(THE PICKET) — The Women’s Basketball team took a loss to 17th-ranked Wheeling Jesuit on Thursday in the Butcher Center. With this loss the Rams fall to 5-16 overall and 4-11 in the Mountain East Conference.
Rams kept the game close throughout three of the four quarters, but it slipped away in the fourth. The first quarter ended with a score of 14-13 Wheeling Jesuit. The Rams outscored the Cardinals 16-15 in the second to tie the score at 29 going into half time.
The Cardinals came out determined in the third and made the score 45-43 in their favor. Going into the fourth quarter it was anybody’s game. Shepherd rallied to tie the game at 51 after a layup by Kristen Nunn with 5:23 remaining. Chenelle Moore hit a layup with 4:52 left to give the Cardinals the lead for good at 53-51. The Rams got within four points, at 60-56 with 1:32 left after a layup by Nunn, but the Cardinals proceeded to drain 6-of-9 free throws to seal the victory. Wheeling Jesuit won the game 66-58.
Sophomore guard Morgan Arden led the Rams with 17 total points. She hit on 8-of-19 field goals with a one-of-two effort from beyond the arc. Arden also added four assists and three steals.
Morgan Arden battling to get the ball to a teammate
Nunn, freshman guard, had 14 points, while junior forward Liz Myers added nine points and game-highs of 12 rebounds and three blocked shots.
Junior guard Cara Mason contributed eight points with five assists, while freshman guard Kari Lankford added 11 boards.
Kari Lankford charging in for a Ram layup
The Rams connected on 40.9 percent (27-66) from the floor with a 22.2 percent (2-9) performance from three-point range and hit on 40 percent of their free throws (2-5). Wheeling Jesuit hit on 43.5 percent (27-62) of their field goals with a 0 percent (0-6) effort from beyond the arc. They were successful on 70.6 percent (12-17) of their free throws.
Wheeling Jesuit had a 41-35 edge in rebounding and each team committed 30 turnovers.
The Rams return to Butcher Center on Saturday when they host 20th-ranked West Liberty for a 2 p.m. tip off.
Allie Holmes is a sports writer for The Picket. She can be reached at aholme07@rams.shepherd.edu.