Box Score SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Senior center Gabby Flinchum (North Potomac, Md./Wootton) scored a team-high 21 points and senior guard Rachel Johnson (Frederick, Md./Frederick) added 17 to lead Shepherd University to an 82-75 win over Fairmont State in MEC women's basketball action at the Butcher Center on Saturday on Senior Day. The win clinched a share of the MEC title for the Rams.

Flinchum hit on 9-of-16 shots with a 3-of-4 effort from the foul line. She added six rebounds. Johnson connected on 6-of-14 field goals with a 3-of-8 effort from three-point range. She was 2-of-3 from the charity stripe. Johnson added a game-high seven steals, three rebounds, and two assists.

Freshman guard Morgan Arden (Hanover, Pa./Spring Grove) tossed in 12 points and added four assists. Senior guard Briana Vaden (Stockton, Calif./McNair/San Joaquin Delta College) had 11 points, while sophomore guard Cara Mason (Monrovia, Md./Urbana) added 10 points, six rebounds, and a game-high five assists.

Emily Lohr had a game-high 24 points to lead the Falcons. Hailey Garrett added 21 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Fairmont State had a 45-36 lead at halftime with Garrett (13) and Lohr (12) combining for 25 first half points.

The Falcons stretched their lead to 14 points at 58-44 after a three-pointer by Lohr with 14:47 left in the game.  Shepherd proceeded on a 21-5 run to take the lead for good at 65-63 on a jumper by Arden with 6:03 left. Fairmont trailed by only five points at 75-70 after a pair of free throws by Garrett with 2:49 remaining in the contest, but Shepherd closed the game on a 7-5 run to wrap up the victory.

Shepherd shot 47.8 percent (32-67) from the floor with a 31.3 percent effort (5-16) from three-point range for the game. The Rams shot 81.3 percent (13-16) from the charity stripe.

Fairmont State connected on 43.6 percent (24-55) from the floor with a 38.1 percent (8-21) performance from beyond the arc. The Falcons hit on 82.6 percent (19-23) of their free throws.

Fairmont State had a 38-32 advantage on the boards. The Rams forced 21 turnovers and committed 14.

Shepherd improves to 20-8, 17-5 in MEC action, while Fairmont State falls to 21-7, 15-7. The Rams return to action on Thursday when they take on the winner of the Glenville State –West Virginia State game at the Charleston Civic Center at noon.

Notes: Shepherd reached 20 wins for the fourth time in program history… Gabby Flinchum (1,237 points) moved into sixth place on the Shepherd all-time scoring list… Rachel Johnson (1,194 points) is currently eighth on the list… Shepherd recorded a 10-3 mark at the Butcher Center this season… Shepherd shares the MEC title with West Liberty and Charleston.

MEC Women's Tournament Bracket