MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Trailing by 11 with Shepherd riding a 10-0 run, Millersville punched back. With swarming defense and crisp offensive execution, Millersville ripped off a 28-0 run en route to a 69-44 win over the Rams Wednesday in Pucillo Gymnasium. 

Millersville (12-3, 7-2 PSAC), winners of five in a row and eight of the last nine, held Shepherd scoreless for the final 6:15 of the first half and for the opening 4:40 of the second half. In building its lead, Shepherd hit five 3-pointers in the game's first 14 minutes, but Millersville held the Rams to 0 of 12 from three the rest of the way. 

"It started with the defense," said Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel. "Shepherd was up for the game, and they made a lot of shots. I thought we were solid, but we could have been better. On that run, that was the Millersville defense we've been pushing them to play. When we are on a string and guard like that, with Drew (Stover) becoming a shot blocker and his mobility on the ball screen and Matt (Dade) being able to switch, it opens up so much more versatility. When that defense happens, we start making shots."

Shepherd scratched together just 16 points in the final 20 minutes as Millersville held the Rams to 25% shooting. The 44 points allowed were the fewest by a Millersville team since Nov. 18, 2012 when USciences scored 34. By the time Shepherd scored its second field goal of the second half, Millersville's run had extended to 35-2. That comes one game after the Marauders put together a 33-2 run against Bloomsburg.

"That was probably our best defensive effort of the year," said Stitzel.

Millersville's Matt Dade scored a game-high 20 points, and while the forward usually gets his points in the paint, he showcased his range. His three consecutive 3-pointers sparked Millersville's comeback. He finished with a career-high four triples. Day Waters sank 7 of 9 shots for 16 points and added nine rebounds, and Drew Stover tallied 16 points, seven assists and two blocks while hitting 7 of 9 shots including 2 of 2 from three. 

"Matt and Drew can shoot," said Stitzel. "That helps us with our spacing. When they have the confidence our guards have more confidence to throw it to them, and we can diversify our offense...You can see the guys starting to trust each other. When the year started, there was too much hero ball. We have talented players who can score, but now we have players cutting to the basket, making second and third reads on the offense."

The Marauders scored 52 points in the game's final 25 minutes, and the offense clicked with the Marauders effectively sharing the ball. The Marauders totaled 20 assists while committing just nine turnovers--their best assist/turnover ratio of the season.

"Twenty assists is huge," said Stitzel. "That really jumps out. And against a team that has a very good assist/turnover ratio, we forced 15. Day Waters and Jahme (Ested) did a great job guarding Shepherd's two leading scorers."

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Stover set a career-high for assists (7), and the recently named PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week now has 10 blocked shots in the last four games. 
• Jahme Ested matched a season-high with six assists, and Waters matched a career-high in rebounds (9). J.D. Gross recorded a season-high two steals. 
• Millersville shot 9 of 18 from 3-point range, coming within one of a season-high in threes made. 

GAME NOTES

• Millersville is now 11-0 when shooting a higher percentage than its opponent. 
• Millersville's nine 3-pointers were within one of a season high, as were its 20 assists. Millersville now has three games with at least 20 assists and five games within fewer than 10 turnovers, including three of the last four. 

UP NEXT

• Millersville travels to Mansfield on Saturday, Jan. 20 for a 3 p.m. tip.