Gardner Keys Second Victory Over Nationally-Ranked IUP, 77-50
Feb. 27, 2008
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Shippensburg University women's basketball freshman forward Kasey Gardner (Sharpsville/Sharpsville) scored a career-high 27 points while holding All-American Jahzinga Tracey to just eight points as the Lady Raiders upset nationally-ranked Indiana (Pa.) for the second time in as many games this season, 77-50 Wednesday night at Heiges Field House.
More importantly for Shippensburg (19-8, 7-5 PSAC West), the win all but assures the team the fourth and final playoff spot from the Western Division for next week's PSAC Women's Basketball Championship. If the Lady Raiders can clinch on Saturday, it will mark the 14th time in the last 15 seasons that the Lady Raiders have advanced to the conference tournament, including the last two-straight.
If Edinboro wins at home against California (Pa.) on Saturday, and if Clarion loses at Slippery Rock, then Shippensburg, Edinboro and Clarion would all finish in a three-way tie with identical 7-5 conference records. When comparing records against their other two opponents, the head-to-head tiebreaker would put Clarion at 3-1, Edinboro at 2-2 and Shippensburg at 1-3, thus giving Clarion the No. 3 seed and Edinboro the No. 4 seed.
Earlier this season on January 30, Gardner totaled a career-high 25 points in an 88-75 victory at then-No. 5-ranked IUP (23-4, 8-3 PSAC West). She was 9-of-11 from the field and 6-of-8 from three-point range.
On Wednesday, Gardner totaled 27 points on 6-of-9 shooting, which included going 5-of-7 from three-point range. The six-time PSAC Western Division Rookie of the Week was also a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line which tied a single-game school record for highest free throw percentage in a game.
In two meetings against the Crimson Hawks this season, Gardner has totaled 52 points and 11 three-pointers.
With the game tied at 5-5, Shippensburg went on a 17-6 run to take an 11-point lead at 22-11 with 5:05 remaining in the first half. The Lady Raiders would increase their lead to 13, 30-17, before a late IUP run cut its deficit to eight, 32-24 at halftime.
The Crimson Hawks cut the lead to five, 33-28 with 16:47 left in the second half, but a 12-2 Shippensburg run pushed the lead to 15 at 45-30 with 14:26 to play.
However, IUP immediately answered with a 12-2 run of its own to cut the deficit back to five, 47-42 with 10:39 remaining, but that would be as close as it would get as the Lady Raiders led by as many as 29 as they snapped a two-game home losing streak to the Crimson Hawks that dated back to the 2004-05 season.
In two games against IUP this season, Shippensburg has made 20-of-40 three-point attempts after hitting 10-of-20 from long distance Wednesday night which exactly matched their total from back on January 30.
Sophomore forward Lauren Beckley (Fairfield/Fairfield) totaled her PSAC-leading 20th double double of the season, totaling 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
In her 109th appearance as a Lady Raider, including her last at home, senior guard Megan Fogle (Roaring Spring/Eastern York) finished with 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Staci Heberling led IUP with 17 points and seven rebounds while Tracey had eight points and 14 rebounds.
The Crimson Hawks are currently tied with California (Pa.) atop the Western Division standings with 8-3 conference records. The Vulcans travel to Edinboro on Saturday while IUP hosts Lock Haven. If both teams win and finish with identical conference records, the Crimson Hawks would get the No. 1-seed based on the tiebreaker scenario with California (Pa.).
However, if IUP loses and California (Pa.) wins, the Vulcans would get the No. 1-seed meaning that the Lady Raiders would most likely have to travel to Hamer Hall next Tuesday, a place they have not won in their last 11 tries.
-
Lady Raider Basketball -
