WVU, both Shepherd teams drop games
SHEPHERDSTOWN — Texas Tech and Texas kept WVU from doing much celebrating the beginning of 2019 lumbered in on the calendar.
In Morgantown, nationally-ranked Texas Tech held off the Mountaineers to get its Big 12 Conference schedule underway. Numerous turnovers bothered WVU against once-beaten Texas Tech. When the 18-for-32 showing from the free throw line is factored in, the Mountaineers could not find the ways to make a stylish beginning to their conference schedule.
Last Saturday, it was Texas, playing in Austin, that bumped WVU, 61-54, making the league record dip to 0-2 — the first time since joining the Big 12 that the Mountaineers were holding an 0-2 conference record.
West Virginia was 20-for-50 (40 percent) from the field against the Longhorns (10-4 overall and 2-0 in the Big 12). Going only 9-for-14 (64 percent) from the free throw line was another dismal shooting statistic.
Freshman guard Jordan McCabe played 28 minutes and had no assists. He scored seven points.
Shepherd had a 7-5 overall record after tripping nationally-ranked Shippensburg on the road, but then fell to 80-59 to Lincoln in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Rams played without center Winston Burgess in the 22-point loss to Lincoln.
Jarrell Jones, eligible for the first time this season at Shippensburg, had 26 minutes of playing time against Lincoln but scored only five points with three turnovers and five rebounds. He was 1-for-5 from the field.
The Shepherd women’s team defeated Millersville, but then was hammered, 76-51, by Lincoln.
Lincoln had a stangle-hold lead of 46-18 at the half of the latest game. The Rams committed 25 turnovers, went 14-for-52 (26.9 percent) from the field and 20-for-34 (58.8 percent) from the foul line.
Usually-reliable Kari Lankford had seven turnovers and only three assists. Kayla Tibbs, averaging about 17 points per game, was 1-for-7 from the field, and Hannah Myers was only 2-for-14 from the floor in a rare starting role.
The Shepherd women are 2-4 in the Mountain East Conference standings and 5-7 overall.