(THE PICKET)—The lady Rams basketball team fell to Wheeling Jesuit 68-73 on Saturday to give them an overall record of 2-6 and a 1-3 record in conference play.
In the first half, the Rams battled to keep the score close, never letting the Cardinals get ahead by more than four. By the end of the first quarter the Rams had the lead 19-12.
The third quarter is where it got shaky for Shepherd. They went from 10 and 12 point leads in the second to one and three point leads, and then lost with just under four minutes left in the third.
The Cardinals dominated throughout the fourth quarter, never giving Shepherd the lead and winning by five points.
Shepherd held the lead through the entire second half, never surrendering.
Sophomore guard Morgan Arden scored a game-high 22 points to lead Shepherd. She connected on 8-of-20 field goals and was 5-of-8 from three-point range. Arden was also 1-of-2 from the foul line.
Freshman guard Kristen Nunn added 17 points in her 28 minutes of playing. Junior forward Liz Myers had nine rebounds.
The Rams connected on 44.8 percent (26-58) from the floor with a 55.6 percent (10-18) effort from three-point range. Shepherd hit on 46.2 percent of its free throws (6-13). Wheeling Jesuit hit on 38.3 percent (23-60) of its field goals with a 25 percent (3-12) effort from beyond the arc. The Cardinals were successful on 70.6 percent (24-34) of their free throws.
Wheeling Jesuit had a 45-31 advantage in rebounding. Shepherd forced 18 turnovers and committed 20.
The Rams return to the court on Dec. 13 when they travel to California (Pa.) for a 2 p.m. game.