The Shepherd Rams men’s basketball team (4-6, 2-4 MEC) had a prominent performance against the Chestnut Hill College Griffins (1-9, 0-3 CACC), winning 86-76 on Saturday, Dec. 16, at home in Shepherdstown, W.Va.
The Rams started off hot in the first half by making threes and scoring in the paint. Shepherd shot 66.67 percent from the field and 57.14 percent from the three-point line in the first half.
Shepherd forced Chestnut to shoot 48.39 percent in the first half, making it hard for the Griffins to get things going inside. However, they did manage to shoot 72.73 percent from the three-point line.
The Griffins were led by their junior guard Liban Awl, who had 26 points.
It was impressive to see how efficient the Rams were on offense Saturday. Senior forward AJ Carr led all players with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. Carr continues to look superb in his senior campaign.
In the beginning of the second half, Shepherd had a few turnovers, allowing Chestnut Hill to bring the score within three. Rams sophomore guard Thomas Lang would hit a three-pointer, giving the Rams their momentum back with a six-point lead (52-46) with 15:36 to play.
In the second half, Shepherd shot 39.29 percent from the field and 41.67 percent beyond the three-point line. Lang and Rams senior guard Steffen Davis would both collect 15 points in the contest, helping the Rams expand their lead.
Shepherd continued their scoring in the paint and from outside. With 5:07 to go in the game they increased their lead to 12 thanks to two free throws by Lang, which gave the Rams a 76-64 lead.
Defensively, the Rams communicated well, which helped them force the Griffins to take bad shots.
Shepherd would defeat Chestnut Hill by 10 points, giving them their second home win on the season.
The Rams will look to carry their momentum on the road, when they travel to Richmond, Va., to face Virginia Union University on Tuesday, Dec. 19. The game is slated to start at 7:30 p.m.
Justin Cole is a Sports Writer for The Picket. He can be reached at jcole07@rams.shepherd.edu.