Box Score CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Sophomore guard
Morgan Arden (Hanover, Pa./Spring Grove) tied a school record with a game and career-high 37 points, but University of Charleston handed Shepherd University an 84-73 setback in first round action of the MEC Women's Basketball Tournament at Charleston on Tuesday.
Arden connected on 13-of-30 field goals with an 6-of-9 effort from three-point range. She was 5-for-6 from the foul line. Arden tied the Shepherd single game scoring mark set by Sherry Price against Concord in 1985.
Junior forward
Liz Myers (York, Pa./Eastern York) added 15 points and hauled down a team-high six rebounds. Sophomore guard
Tiffany McKinney (Edgewater, Md./South River/Anne Arundel CC) chipped in with nine points.
Chyress Lockhart led Charleston with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Olivia Nicholas had 18 points, while Mya Walker tossed in 14.
Charleston had a 41-33 lead at halftime.
Charleston led by as many as 13 points in the third quarter. Shepherd rallied in the fourth period and trailed by only four points at 74-70 after a three-pointer by Arden with 1:30 left. The Golden Eagles closed the game on a 10-3 run to seal the win.
The Rams connected on 38 percent (26-69) from the floor with a 54 percent (7-13) performance from three-point range. Shepherd hit on 82.4 percent of its free throws (14-17). Charleston hit on 50 percent (26-52) of its field goals with a 46 percent (6-13) effort from beyond the arc. The Golden Eagles drained 83.9 percent (26-31) of their free throws.
UC had a 42-32 edge in rebounding. Shepherd forced 21 turnovers and committed 10.
The Rams complete the season with a 7-22 overall mark, while Charleston advances to face second-seeded Wheeling Jesuit in the quarterfinals of the MEC Tournament at the Charleston Civic Center on Thursday.
Notes: Arden's 590 points this season are the second most in program history (615, Sherry Price, 1985-86)… Arden (20.3 ppg) joins Price (21.9 ppg average in 1985-86) as the only players in program history to average 20 points or more in a season.
