Slow starts have proven to be costly for the Shippensburg University women’s basketball game this season. 

The Raiders avoided their biggest Achilles Heel on Wednesday, getting out to a 39-30 halftime lead including a 21-10 margin at the end of the first quarter to down Lock Haven University, 81-59, at Heiges Field House in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division matchup.

“We knew we wanted to set the tone defensively right off the bat,” SU coach Kristy Trn said. “We certainly did that in the first quarter. We had a little bit of a letdown in the second, but I’m really proud of the team and how they played. We had a really balanced game from a lot of people and we need to get more of that the rest of the way.”

SU received strong scoring efforts from Victoria Blackburn and Kristin McGeough as they each notched career-highs in points, as Blackburn scored a game-high 25 points and McGeough had 14.

“I honestly couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” Blackburn said. “I owe it all to them. They hit me with open passes and gave me some really good screens. I really was so successful because of them.”

A solid effort in the third quarter was more than enough for SU to keep the Raiders out in front, as they shot 9-of-11 (82 percent) in the third quarter and led by as many as 26 points. SU scored a season-high 42 points in the paint and shot 52.7 percent on the night.

Blackburn knocked down two 3-pointers in the opening minutes and finished the night 8-of-12 from the field and a career best 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. She also finished an assist shy of her career high with five.

The senior guard has scored in double figures in three of her last six games, scoring no fewer than nine points in just five games this season. Blackburn said that she feels like she is starting to settle in to score the basketball, and her numbers have shown that.

“I think I’m finally comfortable, and that has to do with the people I play with,” Blackburn said. “They make me feel comfortable and are all very supportive so it helps.”

McGeough had nine rebounds and three blocks to go along with her 14 points for SU. She shot 6-of-10 from the field despite fouling out early in the fourth. It was McGeough’s seventh game scoring in double figures this season.

The Raiders also received strong nights from freshmen Ariel Jones and Lili Benzel, who scored 14 and 12 points, respectively. The Raiders passed the ball extremely well on the night, finishing with 18 assists.

Free-throws also propelled SU, as the Raiders shot 90 percent from the charity stripe, shooting 18-of-20 from the line.

With the win, SU has now won five straight against Lock Haven and seven of their last eight games overall. The victory moved Shippensburg from ninth place to seventh place in the PSAC East. 

The win was huge for the Raiders, who while rebuilding, still have a solid chance of making a PSAC Tournament berth. The Top 6 teams in each division earn a spot.

“Hopefully the momentum can give us that boost in order to make a run at a [PSAC Tournament] spot,” Trn said.

While the Raiders sit at just 2-12, 1-7 in the PSAC, the team has shown a tremendous amount of growth in its last six games.

“We have seen a lot of growth, and when people take a look at our record they may not see that,” Trn said. “We are a very young team — we have eight freshmen. In different circumstances, we have seen some real powerful performances from all of those freshmen.”

SU returned to play on Saturday afternoon, earning an 82-55 win over Cheyney University (3-13, 1-9 PSAC) at Heiges Field House. SU’s 82 points were a season high. The Raiders once again had an outstanding third quarter shooting the ball, finishing 8-of-9 from the field in the frame.

McGeough once again had a career-high with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Benzel had a career-high 14 points in just 18 minutes of play. 

SU, now 3-12, 2-7 in the PSAC, returns to action tonight against Mansfield University (5-12, 3-8 PSAC). The game will tipoff at 5:30 p.m. in Mansfield.

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