Beckley, Cunningham Both Receive PSAC Weekly Honors

Jan. 22, 2007

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - For the first time since 2004, the same school was honored with the PSAC Western Division Player and Rookie of the Week awards as Shippensburg freshman forward Lauren Beckley (Fairfield/Fairfield) and red-shirt freshman forward Jenny Cunningham (McVeytown/Lewistown) were named just that on Monday.

On Nov. 22, 2004, Shippensburg's Shanna Oaddams and Megan Fogle were honored as the PSAC Western Division Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively. Also that season, Sara McKinney and Kim Nowakowski of California (Pa.) also received the distinction, but McKinney shared the Player of the Week honor with Heather Cigich of Clarion.

For Beckley, it is her second Player of the Week honor this season and the sixth time in eight weeks that the PSAC has handed out its weekly awards that she has been honored. She has also received the Western Division Rookie of the Week four times.

Beckley averaged 20.5 points and 9.0 rebounds, both team-highs, as Shippensburg went 2-0 in PSAC Western Division play with wins over Lock Haven and Clarion. She nearly totaled two double doubles while shooting 40.0-percent from the field (14-for-35) with three three-pointers. She also was 10-of-14 from the free throw line with four assists and four steals.

In a 69-63 road win at Lock Haven on Wednesday, Beckley scored a game-high 17 points to go along with nine rebounds and two assists before totaling 24 points and nine rebounds, both game-highs, in a 69-63 win over Clarion at home.

As of Monday's conference statistics, Beckley continues to lead the PSAC in scoring, averaging 20.2 points per game and ahead of Edinboro senior Kelly Calderone who is averaging 18.5 per game. She is also second in three-point field goals, second in three-point field goal percentage, seventh in rebounding, seventh in steals and ninth in free throw percentage.

Meanwhile, Cunningham, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury, received her first career honor after averaging 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds. She was 9-of-19 from the field (.474) and 14-of-15 from the free throw line (.933) while scoring in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time this season and just the fourth time overall.

Against Lock Haven, Cunningham had 15 points and seven rebounds in a 69-63 road victory before totaling 18 points and a career-high eight rebounds in a 69-63 victory over Clarion on Saturday. Her 18 points were two shy of her career-high. On the season, Cunningham averages 17.1 minutes per game, 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds.

The Lady Raiders travel to California (Pa.) on Wednesday for a 6:00 p.m., tip-off in Hamer Hall looking to snap a five-game losing streak to the Vulcans. The game will be broadcast live on Shippensburg University student radio station WSYC 88.7 FM beginning at 5:50 p.m.

- Lady Raider Basketball -