ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University men's basketball team lost in its first game back from the Christmas layoff to Shepherd, 87-74, at the Carter Center Tuesday night in Mountain East Conference play.
Shepherd (6-5, 3-2 MEC) was the first team to make a run in the game as it reeled off a 15-6 run to take a 35-24 lead at the 3:11 mark in the first half. However, the Mountain Lions (5-6, 1-4 MEC) scored 11 of the next 15 points to pull within 39-35 with 62 seconds left in the first half. Senior guard
Aaron Miller scored the first five points of the run before senior guards
Michael Sanchez and
Cam Shannon each added a three-pointer.
The Rams added a late bucket to take a 41-35 lead into halftime.
A jumper by SU at the 16:02 mark gave the Rams a 52-42 lead, a double-digit advantage they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.
Sanchez led all Concord scorers with 16 points that included three three-pointers. Miller added 13 points while Shannon and senior forward
Stephen Thompson each tallied 11 points. Thompson finished just shy of a double-double with a game-best nine rebounds. Shannon dished out a team-high four assists with no turnover in addition to his 11 points.
Freshman forward
Patrick Eugene crashed the glass for seven rebounds that helped the Mountain Lions own a 35-32 edge in total rebounds.
Shepherd shot 58.1 percent (36-for-62) from the field.
Each team canned 10 three-pointers in the game.
The next game for the Mountain Lions will be a 7:30 p.m. tipoff Thursday against the second-ranked team in the nation, Fairmont State.
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