SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Sophomore forward Sydney Clayton (Frederick, Md./St. John's)  had 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead Shepherd (1-0) to a 70-59 win over Winston-Salem State (0-1) in women's basketball action at the Conference Challenge at the Butcher Center on Friday.

Clayton hit on 9-of-14 shots with a 3-of-4 effort from the foul line. Her 21 points established a new career-high mark.

Senior guard Kayla Tibbs (Leesburg, Va./Heritage/Glenville State) poured in 14 points, while senior forward Liz Moormann (New Market, Md./Oakdale) added 12 points and six rebounds.

Senior guard Kari Lankford (York, Pa./West  York Area) nearly posted a triple-double with eight points, eight rebounds, and a career-high 16 assists. Her 16 assists tie the Shepherd single-game mark set by Liz Vaughn against Salem on Jan. 24, 1987.

Teara Johnson had 13 points, while Kinnidy Lawrence and Amaya Tucker each tallied 11 for Winston-Salem State.

Winston-Salem State started with a strong first period (17-8) and took a 29-27 lead into the break.

The Rams took their first lead of the game at 33-31 when Tibbs hit a layup with 6:05 left in the third period.  Shepherd trailed 45-44 after three periods, but outscored Winston-Salem State, 26-14, in the final stanza to grab the victory.

Shepherd shot 47.4 percent (27-57) from the floor with a 28.6 percent effort (4-14) from three-point range for the game. The Rams connected on 54.5 percent (12-22) of their free throws.

Winston- Salem State hit on 39.4 percent (26-66) from the floor with a 30.8 percent (4-13) performance from beyond the arc. The Rams connected on 81.8 percent (9-11) of their free throws.

Winston-Salem State had a 44-35 advantage in rebounds. Shepherd forced 19 turnovers and committed 15.

The Rams return to action on Saturday when they host Shaw for a 2 p.m. contest in final round action of the Conference Challenge.