The Shepherd women’s basketball team faced off against the Mountain East Conference second ranked team Notre Dame College, losing 78-72 in a Thursday night match in Shepherdstown.
The Rams started the game off strong as they were challenging the Falcons every move. Their intensity on defense helped fuel their game on offense as Shepherd was able to get some open looks in the paint.
Shepherd shot 41 percent from the floor in the first half and 50 percent from behind the three point line. In the second quarter, the Rams intensity began to fade, as the Falcons got things going on offense, going on a 13-to-4 run in the second quarter, only giving up six points.
It was just another day in the office for senior Morgan Arden as she dropped 37 points with three assists. Earlier this season she scored 40 points, which has never been done before by a Shepherd player.
The Falcons took control of the game at the end of the first half, up by 10 points and with momentum on their side led by guard Kim Clark who collected 21 points along with 11 rebounds.
Marisa Finazzo also gave the Falcons an edge as she used her quickness to drive past Shepherd’s defenders and either shoot her shot or dish the ball out to her teammates. Or on the defensive side of the ball she caused turnovers.
At the beginning of the third quarter Notre Dame carried that momentum into the second half, shooting 46 percent in the second half from the field they led by 13 points at one point.
Shepherd shot 41 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the three-point line, which is pretty good. The Rams freshman Sydney Clayton had a big impact on the defensive side of the ball as she had a career high four blocks and three steals. Clayton has started to come along in the past few weeks on the offensive side adding 17 points and seven rebounds.
At the end of the third, Shepherd started to bring the score within single digits, hoping to make a strong comeback in the fourth. Shepherd did a poor job rebounding as Notre Dame won that battle 38 to 26.
The Rams didn’t play with a sense of urgency in the beginning of the fourth quarter, nor did they play with intensity on defense, allowing the Falcons to score 21 points in the final quarter.
Halfway through the fourth, the Rams would go on a nine to two run, with a three pointer from Kayla Tibbs. Their run would stop there as Notre Dame continued to expand their lead, denying Shepherd’s chances of coming back. The Falcons would give the Rams their fourth loss in a row.
The Rams look to get back on the winning track, when they face Urbana University Saturday here in Shepherdstown at 2 p.m.
Justin Cole is a Sports Writer for the Picket, he can be reached at: jcole07@rams.shepherd.edu
