Box Score
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Renata Neal scored a team-high 18 points and Janelle Garber added 17 to lead West Chester University to a 74-71 overtime victory over visiting Bloomsburg in a PSAC East women’s basketball contest Saturday afternoon inside Hollinger Field House on Pink Zone Day.
Neal’s outstanding performance was just one rebound short of a double-double as she contributed nine rebounds for the Golden Rams (15-7, 5-4 PSAC East). Bloomsburg (13-8, 5-4 PSAC East) was unable to stop West Chester in overtime despite a very hard-fought effort.
Megan Stewart sank two foul shots with 1:57 left in the game to put the Rams ahead by one (66-65), but Bloomsburg’s Kelsey Gallagher answered back with two foul shots of her own to help the visitors regain the lead. On West Chester’s following possession, Allison Hostetter drove the lane and was fouled, putting her to the line with 0:29 left to play. Hostetter hit one of her two, knotting the score and forcing the OT.
West Chester came out in overtime hitting its first two shots to take a 71-67 lead that it would never relinquish during the extra five minutes. The Golden Rams were an outstanding 19-for-33 (57.6 percent) from the foul line in the game. Bloomsburg trimmed the lead to two in OT (71-69), but could not get any closer.
The first half was back-and-forth between the two evenly matched squads. The first half included six ties and three lead changes.
Stewart (11 points, 3 assists), and Garber were both dominant forces in the Golden Rams’ victory. Hostetter finished with seven points, six rebounds, seven assists and four steals as well.
Kelsey Gallagher led all scores with 26 points for Bloomsburg. Christine Sereta chipped in with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Jordan Pasik was just short of a double-double, adding 10 points and nine rebounds.
West Chester returns to action on Monday, Feb. 15 when the Golden Rams makeup their game at Cheyney that was snowed out twice last week due to the mid-week snowstorm that blanketed the area.
