Members of the 1975-1976 men’s basketball team, pictured here being honored at a West Virginia State game, are from left to right: then-Shepherd University director of athletics B.J. Pumroy, Rodney Sewell, head coach Bob Starkey, Eric Cook and Larry Boomer. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — This is the 50th anniversary of the famed Shepherd University men’s basketball team that literally ran its way to a 33-3 overall record and even won games in the NCAA Division III national tournament.

That team was the personification of up-tempo basketball, winning with a fast-break style of offense that was molded around a group of players with more athleticism than size.

The coach was Bob Starkey, a graduate of Shepherd, where he was a swimmer and baseball player.

Those Rams entered the NCAA Division III national tournament after being denied the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship by Fairmont, also the only team to defeat the Rams during the nearly pure regular season schedule.

The starters were Rodney Sewell, Mike Philippi, Larry Boomer, Charlie Rideout and Gilbert Allen. Allen was the tallest of the starters at 6-foot-5. Sewell was the leading scorer and he was 6-foot-2. Philippi was the emotional leader and influential point guard. Rideout had transferred from George Washington after his high school career at South Hagerstown High School. He was 6-foot-4.

Starkey brought in Chip Reklis, Don Stinnette, Jeff Cook and Otto Turner off his bench.

That Ram edition still holds the school record for wins, most consecutive wins, most points scored in a single season (3,384) and most assists in a season.

It was the season after Dave Russell, probably the best player in the school’s history, had played his last season for the Rams.

The run-run Rams averaged 93.8 points per game.

After its WVIAC tournament loss to Fairmont, the Rams accepted a bid to the NCAA Division III national event and defeated both Glassboro State (now Rowan) and Monmouth — two New Jersey schools — to win the South Atlantic Regional title. Those wins hoisted the Rams into the national quarterfinals where they met the University of Scranton on its home court.

Scranton won, 95-78, and then then actually won the national championship by easing past Augustana (Ill) and Wittenberg (Ohio) in the Final Four.

Starkey completed his 20-year basketball coaching career at Shepherd with 360-205 record. He had a portion of the school’s current gym named for him when the Robert G. Starkey Skybox and Academic Center was dedicated in his honor.

Time has its way of flying on by, but the 50 years since those Rams ran along a less traveled path to 33 wins almost went by at the speed of light.

Fifty years. And 33 wins and more than 50 x 33 in memories.