Box Score SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. -- Senior center Gabby Flinchum (North Potomac, Md./Wootton) scored a game-high 21 points  and grabbed a game and career-high 19 rebounds to lead Shepherd University to a 77-72 win over West Liberty in MEC women's basketball action at the Butcher Center on Thursday night.

Flinchum connected on 7-of-20 shots from the floor with a 7-of-10 effort from the foul line. She also added three blocked shots.

Freshman guard Morgan Arden (Hanover, Pa./Spring Grove) scored 19 points and had four assists, while senior guard Rachel Johnson (Frederick, Md./Frederick) contributed 15 points, seven boards, and three assists.

Sophomore guard Cara Mason (Monrovia, Md./Urbana)  added 12 points, and a team-high five assists.

Liz Flowers had 19 points and Hilary Southworth added 18 to lead the Hilltoppers. Kailee Howe had 13 points and 12 assists, while Kierra Simpson added 11 points and 17 rebounds.

The game was tied at halftime, 38-38.

Shepherd took the lead for good at 43-42 when Johnson drained a three-pointer with 16:25 left in the contest. The Rams led by as many as 11 points in the second half. The Hilltoppers cut the lead to four at 71-67 after a three-pointer by Southworth with 47 seconds left, but Shepherd answered with a 5-0 run to seal the victory.

Shepherd shot 37.8 percent (28-74) from the floor with a 66.7 percent effort (4-6) from three-point range for the game. The Rams shot 70.8 percent (17-24) from the charity stripe.

West Liberty connected on 37.2 percent (29-78) from the floor with a 25.8 percent (8-31) performance from beyond the arc. The Hilltoppers hit on 54.5 percent (6-11) of their free throws.

Shepherd had a 53-44 edge on the boards. The Rams forced seven turnovers and committed just five.

Shepherd improves to 17-7, 14-4 in MEC action, while West Liberty falls to 16-8, 13-5. The Rams return to action on Saturday when they travel to Wheeling Jesuit for a 2 p.m. contest.