SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.V.- Ruben Rodriguez Jr. (Reading, Pa./Reading) scored a team-high 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field to help lead the West Chester University men's basketball team (19-6, 13-5) to an important 80-74 victory over Shepherd (16-9, 12-6) in a battle for the top spot in the PSAC East on Wednesday night in West Virginia.
Rodriguez Jr. was one of four Golden Rams in double figures as
Gabe Moss (Pottstown, Pa./The Hill School) scored 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting along with 11 rebounds for a double-double, while
Anthony McCall (Philadelphia, Pa./ANC) added 20 of his own on 6-of-11 shooting from the field and an 8-for-10 effort at the line.
Joe Sedora (York, Pa./Red Lion) was the fourth and final Golden Ram in double figures with 10 points with most of these 10 points coming during a second half run. In addition to his team-best 21, Rodriguez Jr. also finished the game with a team-high four assists.
West Chester shot 48.3 % (29-of-60) from the field in the win and was 3-for-13 (23.1 %) from three-point range, while also going 19-for-25 (76.0 %) from the field in the win.
After a close first half, which featured 10 lead changes, West Chester used a 19-9 run midway through the second half to stretch a slim lead and eventually led by as many as 15 (76-61) with 2:51 to play in an important victory over a Shepherd team that entered play riding a PSAC-East best seven-game winning streak.
West Chester also finished the game with a 39-23 lead in rebounding, including a 15-2 edge on the offensive glass, which resulted in a 14-5 lead in second-chance points and a 42-30 lead in points in the paint.
West Chester and Shepherd traded makes through the first half, and the Golden Rams carried a slim 33-31 lead into the halftime break.
Shepherd shot 57.1 % (12-for-21) from the field in the first half but was just 1-for-6 (16.7 %) from three-point range, while also going 6-for-10 (60.0 %) from the field.
Led by 13 early points from Moss
and 11 from Rodriguez Jr.
as West Chester shot 40.5 % (15-of-37) from the field, including a 25.0 % (2-for-8) effort from three-point range, while also going 1-for-3 (33.3 %) at the line.
Shepherd pulled back to within one (33-32) as the second half began, but went on a run led by four points in a row from Moss to stretch the lead to 47-40 with 13:51 to play before the Rams answered with a 4-0 run to cut the lead to 47-44 with 12:30 to play.
Elwyne Wordlaw helped Shepherd back to within one with a jumper with 10:47 to play, which made the score 49-48 before West Chester went on a 19-10 run, led by eight points from
Joe Sedora (York, Pa./Red Lion) as he eclipsed the 10-point mark with a three-point play with 5:34 to play.
West Chester was leading by 10 with under five minutes to play, but Shepherd would not go away quietly, answering with a run of its own to cut the Golden Ram lead to 76-71 with 38 seconds to play after back-to-back threes by Wordlaw.
Holding on to a five-point lead late,
McCall eclipsed 20 points with a layup with 28 seconds to play, which also restored a 78-71 lead for the Golden Rams en route to an 80-74 victory.
West Chester also finished the game with a 39-23 lead in rebounding, including a 15-2 edge on the offensive glass, which resulted in a 14-5 lead in second-chance points and a 42-30 lead in points in the paint.
Despite the loss, Shepherd shot 51.1 % (24-of-47) from the field, including a 5-for-18 (27.8 %) effort from three-point range, while also going 21-for-27 (77.8 %) at the free throw line.
Wordlaw led Shepherd, and all scorers with 32 points on 11-of-20 shooting from the field, including three makes from beyond the arc, while Marcus Banks finished with 26, along with six rebounds and two assists.
Tonight's win hands Shepherd its first loss since a loss to West Chester in Hollinger in mid-January and restores a game lead atop the PSAC East for West Chester as the Golden Rams move to 13-5 in league play while Shepherd slides into fourth behind East Stroudsburg and Millersville, who are tied for second at 13-6.
Up Next
West Chester will return to action on Saturday at home against Lock Haven, beginning at 3 p.m.
