rush put up a heave at the buzzer, but a foul was called on the shot with 0.1 seconds left on the clock. Turner-Rush hit all three of the free throws to give the Lightning the win.
 
Jones scored a game-high 29 points – 24 in the second half. After a pair of early fouls limited Jones to just eight minutes in the first half, she scored 10 points in the third quarter and 14 points in the fourth quarter. It is the fifth time in seven games this season that she has scored at least 24 points in a game.
 
Blackburn, in her first collegiate start, finished with nine points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Senior center Kristin McGeough had seven points and eight rebounds, including a pair of key jumpers in the second half, while freshman Kryshell Gordy led SU with nine rebounds.
 
Freshman Kasey Engle totaled five points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Freshman Ireland Pelletier added five points off the bench.
 
SU's defensive efforts improved after the opening quarter to help kickstart the comeback effort. The Raiders limited the Lightning to just five combined field goals spanning the second and third quarter (5-of-34; 14.7 percent), including an 0-of-12 stretch from the field over the final 8:07 of the third quarter.
 
Goldey-Beacom, however, posted a 46-35 rebound advantage, grabbing 16 offensive boards and totaling 17 second-chance points. The Lightning shot just 60 percent (15-of-25) from the free-throw line compared to 82 percent (14-of-17) for the Raiders. GBC forward Britani Bryson paced the visitors with a double-double of 16 points and 18 rebounds.
 
Shippensburg returns to action at 1 p.m. Saturday when it hosts Gannon from Heiges Field House.