Starkey

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Sara Cree Hall at Shepherd University was a cramped arena where the Rams’ basketball opponents were squeezed as much as the crowds that shoe-horned in to see the high-flying home team ride its up-tempo style to win after win.

Especially in the 1975-1976 season, when the Rams would eventually complete their season with a 33-3 school record.

Shepherd was a member of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and rang up wins over everybody except Joe Retton’s Fairmont Fighting Falcons.

Those long-in-the-tooth followers of the Rams usually mention that Dave Russell was the best player to ever star for the Rams. But Russell was no longer with Shepherd, having played out his eligibility the season before.

Robert Starkey’s 1975-1976 version of run-run basketball had a roster filled with experience and enough depth to force the tempo all night if necessary.

In its 36-game season, Shepherd would average 93.8 points a game,

It reached the WVIAC championship game where Fairmont awaited. The Falcons had beaten Shepherd by four points in the 1975 title game. In a free-wheeling championship game in 1976, Fairmont prevailed, 104-84, and could claim the league’s automatic berth into the NAIA national tournament.

Even with just two losses the Rams were not going to Kansas City for that governing body’s national tournament.

Instead, Shepherd used its affiliation with the NCAA to enter its Division III national tournament.

The season had been one of mostly winning headlines.

Starkey’s starters were Rodney Sewell, Mike Philippi, Larry Boomer, Charlie Rideout and Gilbert Allen.

Sewell was the scoring leader and at 6-foot-2 had a steady influence on the Rams as they ran from beginning to end.

Philippi orchestrated the game from his point guard position. His gritty competitive spirit was as useful as his assists, defense, ball handling and scoring.

Rideout was a transfer from George Washington University and provided regular scoring and a basketball acumen that came into play in any close game.

Boomer was a freshman from Arapahoe, N.C. and averaged in double figures right from the beginning of the season where the Rams stormed through two games in Canada.

Allen contributed his rebounding, muscle and usual double figures in the scoring column.

Off Starkey’s bench came Chip Reklis, Don Stinnette, Jeff Cook and Otto Turner.

In a whirlwind of scoring, Sewell’s 46 points against Concord were the high-water mark. All the other starters had games where they scored 20 or more points.

In the national tournament, Shepherd claimed a 77-62 win over Glassboro (now Rowan) State to earn a South Atlantic Regional title game spot against Monmouth (New Jersey). The Rams again prevailed, stopping the New Jersey boys, 79-71, to move along the tournament trail to see Scranton (Pa.) in a game in Reading, Pa.

Scranton was in the midst of a 19-game winning streak and would end Shepherd’s season with a 95-78 win over the Rams.

The Royals won their next two games including the national championship clinching victory over Wittenburg (Ohio).

Shepherd’s 33 wins were the most by any team in the country at any level of the NCAA or NAIA.

Sara Cree Hall has been razed. Shepherd has moved along into the PSAC and the WVIAC has been gone for some years now.

With its record of 33-3, Shepherd’s 1975-1976 version of entertaining basketball visited the top echelon of collegiate basketball and acquitted itself with national tournament wins.