After leading by as much as 15 points in the first half, the Shippensburg University women’s basketball team would not be denied its eighth-consecutive win in a matchup of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division foes.

The Raiders (13-5, 8–4 PSAC) took a 15-point lead on a 3-pointer by Morgan Griffith with 3:28 remaining in the second quarter and never looked back. The Raiders led by 24 points with 3:47 remaining in the final quarter on its way to a 79–65 victory.

East Stroudsburg University,(9–7, 5–7 PSAC) trailed by 11 at the half and could not keep up with the Raiders after a torrid third quarter by SU.

In the third quarter, SU shot 10-of-12 from the field including 2-of-2 from 3-point range. Griffith scored seven points in the quarter and the Raiders also controlled the glass, outrebounding the Warriors by 11 on the night.

“I liked that we did the job we needed to on the boards,” SU coach Kristy Trn said. “Up until the final two minutes of the game, we did the job we needed to do defensively. We had a 20-point lead that should’ve stayed a 20-point lead, and I’m a little disappointed in our effort there in the last two minutes. But, overall, the team played overall great team basketball.”

For the Raiders, Griffith had a fantastic night, scoring 20 points while pulling in six rebounds.

SU’s Colleen Young and Stephanie Knauer pushed the ball inside all night, freeing up Griffith from outside to knock down shots, while Young scored 19 points and added four assists. Overall, the Raiders outscored the Warriors 40–18 in the paint.

Logan Snyder also stuffed the stat sheet in the win, scoring nine points, while adding eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals.

“They played us in a matchup zone,” Trn said. “When other teams play zone, you’re going to get different looks out on the perimeter. I think teams have felt we struggled from the 3-point line this year — which we have — so fortunately tonight they fell for us.”

The Raiders, as a team, knocked down 5-of-9 3-point attempts in the game, with Griffith and Lauren Gold making four of those 3-pointers.

With the win, SU increased its lead in the PSAC East, and remained undefeated in East Division play.

“I’m really proud of the run, we are digging ourselves out of a hole we put ourselves in early in the season,” Trn said. “They weren’t happy with what was going on, and they’ve really come out and made the changes they had to, so I’m really proud of the effort that they’ve put forth.”

With that in mind, Trn acknowledged that the team needs to continue to take a one-game-at-a-time approach.

“Again, we have to look at the next game,” Trn said. “We’re heading into Cheyney Saturday, and that’s a place where we didn’t get a win last year, so they’ve just got to keep it in perspective.”

The Raiders battle the Wolves of Cheyney University in a matchup of PSAC East schools, before a PSAC crossover game between SU and the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown.

Tipoff at Cheyney is scheduled for Jan. 21 at 3:30 p.m.

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