WHEELING, W.Va. – Junior guard Thomas Lang (New Market, Md./Linganore) scored a game-high 18 points to lead Shepherd University (14-15) to a 71-66 win over UVa-Wise (9-20) in first round action of theMEC Men's Basketball Tournament at WesBanco Arena on Wednesday night.
Lang connected on 5-of-17 shots with a 4-of-14 effort from three-point range. He was 4-of-4 from the foul line. His four three-pointers give him 103 on the season to break the Shepherd single-season mark of 102 set by Steffen Davis in 2016-17.
Freshman guard Jon Preston (Brandywine, Md./Rock Creek Christian) added 16 points and 10 rebounds to post his second double-double of the season. Freshman forward Emmanuel Aghayere (Reston, Va./South Lakes) added 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while senior guard Derek McKnight (Teaneck, N.J./Gaston (N.C.) Day School/Louisburg CC) contributed 11 points, six boards, and a team-high four assists.
Cameron Whiteside had 15 points to lead the Highland Cavaliers. Chance Sheffey added 14 points and a game-high seven assists. Eric Okenchi (12 points) and Briggs Parris (11) were also in double figures.
Shepherd opened the game on a 20-0 run only to see UVa-Wise followed with a 28-8 run to tie the game at 28-all. The Rams closed the half on a 7-2 run to take a 35-30 lead into intermission.
A close game throughout the second half, Shepherd took the lead for good at 63-61 on a pair of free throws by Lang with 3:11 remaining. Wise trailed by only three points at 69-66 after a three-pointer by Sheffey with 39 seconds left, but Lang followed with a pair of free throws for the Rams to seal the win.
Shepherd connected on 43.3 percent (26-60) from the floor with a 35.7 percent (10-28) performance from beyond the arc for the game. The Rams hit on 64.3 percent (9-14) of their free throws.
UVa-Wise shot 39.7 percent (25-63) from the floor with a 29.2 percent effort (7-24) from three-point range. The Highland Cavaliers shot 50 percent (9-18) from the charity stripe.
Shepherd had a 44-34 edge on the boards. The Rams forced 11 turnovers and committed 16.
The Rams advance to Friday's quarterfinal round to face second-seeded Fairmont State at noon at Wes Banco Arena.
Postgame Press Conference
Thomas Lang scored 18 points to pace the Rams.
Emmanuel Aghayere had a perfect shooting night with a 5-for-5 effort from the floor with a 2-of-2 performance from the line.
Devin Smith in action for the Rams.
Jon Preston had 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Justin Namolik addresses the media at the postgame press conference.
