Charleston ended Shepherd’s men’s basketball season when it dealt a 74-65 loss to the Rams in the quarterfinals of the Mountain East Conference tournament. It was Shepherd’s first and only game in the event.

Shepherd’s loss completed a 16-13 season for the Rams, who lost three straight games to end the 2017-18 campaign. Charleston trailed 37-33 at the half, but used Jordan Smith’s 23 points (8-for-11 from the field) and the team’s 17-for-21 free throw shooting to wrangle the season-extending win. The Golden Eagles had only seven turnovers.

Steffen Davis scored a season-high 23 points for the Rams. Fellow senior AJ Carr posted 15 points. Shepherd was outrebounded 36-26, but had only eight turnovers. The Rams made 10-of-12 free throws.

Carr was selected to league’s first-team, all-conference squad. Carr was joined by Keir Anderson (Charleston), Taiwo Badmus (Va.-Wise), Tommy Bolte (Concord), Heywood Highsmith (Wheeling Jesuit), Pat Johnson-Agwu (West Virginia State), Dan Monterosa (West Liberty) and Pat Moseh (Wheeling Jesuit) on the first team. Eight players were selected to the second team and Shepherd sophomore Thomas Lang was one of four players given honorable mention status.

Highsmith was the Player of the Year, Dalton Bolton of West Liberty was Freshman of the Year and Ben Howlett of West Liberty was Coach of the Year.

The Shepherd women had an opening round 76-74 win over Concord in the league tournament. Morgan Arden scored with only two seconds to play to help get the Rams into the quarterfinal round. Arden went 7-for-25 from the field and had 21 points, while Sydney Clayton registered her fifth double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Kayla Tibbs added 13 points and Liz Moorman had another 11 points. Shepherd had only six turnovers.

In the quarterfinals, Glenville – then 28-1 – rolled through the second half to beat the Rams, 107-76. The League’s Player of the Year, Paris McLeod, scored 38 points in only 23 minutes of playing time.

Glenville had only a 49-47 lead at the half, but outpointed the Rams, 30-18, in the third quarter, and 28-11 in the last quarter to leave no doubt as to the outcome. Arden made 10-of-22 field goal tries for 25 points, while Clayton scored 12 points and claimed 12 rebounds.

The ever-pressing Pioneers helped cause the Rams’ 26 turnovers. Shepherd had a 15-15 overall record, losing three times to Glenville.

Arden was placed on the MEC’s eight-player, first-team all-league team along with McLeod, Chanelle Moore (Wheeling Jesuit), Aurreeshae Harris (WV State), Stefanie Davis (Urbana), Kim Cook (Notre Dame), Sierra Adachi (Notre Dame) and Marissa Brown (West Liberty). Nine players were selected to the second-team and three more gained honorable mention notice.