Beckley, Gardner Both Receive Weekly PSAC Awards

Jan. 22, 2008

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Shippensburg University women's basketball sophomore forward Lauren Beckley (Fairfield/Fairfield) was named PSAC Western Division Player of the Week on Tuesday. It is the third time this season that she has received the honor and the fifth time in her career.

Additionally, freshman forward Kasey Gardner (Sharpsville/Sharpsville) received her third Rookie of the Week honor this season, marking the third season out of the last four in which Shippensburg has simultaneously had a Player of the Week and a Rookie of the Week.

On Nov. 22, 2004, Shippensburg's Shanna Oaddams '07 and current senior guard Megan Fogle (Roaring Spring/Eastern York) were honored as the PSAC Western Division Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively. Last season, on Jan. 22, 2007, Beckley was named Player of the Week while Jenny Cunningham was selected as the Rookie of the Week.

Beckley led Shippensburg to consecutive wins over Lock Haven and Edinboro to open PSAC Western Division play with back-to-back double doubles, averaging 21.0 points and 12.0 rebounds. She was 5-of-9 from three-point range and 9-of-12 from the free throw line.

In the 69-55 victory over Lock Haven, Beckley totaled 20 points and 13 rebounds while adding three assists and four steals and was 8-of-9 from the free throw line. Against Edinboro, Beckley totaled her 12th double double in 17 games this season and third-straight with a team-high 22 points and a game-high 11 rebounds in a 72-65 victory. She was 3-of-4 from three-point range.

Beckley has now shared the Player of the Week award all three times that she has been recognized this season. She shares this week's honor with Edinboro's Samantha Reimer, who helped the Fighting Scots to wins over Slippery Rock and the District of Columbia with a loss in between at the hands of Shippensburg.

Reimer averaged 23.4 points per game in three contests and went 11-for-23 from behind the three-point arc while adding 20 assists.

Meanwhile, Gardner received her conference-leading third Rookie of the Week award by averaging 12.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists while playing in all but four minutes as Shippensburg opened PSAC Western Division play.

Gardner totaled 17 points against Lock Haven, which was just one shy of her career-high, while adding seven rebounds and four assists. In the victory over the Fighting Scots, she added seven points, a career-high 10 rebounds and four assists while playing all 40 minutes.

Shippensburg will look to start conference play 3-0 when it wraps up a three-game home stand tomorrow by welcoming California (Pa.) to Heiges Field House. Game time is at 6:00 p.m., with the game being broadcast live on Shippensburg University student radio station WSYC 88.7 FM and on the internet at raiders.ship.edu.

- Lady Raider Basketball -