SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va.  – Junior quarterback Jeff Ziemba teamed with junior wide receiver Billy Brown on a 28-yard scoring pass with 2:08 remaining to lift Shepherd University to a 17-13 win over Indiana (Pa.) in second round action of the NCAA II playoffs at Ram Stadium on Saturday.

Shepherd improves to 11-0 and will host Slippery Rock next week at Rams Stadium, while Indiana (Pa.) finishes its season with a record of to 9-3.

Shepherd took a 3-0 lead when senior kicker Ryan Earls connected on a 30-yard field goal with 13:31 left in the first quarter. IUP tied the game on a 42-yard field goal by Ryan Stewart with 9:42 left in the first quarter. The Crimson Hawks took a 6-3 advantage into halftime when Stewart connected a 41-yard field goal with 9:50 left in the second quarter.

IUP went down the field on its first possession of the second half and looked poised to take a 10-point lead, but the Rams defense held at the one-yard line and forced a field goal. SU blocked the attempt, and in a scramble for the ball that changed hands several times, IUP got across the goal line and did take the 13-3 lead with still 12:32 left in the third quarter. 

Shepherd scored on a five-yard run by junior running back Jabre Lolley with left in the fourth quarter and Earls added the extra points to cut the lead to 13-10. The Rams got the ball back and converted a fourth-and-one to keep its hopes alive before the eventual TD strike to Brown.

IUP drove to the Shepherd 46-yard line after the Brown touchdown, but a fourth down pass fell incomplete to seal the win for the Rams with 39 second left.

Ziemba completed 14-of-27 passes for 175 yards for the Rams. Lenny Williams connected on 8-of-19 passes for 126 yards. He also ran 18 times for a game-high 84 yards.

Brown led the Shepherd receivers with 11 catches for 159 yards. Walt Pegues had three catches for 59 yards for the Crimson Hawks.

Senior running back Allen Cross had 15 carries for 54 yards to pace the Rams. Chris Temple added 25 carries for 66 yards for IUP.

Shepherd gained 264 yards of total offense while Indiana (Pa.) had 274.

Junior linebacker Octavius Thomas led the Rams with nine tackles (four solo). Jay Watkins led IUP with five stops (all solo) and an interception.

The Rams will host Slippery Rock, a 41-39 winner over Assumption today, next Saturday for a noon kickoff.

Notes: Billy Brown set Shepherd single season marks for most receptions (72, breaks old mark of 66 by Jason Dirting in 2001) and most receiving yards (1176, breaks old mark of 1,121 set by Rob Bradford in 1986) … Ziemba broke the single season mark for passing yards (3,017, breaks the old mark of 2,979 set by Kevin Clancy in 2010) … Ryan Earls (100 points) broke the kick scoring mark of 99 set by Eric Dobratz in 2011 … Shepherd improves to 3-1 in the all-time series with IUP.

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