SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Propelled by an offensive explosion in the second quarter and lockdown defense, the Lock Haven University women's basketball team (14-13, 10-12 PSAC) sank Shippensburg University (16-13, 12-10 PSAC), 64-34, in a 2022 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament First Round matchup.
 
After two opening minutes of scoreless basketball, the Bald Eagles jumped out on the Raiders with a quick 7-0 spurt midway through the opening quarter. A strong defensive effort kept Shippensburg off the board until the Raiders made it 7-2 with just under three minutes to play. In a defensive opening quarter, LHU held a 9-5 lead after the first period.
 
Early in the second, Ahnera Parker (Lancaster, Pa./J.P. McCaskey) knocked in a straightaway three to push the LHU lead back to seven and kick start a 14-0 Bald Eagle run. To cap the run, Brooke Lawyer (Hanover, Pa./Delone Catholic) went on a solo five-point run with three minutes to play in the half and stretched Lock Haven's lead to 25-9. LHU continued their stifling defense and hot shooting and carried a 38-15 lead into the halftime break.
 
The Bald Eagles shot a blistering 63 percent from the field in the second quarter and outscored the Raiders 29-10 in the period. Lawyer led all scorers in the half with 12 points including a wing three-pointer with just one second on the clock to close the half.
 
Shippensburg picked up its shooting in the third, but LHU had an answer at each turn and maintained a 20-point margin for the entirety of the quarter. The Bald Eagles took a 53-21 lead into the final quarter searching for the program's first road playoff win under head coach Jennifer Smith.
 
A determined Bald Eagle team came out in the fourth quarter looking to shut down all hope of a Raider comeback. LHU locked things down defensively in a low-scoring final ten minutes and held Shippensburg to just 34 points. Another Lawyer three-pointer and a Parker runner in the lane pushed LHU ahead 61-33 as the Bald Eagles cruised home for its first playoff win since the 2018-19 season. Lawyer capped the scoring with one final three as The Haven romped past Shippensburg for a 64-34 playoff victory.
 
As a true freshman in her first playoff game, Lawyer paced all scorers and poured in 24 points on an efficient 9-16 from the field and 5-10 from beyond the arc.
 
Jaynelle Robinson (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport (Monroe CC)) proved to be a force in the paint and hauled in a game-high 15 rebounds and three steals.
 
Carly Fitzmorris (Hamburg, N.J./Pope John XXIII) and Parker rounded out three Bald Eagles in double figures with 11 points each. Both Bald Eagles also grabbed five rebounds, while Parker blocked three Raiders shots and Fitzmorris handed out three assists.
 
The stifling LHU defense held 21.7 percent from the field and forced 16 turnovers. The 34 total points are the lowest for the Raiders since 2018, and just the third time in 40 years Ship has been held under 40-points. The victory was also the first 30-point win for LHU since a December 15, 2019 win over Carlow.
 
Up Next:
The Bald Eagles turn their eyes to the quarterfinals where the No. 1 seed Kutztown awaits. That matchup is scheduled for Wednesday, March 2^nd with tipoff time at 5:30 p.m. The Golden Bears were ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Atlantic Region rankings and as high at 20^th nationally last week.