Shepherd prides itself these days on finishing strong, an area in which West Virginia State is struggling.
That was Sunday's game, a 94-81 Rams victory at the Walker Convocation Center, in a nutshell.
Down by three at the half, the Yellow Jackets clawed back into the game, tying it at 62 on a Tyler Thompson fast-break basket. When Markee Mazyck scored four straight points to forge a 68-all tie with 10:11, a thrilling finish appeared imminent.
It never happened, as the Rams went on a 15-5 run and didn't let up.
The result sent the Yellow Jackets (4-8, 2-5 MEC) to their fourth loss in a row and seventh in their last eight.
"We're not in shape," said State coach Bryan Poore. "I think that's part of it, and I can pin that one on me. That's my fault. But then, also, with those three guys that are out, you don't have your depth."
He referred to guards Kenny Strong and Robert Fomby and forward Ron Whaley, suspended for their fourth game for violations of team rules. They would have come in handy for those final 10 minutes.
The Jackets went 6 of 16 from the floor and 1 of 4 from the foul line in that time, which followed a red-hot first 10 minutes of the second half. When they hit 10 of their first 12 coming out of the locker room, they looked invincible.
That invincibility swung to the Rams (8-5, 3-4), who won their third in a row and gained at least a split of their Kanawha Valley road trip. They take on the University of Charleston at the Civic Center on Tuesday.
From that 68-all tie, the Rams went 10 of 14, hitting their first six, and made all five free throws. AJ Carr broke the tie with a reverse layup, Skylar Roman hit two foul shots and then buried a 3-pointer.
When Marcus Adkison hit a mid-range jumper and Carr fed Ryan McTavish for a layup, it was 79-72.
A free throw by State big man Cody Morris cut the lead to 79-73, and that's as close as the Jackets came.
"We came in at halftime, we knew we weren't shooting the ball well," said Shepherd coach Justin Namolik. "We wanted to make sure we focused on defense. We new Markee was going to get his; we really tried to limit everyone else.
"The thing, too, our team is coming around in how we finish games; we're doing a much better job. The last 10 minutes, we've been playing really well in our last couple of games. That's big - it's a long game and we keep playing."
Yes, Mazyck got his points, 22 with eight rebounds and assists, but so did Shepherd's Carr. The sophomore from Fairfax, Virginia, rung up 25 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists.
His seven offensive boards helped the Rams enjoy a 24-8 advantage in second-chance points.
Roman scored 18 points, with McTavish and Adkison adding 15 apiece.
State's Morris, the 6-foot-7 sophomore from Herbert Hoover High, hit 8 of 12 from the floor for 18 points. He also had a game-high three blocks.
The Yellow Jackets remain at home to take on Fairmont State (12-1 6-1), fifth-ranked in NCAA Division II. The Falcons pulled out a 66-65 win over UC on Sunday.
"I've had several people tell me they should be beaten West Liberty," Poore said. "Not Fairmont people, either."