West Chester University senior center Lance McDowell was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division athlete of the week for the second time this season it was announced by that conference Monday afternoon.

McDowell helped West Chester move to within a game of second place in the division standings as the Golden Rams upset both Kutztown and Bloomsburg - two of the three teams ahead of them in the standings. McDowell averaged 28.0 points and 10.0 rebounds and shot 54.3 percent from the field (19-of-35) and 72.7 percent from the free throw line (16-of-22). He also made 2-of-5 from three-point range.

In a 103-88 win over Kutztown on Wednesday, McDowell scored a career-high 29 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the loss knocked the Golden Bears out of first place. On Saturday, against the team that had entered the week tied with Kutztown for first - Bloomsburg - McDowell followed up his career performance from Wednesday with 27 points and 12 rebounds to notch to his sixth double-double of the season. He converted on a three-point play and then hit a layup with under a minute to play to help seal the road win over the Huskies. West Chester has now won seven of its last eight games.

McDowell was also named the PSAC East athlete of the week on Nov. 28. McDowell has scored 1,474 career points, including his two seasons at junior college with Delaware Tech, and surpassed 700 career rebounds in Saturday's win at Bloomsburg. He ranks ninth in the PSAC in scoring, averaging 16.2 points per game, and ranks eighth in the conference in rebounding with 7.7 caroms per contest. He is also eighth in the PSAC in field goal percentage (.489).

West Chester (13-9, 10-8 PSAC) travels to Shippensburg on Wednesday evening for an 8 p.m. tip with the Raiders inside Heigis Fieldhouse. The Golden Rams have won four in a row and seven of their last eight to move within one game of second place in the East and two games of first-place Bloomsburg.