ESU-Shippensburg Women's Basketball

EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University played its strongest floor game of the season, but couldn't contend with Shippensburg's big people and fell to the Red Raiders, 64-56, in women's basketball Wednesday night.

Shippensburg's 5-11 reserve center Jessie Gordon made ten of 11 shots from the floor, all from inside, to score 20 points. She also grabbed seven rebounds. Starting center Tamaura Woodson, a 6-0-footer, was 6 for 12 shooting for 12 points and pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds.

Still the Warriors battled the five-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champion Red Raiders all the way and outscored them, 32-28, in the second half.

The difference was in an eight-minute stretch during the first half when Shippensburg went from a 9-8 deficit with 14:19 remaining to a 26-11 lead with 6:30 left. That 18-3 run was led by Gordon with four baskets and Woodson with two, all on layups.

The Raiders had a 36-24 halftime lead and appeared to be pulling away on a ten-point run midway through the second half to take a 51-27 advantage.

But ESU didn't fold and ran off nine straight points on a pair of three-pointers by Megan Ross and one 'three' by Heather Wolfe to make the game interesting.

Ross finished with 17 points while forward Kelly Hutchison contributed 14 points and eight rebounds. Wolfe added eight points. Tiffany Barnes was the team's top rebounder with 11.

With the win, Shippensburg raised its record to 4-1. ESU dropped to 1-4 and will play Bowie State Friday at 6 p.m. in a first round game of the 36th Rotary Pocono Classic.

Shippensburg 64

Kelly 0 0-0 0, Fredley 0 0-0 0, Mikesic 2 4-6 8, Evanov 0 1-2 1, Bray 1 0-0 2, Swingler 1 0-0 2, Pieczynski 2 5-8 9, Corrie 2 0-0 4, Rothery 0 0-4 0, Cline 3 0-0 6, Gordon 10 0-1 20, Woodson 6 0-2 12. Totals: 27 10-23 64

ESU 56

Ross 5 5-6 17, Brennan 0 0-0 0, Barnes 1 0-2 2, Thompson 0 0-0 0, Wolfe 2 3-5 8, Kuhn 1 2-2 5, Pilenza 2 3-5 7, Garlach 1 0-0 3, Hutchison 3 8-14 14, Kraft 0 0-0 0. Totals: 15 21-34 56

Three-Point Goals: ESU - Ross 2, Wolfe, Kuhn, Garlach

Halftime: Shippensburg, 36-24