Weathering the storm was the hard part.

Now, after a 5–5 start, the Shippensburg University women’s basketball team has won 15 games in a row, breaking head coach Kristy Trn’s longest win streak at SU.

This week the Raiders picked up two more crucial wins in pursuit of a top seed in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament.

The Raiders toppled the Bald Eagles of Lock Haven University Wednesday, 69–53, by riding on the backs of three of their star players.

Guard Colleen Young went off in the second half, putting up 16 points. Young finished the game with a game-high 22 points. Logan Snyder was perhaps the most efficient player on the court, though, as she shot nearly 90 percent from the field. Snyder put up 17 points in the process, just shy of her career high of 20 points.

A back-and-forth first quarter saw SU trailing at its conclusion, something SU has not been accustomed to throughout its nearly two-month win streak.

Snyder got the Raiders back into the game, tallying 15 of her 17 points in the first half. Shippensburg stormed back in the second, more than doubling the Bald Eagles’ second quarter points to take a 38–29 lead into the half.

SU found success darting in and out of the paint with its guards. This opened up easy passes to the perimeter for quality scoring chances. Lock Haven defenders had difficulty matching the size of Stephanie Knauer and Morgan Griffith and the speed of Young and Snyder during the game.

“I think that what happens with this group is when a team comes in and tries to load us up with a regular person, that allows us to step up and get things done,” head coach Kristy Trn said. “We’re very well balanced.”

The second half was business as usual for the Raiders, who have been tremendously successful in closing out games with a comfortable lead. Young took over for SU, pumping in baskets from all over the floor. Knauer also added 14 points in the victory.

The Raiders took on Mansfield University in the team’s annual “Play 4 Kay” game Saturday, winning their 15th straight game.

The crowd was a sea of pink shirts in support of breast cancer awareness. Shippensburg did not disappoint its fans, treating them to a 71–56 rout of Mansfield.

SU’s top guns came to play, with Knauer putting up an 18-point double-double in the Raiders decisive win. Griffith was just shy of a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Griffith’s play in the third gave life to the Raiders, and more importantly, kept the Mountaineers from gaining any traction for a comeback.

Four of SU’s five starters cracked double digits in points, once again showcasing its balanced attack. Shippensburg has been successful this season in forcing opposing team’s offenses into a one-dimensional game. Just one of Mansfield’s players broke double digits in scoring.

With just three games left in the regular season and a PSAC seed already clinched, the Raiders can now look back on how wild this ride of a season has been.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Trn said. “We have seven seniors who are very focused this year because they know this is their last opportunity to leave their legacy here at Shippensburg, and I commend the effort that they’ve made since the start of the season. They deserve a lot of credit for how hard they’ve worked to put themselves in this position.”

SU will now face two of the top three teams in the PSAC East Division in the final games of the season. The team will travel to West Chester University for its next game Wednesday.

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