MANSFIELD – The Mansfield University women's basketball team led by as much as 14 in the first half, but Shepherd University flipped the script in the second, outscoring the Mounties, 38-20 down the stretch to earn a 67-59  PSAC victory on Wednesday, Jan. 22 inside Decker Gymnasium.  
 
Junior Paige Whitfield led the Mounties (3-15, 1-11 PSAC) with 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Freshman Jasmine Hilton hauled in four rebounds and matched Whitfield's 14 points. Merritt was 2-of-4 from three, adding eight points, six rebounds and six assists. Sophomore Sydney Reed had seven points with six rebounds on the night and freshman Bella Skatell added six points, three rebounds and three assists.
 
The Mounties came out the gate strong right from the tip-off, shooting 50 percent (9-of-18) from the field, including a 50 percent (3-of-6) effort from three. Leading 9-8 four minutes into the contest, Whitfield drilled a trifecta to kick start a 7-0 run over just three minutes of work. The Mounties continued to show signs of dominance in the first, erupting for 21 points to take a 21-15 lead into the second.
 
Entering the second quarter with a seven point lead, the Mounties scored the opening eight points to earn their largest lead of the night, 29-15 with 7:02 to go. Merritt and Reed each drilled a trifecta to spark the run. Mansfield held a double-digit lead over the next four minutes and ultimately carried a 39-29 into the break.
 
The third and fourth quarters were a different story, however, with a momentum shift in favor of the Rams. The Rams (13-5, 7-5 PSAC) began to knock down shots in the third period with great efficiency, starting the comeback with a 14-2 rally in the final 3:16 of the third quarter to cut the Mounties lead to 49-48.
 
Abby Beeman gave the Rams their first lead of the night off a layup just 11 seconds into the fourth quarter and the Rams did not relinquish. The Mounties went 4-of-14 from the floor in the period compared to a 7-of-12 effort from the Rams. The Mounties missed their opening six attempts before an acrobatic layup from Whitfield cut the Rams lead back to single digits with 4:12 to go. Shepherd answered with a 4-0 run to extend their lead to 11, but a jumper from freshman Hanna Johnson and a trifecta from Skatell cut the deficit to six with 2:05 to go. However, the Rams responded with a 6-0 run in the final minute to put the game out of reach.
 
Shepherd University comeback was led by the double-double of Sydney Clayton with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Beeman (16 points, six rebounds and five assists) and Marley McLaughlin (15 points, three rebounds and two assists) also played pivotal roles in the Ram's comeback.
 
The Mounties look to bounce back on Saturday, Jan. 25 when they face Millersville University at Decker Gymnasium. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m.