Women's Basketball | 12/6/2017 7:33:00 PM

Box Score

    SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – The West Liberty University women's basketball team dropped a 79-72 overtime decision to Shepherd here Wednesday night in Mountain East Conference action at the Butcher Center.
    Coach Kyle Cooper's Hilltoppers (3-6, 2-3) led by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter only to see the Rams (5-4, 2-3) come on strong down the stretch to pull out the win.
    Neither team led by more than six points in a back-and-forth contest until the Black and Gold closed out the third quarter on a 13-2 run to take a 52-43 lead into the final 10 minutes.
    Back-to-back hoops by McKenna Shives and Marissa Brown gave West Liberty its largest lead of the night, 56-43, in the opening minute of the final quarter but that's when the hosts hit the comeback trail in earnest.
    Morgan Arden poured in 17 of her game-high 31 points in the fourth quarter to fuel a Shepherd rally that put the Rams up, 62-61, with 2:17 remaining in regulation.
    The teams traded baskets the rest of the way with Brown cashing in Audrey Tingle's 10th assist of the night to send the game into overtime tied at 70-70.
    Shepherd outscored West Liberty, 9-2, in the extra frame to come away with the win.
    Brown was the leading scorer for the Hilltoppers with 25 points and 7 rebounds while Shives added 18 points, 4 assists and a pair of steals. Tingle had 5 rebounds and 3 steals to go along with her game- and career-high 10 assists.
    Tibbs and Kari Lankford backed Arden with 12 points each for the Rams while Sydney Clayton worked the paint for 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
    The Lady Hilltoppers return home to host Fairmont State on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. at the ASRC.