The Shippensburg University women’s basketball team faced off against the West Chester Golden Rams on Feb. 12, starting strong with a 4-0 lead in the opening minutes.
The first four minutes had six turnovers between both teams. With about five minutes left in the first quarter, Shippensburg led 6-3. The Golden Rams soon took their first lead at 10-8, but the Raiders quickly evened the score with a layup of their own and drew a free throw to make it 11-10 to end the quarter.
The game remained competitive in the second quarter. West Chester began with consecutive layups and held an 18-15 lead. The Raiders closed in before halftime and closed the deficit to 22-21.
The Rams increased their lead to 26-21 before the Raiders finally put up their first basket of the half. Michelle Kozicki, a key player for the Golden Rams, took control, scoring back-to-back layups and bringing her game total to 16 points and eight rebounds while extending West Chester’s lead to 30-23, prompting the Raiders to take a timeout.
When play resumed, West Chester added another layup to their scoring streak. The Raiders attempted to respond, but had several shots blocked. The Golden Rams took control of the game and outscored the Raiders 20-4 in the third quarter alone. By the end of the period, the West Chester led 42-25, with Kozicki scoring 16.
The fourth quarter saw the Raiders attempting to make a comeback, but a quick turnover allowed the Golden Rams to counter with yet another layup. The Golden Rams expanded their lead to 46-27. West Chester’s Erin Daley dominated on defense, earning five blocks. She also secured a double-double with a three-pointer in the fourth quarter.
At 54-31 and three minutes to go in the game, McKenzie Thomas sank a three-pointer to give the Raiders 34 points. With a healthy lead, West Chester ran down the clock in the final minutes to earn their victory.
While the game was competitive in the first half, the third quarter proved to be the turning point of the match.
Reflecting on the game, Shippensburg’s Abbie Miller said, “Unfortunately, I don’t think we showed up to play, and some of West Chester’s best players performed at the high level they do. We have to play tougher defense and execute better on offense.”
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