The Shepherd Rams women’s basketball team had a great team victory in their home opener against Goldey Beacom College, winning 79-69, Tuesday, Nov. 15. With the win, the Rams are now 3-0 on the season.
The Rams started the game looking anxious, missing shots on their first four offensive possessions and looked as though they were a little too excited playing at home for the first time. The Rams trailed the whole first quarter but started to find their rhythm on offense and applied more pressure on defense.
The Rams played well on defense, causing a total of 19 turnovers, and turning them into 14 points.
Shepherd shot 13 of 34 in the first half, good enough for a 38.24 field goal percentage from the field. Seniors Kayla Tibbs, Morgan Arden, and Tiffany McKinney led the Rams by example, showing their experience on the court as Shepherd took the lead with seven minutes left in the first half.
Tibbs would lead all scorers with 20 points and three assists, while junior Kari Lankford was right behind her with 19 points and four assists. It was great to see that the Rams were scoring from the inside and outside. If they can continue to do so, they could have a successful season.
In the second half, Shepherd continued to move the ball well on offense and stepped up on defense, forcing Goldey Beacom into bad shot selections.
Shepherd would expand their lead in the third quarter, making the score 60-48.
It was an all-round great team win by Shepherd, but their defense is what separated them in this matchup.
The Rams would finish the game strong, as Lankford would make six free throws in the final minute to give Shepherd their third win on the season.
The Rams will take this momentum into conference play, as they travel to West Virginia State Saturday, Nov. 18. Tipoff is at 2 p.m.
Justin Cole is a Sports Writer for the Picket. He can be reached at: jcole07@rams.shepherd.edu
