SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.V. – Despite a career-night from graduate student Ryan Weise (19 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 steals) and furious second-half comeback from the East Stroudsburg University women's basketball team, the Shepherd Ram's held on for the 80-70 victory on Tuesday night at the Butcher Center.
The Warriors drop to 1-15 overall and 0-13 in the conference while the Rams move to 14-3 on the season and 7-3 in the PSAC.
In just the team's third meeting all-time, Shepherd earns their first win over ESU.
The Warriors found themselves trailing by 18 points at the half before outscoring the Rams 20-11, in the third to make the deficit just 60-51 headed into the final 10 minutes.
Shepherd maintained a double-digit lead to open the fourth before ESU used a 9-2 run to get within three points at 68-65. After a Rams' timeout, the Warriors only got as close a four the rest of the way with Shepherd making eight free throws in the final minute to ice the game.
Notables
- Notching her first career double-double, Weise knocked down five three-pointers for the second straight game. The Allentown, N.J. native becomes the first player since assistant coach Jordan Hertz in 2019 to lead the team in points, rebounds, and assists in a single game.
- Leah Pishock (12 points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal) and Cassie Ksiazek (10 points, three assists and two steals) were both in double figures
- Izzy Vogel notched nine points, three rebounds and one assist
- ESU recorded season-highs in both points with 80 and field goal percentage, going 28-of-62 (45.2)
- Marley McLaughlin finished with a game-high 25 points for Shepherd but Abby Beeman highlighted the game for the Rams with 21 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to fall just short of the triple-double. Sydney Clayton added 17 points and eight rebounds.
- Shepherd finished 25-of-51 (49.0) from the floor and connected on 8-of-17 (47.1) from the three-point line.
- The Rams converted 22-of-25 (88.0) free throw attempts while the Warriors were only 6-of-9 (66.7)
- In a high-scoring first half, the Warriors were 14-of-28 (50.0) from the field while the Rams were 19-of-31 (61.3), including 8-of-11 from three.
How It Happened
- Over the first five minutes of the game, Shepherd grabbed six point lead with the score at 15-9 headed into the media timeout. Out of the break, the Rams closed out the first quarter on a 13-4 run to take a 28-13 lead.
- The Rams started the second quarter by using an 8-0 sprint before ESU answered by scoring nine of the next 11 points to put the game at 38-22 with 5:58 remaining. From that point on, both teams traded buckets with Shepherd just outscoring ESU 11-9 to take a 49-31 lead into the break.
- ESU opened the second half on a 15-3 run which featured a pair of three-pointers from Weise to cut the Rams' lead to 52-46. Following a Shepherd timeout, the Rams benefited from being in the bonus, converting on 5-of-6 free throws over the final 3:05 to hold a 60-51 advantage after the third quarter.
- The fourth quarter opened with each team making shots as the Rams maintained a 10-point lead at 66-56 with 6:20 to go. ESU proceeded to mount a 9-2 over the next three minutes to trail by just three but after a Shepherd timeout the Warriors were unable to cut the lead to any less than four points the rest of the game. The Rams were able to close out the Warriors making all eight of their free throws in the final 39 seconds to hold on 80-70.
Up Next
The Warriors return to Koehler Fieldhouse on Saturday when they welcome Shippensburg for a 1 p.m. tip-off.
