The Shippensburg University women’s basketball team traveled to California, Pennsylvania, to take on the California University of Pennsylvania Vulcans in the semifinal round of the PSAC playoffs.

In a heartbreaking loss for SU, the Raiders’ roster bolstered confidence throughout the evening with impressive performances by the starting lineup.

The 78-62 loss featured junior Colleen Young as the leading scorer, which was her fifth game in which she led the team in points this season. Young’s 18 points, two assists and two steals provided a consistent offensive pressure throughout the game.

California’s offensive barrage in the first half proved to be insurmountable as the Vulcans outscored the Raiders 42-26 in the first half.

The Raiders took the court in the second half with determination in the eyes of the starting five, and that determination led to an even shootout in the second half.

SU made 58 percent of its shots in the second half, which was 10 percent higher than its field goal percentage over the course of the whole game.

The second half comeback by the Raiders eventually was not enough to outscore the Vulcans.

Junior Lauren Gold was a highly consistent offensive force on the court for the Raiders' high-power and high-speed style of play.

Gold scored 12 points, five assists and four rebounds throughout the contest, while shooting 100 percent in free throws (8-8).

Gold also broke her own record for free throw percentage in a season, beating out her freshman year percentage and upping that school record to 90.5 percent from the line.

This season became a year in which Gold was crowned the first player in the PSAC’s long history to have more than one season with 90 percent or better free throw shooting.

Gold’s list of accomplishments continues to grow as she has brought herself within 26 points of her 1,000th career point.

Speaking of 1,000 career points, junior Morgan Griffith, who was most recently bestowed her 1,000th career point this season, played well, scoring 11 points from the field and eight rebounds.

The Raiders’ 21-7 record reflected another impressive and satisfying season under head coach Kristy Trn, who completed her 17th season at the helm for the Red Raiders. She holds the record for the most wins for a coach in all of SU women’s basketball history.

Including her playing years, Trn’s 27th total season here at SU was eclipsed at the close of this season and over those almost thirty years, the women’s basketball team and community have thrived under Trn’s leadership.

The Raiders battled hard and shot 68 percent from the free throw line as a team, shot 20 percent beyond the arc, grabbed 27 rebounds and stole the ball from the Vulcans five times in the great game.

Junior Logan Snyder scored eight points on the day, with six rebounds and three assists, providing key support along with sophomore Kristin McGeough, who came off the bench and played for 12 minutes, scoring eight points.

The Red Raiders were able to have their best record since the 2000-2001 season, showing that there is still a lot to accomplish from this young and impressive roster.

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