A team with a 1-9 record doesn’t often make a successful comeback from an 18-point second-half deficit.

That’s what Shepherd did when the Lady Rams hitched their wagon to Jimyse Brown’s career game to overhaul visiting West Liberty and defeat the faltering Lady Hilltoppers, 78-73, in a Mountain East Conference game played at the Butcher Center.

Brown scored 20 points, going 8-for-12 from the field, and was so forceful with her inside play that Shepherd overcame a 59-41 deficit in the game’s last 14 minutes.

Shepherd went 18-for-32 (56 percent) in the second half when it outscored its conference opponent, 48-32, to reverse West Liberty’s 11-point halftime lead.

The Lady Rams didn’t miss any three-point attempts in the second half. They were 8-for-10 from the foul line.

Cara Mason scored 12 points in the couldn’t-be-denied second half alone, and was joined by the 10-point half from Gabby Flinchum and the nine points from Maggie McLoughlin.

Even though it was 20 rebounds shy of West Liberty’s total, Shepherd could continue to make inroads into the constant Lady Hilltopper lead because the visitors began to miss an alarming number of field goal attempts.

West Liberty was 8-for-49 (16 percent) from long range, made only 68 percent of its free throws and had 23 turnovers in falling to 6-7 overall.

Shepherd outgunned the stricken visitors, 19-6, in the final 4:56 of play, taking its first lead of the game at 72-70 on Flinchum’s layup. Flinchum scored six of Shepherd’s last eight points.

After winning only once in its first 10 games, Shepherd showed an uncommon perseverence and character in chewing away at the long deficit and finally getting a winning reward at the end.