Same kind of finish, different winner.
The Concord Women's Basketball team stunned Shepherd with a late rally in a 94-93 win at the Butcher Center last Wednesday night.
In their rematch Monday night, in the first round of the WVIAC Tournament, the Rams returned the favor.
Jerica Hewitt's driving layup with just :01.8 on the clock lifted Shepherd to a dramatic 59-57 victory, ending Concord's roller-coaster season at 15-13.
Concord never had the lead and twice trailed by as many as ten points. But Shepherd never could put away the Lady Lions, even with a 57-52 lead with only :57 remaining in the game.
A free throw from Jolysa Brown, and two more from Camisha Alexander, pulled Concord within 57-55 with :34 to go. Shepherd turned the ball over on its next possession, setting the stage for the thrilling finish.
Alexander sliced through the Ram defense for a layup, tying the game at 57-57 with :08.5 left. But Shepherd quickly inbounded the ball, getting it upcourt to Hewitt, who found room down the left side of the lane to bank in the winning shot.
Neither team was especially sharp.
Concord shot .380 (19-50) from the field, while Shepherd was .357 (20-56).
Concord shot .235 (4-17) from three-point range, Shepherd .286 (4-14).
Concord was .682 (15-22) from the free throw line, Shepherd .625 (15-24).
Both teams committed 17 turnovers, although Shepherd had 14 assists to six for Concord.
A big difference came on the glass. Shepherd, which leads the WVIAC in rebounding margin, outrebounded Concord 43-34, including 17-10 in offensive boards.
Alexander led all scorers with 21 points, 14 in the second half. Fellow All-WVIAC player Jolysa Brown added 12 points and eight rebounds. Kristin Kidd recorded a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Carrie Saunders topped Shepherd (16-11) with 14 points.
This was the second straight season the Rams eliminated the Lady Lions in the first round of the tournament.
The Lady Lions started the season 6-0, but injuries and illness forced Concord to play without three of its top six players (Sierra Brown, Sidney Lindsey and Meghan Cole) for much of the rest of the season. Still, the Lady Lions lose only one senior – Sierra Brown – as they look ahead to 2010-2011.
