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Women's Basketball

FERRUM, Va. - The SU women's basketball team was unable to dig itself out of a deep first half hole Wednesday evening, falling 80-72 to Ferrum College in Dixie Conference action.

Shenandoah (4-16, 1-9) found itself down by more than 20 points midway through the first half of play before cutting the deficit to 13 at 34-27 by the intermission. The women then staged a slow, steady comeback against the Lady Panthers (13-7, 6-4) but ran out of time in the second half.

Coach Kathy Orsini's club could get no closer than six in the final 20 minutes of play, as it was hampered by 33 turnovers on the evening.

Senior Wendy Legge (Stephens City, Va./Sherando) and freshman Jenny Gray (Sumerduck, Va./Liberty) both had a team high 20 points, while sophomore Shannda Gaskins (Falls Church, Va./McLean) had 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Legge, who is now just 32 points away from 1000 for her career, also had 10 rebounds.

Box Score

The women will travel to Rocky Mount, N.C. this Saturday for a 2:00 game against Dixie co-leader NC Wesleyan.

Men's Basketball

FERRUM, Va. - The regular season title hopes of the men's basketball team were dealt a serious blow Wednesday evening as Ferrum took a 75-68 Dixie Conference victory before 453 fans in Ferrum.

SU (10-10, 6-4) is now three games behind first place Methodist with four to play.

As with the Hornets three other Dixie Conference losses, cold shooting doomed their chances for victory. Shenandoah shot an anemic 20 for 65 (30.8 percent) from the field against the loss, while Ferrum (9-11, 4-6) was 29 of 60 (48.3 percent).

Ferrum led throughout the contest; they held a 33-31 lead at the half and led by as much as 14 midway through the second. SU cut the lead to just three at 67-64 on a Chad Brashears (Hagerstown, Md./St. Maria Goretti) trey with 57 seconds remaining, but Tyson Thompson (Keysville, Va./Randolph Henry) was called for an offensive charge following a Hornets rebound of a missed Ferrum three-pointer.

SU would get no closer, as the Panthers hit all six of their free throws in the waning moments of the contest.

Senior Ronald Merriwether (Frankfurt, Germany/Giessen American) continued his push to become Dixie Conference Player of the Year with a game high 26 points while Michael Atkins (Winchester, Va./Sherando) just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine boards.

Box Score

Shenandoah continues this Dixie Conference road trip on Saturday with a 4:00 contest at second place NC Wesleyan.