Men's Preview and Notes

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - The Shippensburg University basketball teams will compete this Saturday and Sunday in the first of two conference mandated crossover weekends. The Raiders will host Mercyhurst on Saturday and Slippery Rock on Sunday in contests that are scheduled to begin at 1 and 3 p.m.

The Shippensburg women's team is 6-3 this season and was ranked at No. 15 in the most recent edition of the USA Today ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. The team will be looking to rebound from tough losses in Arizona to No. 23 Franklin Pierce and Gannon by establishing the tone early in both contests.

Head Coach Kristy Trn has only faced Mercyhurst once in her coaching career but her squad defeated the Lakers by an 88-77 margin on Dec. 30, 2001. She also holds a 17-3 career record against Slippery Rock.

Both games this weekend will have live stats running on the Shippensburg University athletics Web site. The direct link is available here.

TEAM CAPSULE NOTES:

SHIPPENSBURG (6-3)

Last Games For Shippensburg

The Shippensburg University women's basketball team struggled in its first game back after the Christmas holiday, suffering an 85-59 loss to No. 23 Franklin Pierce on Sunday night from Skyline High School in competition of the Grand Canyon University Holiday Classic sponsored by Trip Sports.

Shippensburg (6-2) struggled from the field in the first half, shooting just 29 percent in the opening 20 minutes. The Lady Raiders held a 2-0 lead after a jumper from junior forward Lauren Beckley but would not hold a lead for the remainder of the game.

Beckley finished with her fifth double-double in eight games – scoring 26 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Senior Elise Mercer added eight points and three assists, while freshman Beth Hart came off the bench late and contributed seven points and three rebounds.

On Monday, the women's basketball team could not get its offense moving against its first PSAC opponent of the season, as the Gannon Knights employed stifling defense to defeat the Lady Raiders by a 72-45 margin in their second game at the Grand Canyon University Holiday Classic sponsored by Trip Sports.

Shippensburg (6-3) struggled from the field in the crossover contest, shooting just 26 percent. Sophomore forward Kasey Gardner led the Lady Raiders with 13 points, while junior Lauren Beckley was held to seven points and five rebounds. Off the bench, junior guard Sheila Wasser delivered six points and four rebounds.

Scoring Margins

Shippensburg has outscored its opponents by an average of 4.3 points per game but was out-scored by 26.5 points per game in the two contests in Arizona. In the team's six victories this season, the Lady Raiders have out-scored opponents by an average of 16.8 points. Only two of Shippensburg's nine games this season have been decided by 10 or fewer points.

Free-Throw Success

The Lady Raiders have been a strong free-throw shooting team this season, converting 75.7 percent of their attempts this season (153-of-202). Five players are making at least 80 percent of their attempts this season, including Lauren Beckley (40-of-49), Elise Mercer (24-of-30), Erin Varley (12-of-15) and Jenn Morrow (12-of-15).

MERCYHURST (4-5)
 
Last Games For Mercyhurst

Like Shippensburg, Mercyhurst has recently returned from a Western tournament with an 0-2 record. On Sunday, the Lakers were unable to overcome a nine-point halftime deficit, falling 73-58 to Wisconsin-Parkside in the first game of the San Diego Surf 'N Slam Classic.

Stephanie Prischak led the Lakers with 14 points on 6-for-12 shooting. She drilled two three-point goals, giving her at least two made three-pointers in seven of eight games this season, including the last six contests in a row.

On Tuesday, Mercyhurst dropped a 70-60 decision to UMass-Lowell in their second game of the San Diego Surf 'N Slam Classic. Amy Achesinski and Stephanie Prischak were named to the Surf Division All-Star Team for Mercyhurst, who was tied at 60-60 but was held scoreless over the final six minutes of the game.

For the game, the Lakers shot 42.6 percent from the field, including 41.7 percent from behind the arc (10-for-24), marking the second time this season that Mercyhurst has hit double-digit trifectas. UMass-Lowell shot 47.5 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from three-point range. The RiverHawks outrebounded the Lakers 39-25 and turned 23 Mercyhurst turnovers into 25 points.

On the Road Again

Mercyhurst will be playing in its 10th game of the season and has been home for only two of those contests. The Lakers have just two wins away from the Mercyhurst Athletic Center this season, defeating Wheeling Jesuit by five points and Le Moyne by one point.

Offensive Struggles

Mercyhurst is averaging just 57.1 points per game while allowing 66.3 points per game. The team has only scored more than 80 points in one game but has also faced some premium competition in Northern Kentucky and Division I West Virginia.

Dynamic Duo

Amy Achesinski and Stephanie Prischak have been consistent scoring threats for the Lakers this season. The duo have led the team in scoring through eight of the first nine games this season - with Prischak averaging 14.1 points and Achesinski averaging 14.0 points per game.

Prischak is a threat from distance, shooting 48.9 percent from three-point range, while Achesinski is shooting 58 percent from the field and is averaging 6.1 rebounds per game.

SLIPPERY ROCK (4-5)

Last Game For Slippery Rock

Seniors Haley Gaidosh and Amanda Nero each scored 17 points Wednesday afternoon lead The Rock to a 59-47 win over hosting Seton Hill in non-conference action.

Gaidosh also grabbed seven rebounds in a substitute role for The Rock, who improved their season record to 4-5 with the win, while Nero nailed five 3-point shots.

Senior post player Sasha Sales chipped in six points and team-high totals in rebounds (13) and assists (four).

The Rock committed 25 turnovers in the game but Seton Hill (4-4) was unable to take advantage of the miscues, primarily because the Griffins shot a frigid 25% (16 of 64) from the field. The hosts made only 19.4% (6 of 31) of their field goal attempts in the opening 20 minutes of action.

SRU shot the ball considerably better than the Griffins; the Green and White finished the game with a 45.5% (10 of 23) efficiency that included a 6-of-12 effort from 3-point range and a 68.4% (13 of 19) showing from the foul line.

Behind the lead of Sales and Gaidosh, The Rock also outrebounded the hosts by a 42-35 margin.

Rock-at-a-Glance

Slippery Rock entered Saturday's contest at Cheyney with a 4-5 record, having defeated Tiffin, Lake Erie, Salem International and Seton Hill. The Rock went 1-1 at the Ashland tournament following the Thanksgiving holiday and has played just two games since December 4.

Balanced Scoring

Entering the contest against Seton Hill, three players were averaging at least 10 points per game. Sasha Sales led the team with 12.4 points per game, while Julie Molloy and Amanda Nero were also scoring around 10 points per game.

Post Play

Slippery Rock has not shot much from distance, attempting just 76 three-pointers through eight games. Sasha Sales has thrived in the paint, making 55 percent of her field goals while averaigng 7.8 rebounds per game. The team is shooting 46.3 percent from the field.