WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – Kailee Howe scored 26 of her game-high 30 points in the second half and the West Liberty University women moved into a tie for first place in the Mountain East ConferenceThursday night with a 90-87 victory against Shepherd at the ASRC.

"That was a quality conference win against a very good and very well-coached Shepherd team," Hilltopper head coach Lynn Ullom said after handing the Rams (9-4, 6-1) their first league loss. "We talk about playing for championships here and you have to win these types of games on your home court if want to be there in March."

Neither team led by more than four points in a tightly-played second half which featured 11 ties and 11 lead changes and the verdict wasn't rendered until the final minute.

Shepherd's Morgan Arden forged the game's final tie when she sailed coast-to-coast for a layup and an 83-83 deadlock with 51 seconds to play.

Howe put West Liberty (9-4, 6-1) ahead to stay, 85-83, with a stop-and-pop jumper in the paint and Jenn Mohney rebounded a missed shot by the Rams' Cara Mason with 30 ticks left.

Mohney got the ball over to Liz Flowers, who swished both free throws after a quick foul to put the Hilltoppers up, 87-83.

Gabby Flinchum scored inside for Shepherd with 17 seconds left but Howe dropped in two more free throws for an 89-85 margin with 13 seconds on the clock.

Arden cut the lead to 89-87 with six seconds left but Howe took the in-bounds pass and dribbled three crucial ticks off the clock before the Rams could foul her. Howe hit the 30-point mark with her second free throw and a desperation three-pointer by Shepherd failed to draw iron.

"Kailee has had some extended stretches where she's shown she can be as good as any kid in the region," Ullom said. "That's the second straight game that she's basically put us on her back down the stretch and willed us to victory."

Howe had 7 assists and 4 rebounds to go along with her game-high 30 points for a WLU team that played its sixth straight game without injured guards Hillary Southworth, Bri Kamarec and Emily Bucon.

The junior backcourter had plenty of support. Kiki Simpson had 4 blocks and 4 steals to go along with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out with 4 minutes to go. Flowers had 12 of her 18 points after intermission and Mohney added 11 points. Baylen Dyrlund had a game-high 11 rebounds.

Arden paced five double-figure scorers for Shepherd with 20 points.

The Hilltoppers are back home again Saturday afternoon with a 2 p.m. game against West Virginia Wesleyan.