Shippensburg University women’s basketball fell short in their first two games of the season this weekend as they hosted the 2023 Conference Challenge at Heiges Field House.
The Raiders played their first game of the season Friday afternoon against Fayetteville State and lost 68-62 in a close game. The Raiders played their second game Saturday night against Bowie State, where Shippensburg lost 61-52.
Shippensburg was strong from the beginning against Fayetteville State and held its own throughout the first and second quarters. The team was up 32-28 at the half.
However, FSU opened the third quarter with a six-point run to reclaim the lead. Shippensburg continued fighting for the ball.
It was an exciting fourth quarter when graduate student Treasure George began to sink three-pointers. With just over three minutes left in the game, George hit two three-pointers back-to-back leaving FSU with only a two-point lead.
FSU came back immediately to also make a 3-pointer. At 1:20 remaining, George scored another 3-pointer. FSU closed the game with two good free throws.
Treasure George was the lead scorer of the game with 21 points, which is the second game of her career to pass the 20-point mark.
Saturday’s game was a tough battle between Shippensburg and Bowie State.
Bowie State took first possession of the ball and opened the game with a 6 -1 scoring run. The Raiders did not see a lead throughout the game.
Shippensburg was the team to come out of halftime strong. Junior Taja Colbert scored two baskets while freshman Bella Chimienti got a layup. Shippensburg came within seven points but could not get any closer to surpassing Bowie State.
Head Coach Kristy Trn expressed that her team has a lot to work on but is sure that they will find the adjustments needed as the season moves forward.
“This week, we are going to focus on coming together as a group offensively, in terms of learning how to run and execute offenses and play them through instead of abandoning it so quickly,” Coach Trn said. “Defensively, we are still trying to find what is the best combination for us.”
Shippensburg’s next game will be this coming Wednesday against Jefferson at home. Game time is set for 6 p.m.
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.