Box Score
BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – West Chester’s Jasmen Clark converted a fast-break layup while being fouled with 10 seconds left to put the icing on the cake of a 65-59 upset over No. 21 Bloomsburg in a PSAC East women’s basketball tilt inside Nelson Field House Saturday afternoon.
West Chester (10-7, 7-6 PSAC) ended a personal four-game losing streak in Nelson Field House while snapping Bloomsburg’s (13-4, 9-4 PSAC) six-game winning streak on the season.
“For these seniors, it was their first win up here,” WCU head coach Deirdre Kane said afterwards. “And especially gratifying for Ambreelinne Ortman, who is from this area. She did a great job on the boards.”
Clark finished off the conventional 3-point play to give the Golden Rams their 65-59 advantage. For the second straight game, West Chester committed 31 turnovers. However, on this afternoon in Northeast Pennsylvania, the Rams were able to overcome those miscues – mainly on the strength of 10 3-pointers.
West Chester entered the game second in the conference in 3-point shooting, hitting at 34.9 percent. On Saturday, the Golden Rams went 10-for-26 (38.5) from beyond the arc. However, it was a pair of “and-1” by Alexandra Lennon (14 points) and Clark that helped the Rams pull away down the stretch.
Brittany Sicinski’s (11 points) 3-pointer with 3:50 remaining gave the Golden Rams the lead for good, 55-53. It was the fourth and final lead change of the game as no team led by more than 10 points the entire afternoon.
West Chester held Bloomsburg without a field goal over the final two minutes of the game, and the Huskies shot just 34.9 percent (22 of 63) from the field for the game, including 18.5 percent (5 of 27) from 3-point range. Bloomsburg was only able to muster 17 points off West Chester’s 31 turnovers.
“We made shots today. That was the difference,” Kane explained. “Our freshmen shot the ball extremely well from beyond the 3-point line.”
Dallas Ely led West Chester in scoring with 15 points while fellow freshman Jasmen Clark added 14, to go along with Lennon’s 14 and Sicinski’s 11. Ortman grabbed 11 rebounds and scored six points. Bloomsburg’s Dana Wieller and Kayla Oxenrider each scored five points for the Huskies.
“We denied them the ball,” Kane revealed afterwards. “We made sure that they worked extremely hard everytime they got the ball.
The Huskies were led by Catherine Noak’s 12 points and Lauren Ellis’ 10.
West Chester returns home on Wednesday to take on cross-county rival Cheyney at 7:30 p.m. inside Hollinger Field House.
