California too much for Shepherd women
SHEPHERDSTOWN — Gina Vallecorsa wasn’t all the California Vulcans brought with them to Shepherd’s quiet Butcher Center. But the slick-shooting guard was enough of a force to follow, as the PSAC Vulcans moved into an almost-instant lead and then coasted home from a 24-point cushion to defeat the Rams, 78-60.
The loss to a team from the league Shepherd will be moving to in the 2019-2020 season was the Rams’ first, after a pair of homecourt wins over the CIAA’s Winston Salem State and Shaw.
California was 3-0 after the victory.
Vallecorsa went eight-for-eight in a believe-your-eyes shooting performance from three-point range, and finished with 30 points.
After jetting out to a 23-11 lead after just one quarter, the unbeaten Vulcans quietly assumed a 44-26 lead at the half.
The swelling California advantage had gone to 63-39 after three periods, making the final 10-minute quarter anticlimactic.
In the loss, Shepherd managed only 42 shots from the field. The Rams made 17-of-24 free throws, not nearly enough to overcome a 32-23 rebounding disadvantage, nor a 17-11 turnover deficit.
Shepherd placed three starters in double figures with Kari Lankford (17 points), Sydney Clayton (14 points) and Kayla Tibbs (12 points) doing the bulk of the team’s scoring.
The Vulcans owned a huge advantage in contributions coming from each side’s bench.
Shepherd proved once more it cannot go to its reserves for any more than two players who might help off the bench.
Offensive rebounds came few and far between for the Rams, who will next play at home on Nov. 28.