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WEST CHESTER, Pa. - West Chester University's men's basketball team tips off with cross-county rival Cheyney University Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. inside Hollinger Field House. The Golden Rams are currently tied for fourth place in the PSAC East as they gear up for a playoff run over the next two months.
West Chester (6-9, 5-5 PSAC) is working its way through injuries to significant personnel and are finishing up a stretch that has seen the Golden Rams play four games in a nine-day span, a contest against a ranked opponent listed among the Top 10 in the country. It was what many have considered to be one of the most difficult string of games for the Golden Rams in years.
Despite their recent struggles, however, the men are very much in the thick of things in the Eastern Division race. West Chester is in a five-way tie for fourth place entering Saturday. The men have to get healthy and get back their two starters, who have missed the last few games. From here on out, the schedule is Eastern Division opponents only. The men are still positioned nicely for a run at the postseason and even a first-round bye and a home game. The definitive stretch that will determine just where the Golden Rams finish has already begun. It started on Monday with both sides playing the top two programs in the standings on the road.
Zach Bare (Reiserstown, Md./St. Paul's School) scored eight points, and
Dashon Giddings (Philadelphia, Pa./Delaware Valley Charter) grabbed 10 rebounds, but the ninth-ranked Shippensburg Raiders remained unbeaten on the season with an 85-43 PSAC East victory over visiting West Chester Wednesday evening inside Heigis Field House.
The Golden Rams are currently riding a six-game winning streak against Cheyney, including nine out of the last 10 meetings. Head coach Damien Blair's squad most recently defeated the Wolves at home last season, 102-71. West Chester's 102 points was the most points that West Chester has scored against Cheyney in the rivalry. Tyrell Long registered 20 points to lift West Chester past Cheyney. However, the Wolves still hold a 46-43 advantage in the all-time series.
The last loss to the Wolves occurred at Cheyney in the regular season finale back in 2013 by a final score of 92-83.
