The Shepherd University women’s basketball team improved to 2-1 Wednesday on the young season with a road win against the Golden Knights of Gannon University by a score of 66-53.
In what was largely a defensive game, the Rams shot just 38.1 percent from the field (24-63), but thanks to creating turnovers on defense, the Rams generated 26 easy points to help them get into the flow of things.
At halftime the score was tied at 28 all. Adjustments were made as the Rams came out of halftime, shooting 46.15 percent in the second half (12-26). After seeing the three-point shot was not working, the Rams started shooting inside for higher-percentage shots, thanks to the turnovers they created generating short shots and layups.
With the score at 46-41 through three quarters, the Rams stepped up in big ways defensively, outscoring the Golden Knights 20-10 in the crucial fourth quarter. The Golden Knights just could not simply muster much of anything offensively thanks to the Rams stifling defense.
Senior guard Cara Mason was the stat-sheet stuffer for the Rams in this contest. She had 21 points (10 of which came in the fourth quarter), nine rebounds, five assists, and five steals to guide the Rams to victory. Junior guard Morgan Arden made seven-of-13 shots for 18 points, while senior forward Liz Myers provided a presence in the paint with 12 points, nine rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. She caused havoc for the Golden Knights all-game long with her defensive presence, making them think twice before coming into the paint.
The Golden Knights, however, would not go away, as Maggie Mitchell put the team’s offense on her back, scoring an amazing 30 points, connecting on 4-of-8 three pointers and making all 10 of her foul shots. Lanise Saunders helped out with eight points and nine rebounds, but the offensive production for the Golden Knights came largely from Mitchell.
Both teams battled hard on the boards, with Gannon gaining a slight total edge for the game (39 to 37). What was the biggest factor, though, was the volume of 23 turnovers the Rams created, while turning it over just 11 times themselves.
On Saturday afternoon, the Rams come back home to the Butcher Center looking to extend their winning streak to 2 against Glenville State at 4 p.m. If fans bring a ticket stub from the Assumption vs. Shepherd football game that will be played earlier that afternoon, they will get into the game for free, in addition to the men’s game at 6 p.m. following their contest.
Anthony Bracken is a Sports Reporter for The Picket. He can be reached at abrack02@rams.shepherd.edu