RICHMOND, Va. – Robert Osborne scored 24 points and Keleaf Tate added 20 to lead 23rd-ranked Virginia Union (9-1) to a 73-69 win over Shepherd (4-4) in men's basketball action at Virginia Union on Monday night.
Junior guard Phillip Jordan (Rockville, Md./St. Albans) led the Rams with 17 points. Jordan hit on 6-of-11 field goals with a 2-of-4 effort from three-point range. He was 3-of-4 from the foul line. Jordan also added six assists.
Junior guard Daniel McClain-Corley (Clinton, Md./Massanutten Military Academy) added 14 points and a team-high five rebounds, while sophomore guard Carson Poffenberger (Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown) tossed in 13 points. Senior guard Jon Preston (Brandywine, Md./Rock Creek Christian) contributed 11 points and a game-high seven assists.
Raemaad Wright added a double-double for the Panthers with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Shepherd connected on 48 percent (24-50) of its field goals with a 46.4 percent (13-28) performance from three-point range. The Rams drained 72.7 percent (8-11) of their free throws.
Virginia Union shot 49.1 percent (26-53) from the floor with a 42.1 percent (8-19) effort from beyond the arc. The Panthers hit on 76.5 percent (13-17) of their free throws.
Virginia Union had a 38-37 advantage at halftime with Osborne scoring 14 first-half points.
The Panthers held a single-digit lead throughout the final 9:55 of the second half. Shepherd got as close as one point at 66-65 after a three-pointer by Preston with 2:25 remaining, but Virginia Union closed the game on a 7-4 run to gain the win.
Shepherd had a 27-26 rebounding edge. The Rams forced seven turnovers and committed 12.
The Rams return to action on Dec. 18 when they travel to Gannon for a 3 p.m. contest.
