SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va., – The Shepherd women and men’s basketball teams are preparing for postseason play as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Basketball Championship begins on Monday.
The women’s team finished the regular season with a record of 20-8. They went 14-8 in conference play which is good for the fourth seed in the eastern division.
The Lady Rams will host five-seed Lock Haven University (15-12, 12-10 PSAC) on Monday at 6:00 p.m. Shepherd went 2-0 against Lock Haven during the regular season.
Shepherd head coach Jenna Eckleberry is looking forward to playing at home, but is prepared for a tough contest.
“It’s hard to beat a good team three times,” Eckleberry said. “We were fortunate enough to win both games against them [this season].”
Junior forward Sydney Clayton said the postseason is like starting a new season.
“Every team [has a record of] 0-0 right now,” Clayton said. “We just have to go into it as if it’s our last game, because it could be.”
Over on the men’s side, Shepherd finished with a 14-14 record overall. They went 10-12 in conference play which earned them the fifth seed in the eastern division.
The men’s team will go on the road to take on Millersville University (14-14, 11-11 PSAC), a team they’ve beaten twice this season. They won both games by one point.
The win at Millersville was one of three road victories for the Rams this season, who went just 3-10 in away games.
Head coach Justin Namolik pointed out that the team has not played well on the road, but he is confident that his squad can compete.
“I think we can beat them,” Namolik said. “I just feel like we can compete with any team in the league.”
Senior guard Thomas Lang, who played in his final home game on Saturday, said he is looking forward to the conference tournament and the opportunity to play more games.
“You never know what happens in March,” Lang said. “It’s time to get after it.”
Lang hit a buzzer-beating three against Millersville on January 18 that gave Shepherd a 73-72 win.
Tip off for Shepherd at Millersville is set for 7:00 p.m. on Monday.
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