Golden Rams Women's Basketball Begins PSAC Play This Weekend

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WEEKEND INFORMATION

Opponent: Gannon University
Date: Saturday, November 18, 2017
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: The Hammermill Center (Erie, Pa.)
Live Audio: http://www.wergfm.com/
Live Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/gannon/
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/gannon/wbball

Opponent: Clarion University
Date: Sunday, November 19, 2017
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Tippin Gymnasium (Clarion, Pa.)
Coverage: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/clarion/portal.htm?eventId=405282&streamType=video

 

BREAKDOWN

SCOUTING WEST CHESTER

Head Coach: Kiera Wooden
Conference: Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) – East
Overall Record: 2-0
Conference Record: 0-0
Streak: W2
Team Page: http://www.wcupagoldenrams.com/index.aspx?path=wbball
 
Flock Talk
The Golden Rams head out west this weekend to begin conference play with games against two PSAC West opponents. West Chester currently sits at 2-0 on the season after handily winning both games of the season-opening Carol Eckman Memorial Classic on the campus of Widener University. In its most recent contest, the Golden Rams cruised to a 97-84 victory over Glenville State College thanks to a huge outing from Camden Boehner (Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg). Boehner's 32 points against the Pioneers were a career high and marked the first time that a West Chester women's basketball player has eclipsed the 30-point plateau since Dallas Ely dropped 32 against Shippensburg in 2014.
 
Roster Check
2016-17 First Team All-PSAC East selection Porscha Speller (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) has been a dominant force for the Golden Rams to start the season, leading the squad with 23 points per game, while grabbing 7.5 boards and dishing out 5.0 assists per contest. Speller's 23.0 scoring average is the fourth highest in the PSAC so far this season and she ranks amongst the league leaders in rebounding despite playing point guard. The senior recorded her second career double-double (22 points/11 rebounds) in WCU's win over Glenville State on Sunday, falling just four assists short of recording just the second triple-double in program history.
 
The emergence of Mia Hopkins (Pittston, Pa./Pittston) has been a huge bright spot for the Golden Rams this year, as the talented former Bloomsburg transfer has been filling the stat sheet to start the season. The point-forward is averaging a double-double (12.5 points/14 rebounds) through the first two games of the 2017-18 campaign and her 14 boards per outing is currently No. 2 in the PSAC. Along with her keen rebounding prowess, Hopkins also has a knack for finding open teammates – she leads the squad and ranks second in the league with 6.0 helpers per outing. Mia shot 4-of-9 from the field in the Golden Ram's victory on Sunday en route to an 11 point/12 rebound afternoon.
 
After scoring just nine points in Saturday's opener, Boehner responded in a big way against Glenville State on Sunday afternoon. The sharpshooting senior's 32-point performance propelled Boehner to No. 6 on the PSAC scoring list (20.5 ppg), while her 47% shooting from the floor leads the team and ranks amongst the league leaders through three games.
 
Team Stats and All That
The Golden Rams' 96.0 points per game are the most in the PSAC thus far, besting second place Edinboro by an impressive 18 points (96-78) for the top spot. West Chester's 22.0 offense/defense margin ranks second in the league, while the squad is allowing the third-most points of any PSAC team at 74.0 points per contest. The Golden Rams offense has been a well-oiled machine through the first two games, pacing the conference with a 48% shooting percentage, 1.41 assist/turnover ratio, and an average of 26.0 assists per outing.
 
 

SCOUTING GANNON

Head Coach: Jim Brunelli
Conference: Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) - West
Overall Record: 1-2
Conference Record: 0-0
Streak: L2
Team Page: http://www.gannonsports.com/index.aspx?path=wbball
 
Knights Insights
Under fifth-year head coach Jim Brunelli, Gannon heads into Saturday's game against West Chester with a 1-2 overall record and having lost its last two-straight contests. The Golden Knights most recently dropped a 73-55 decision at home against the University of Findlay in the team's first home event of the year. In Gannon's two loses this season, the Golden Knights are being outscored 135-106, while shooting a combined 36-of-99 (36%) from the floor and just 13-of-46 (28%) from beyond the arc.
 
Roster Check
2016-17 Second Team All-PSAC West selection Maggie Mitchell returned for the Golden Knights this season and is currently leading the squad in scoring at 13.3 points per game. The seniors 6.3 assists per outing through three games are tied for the most in the PSAC so far this season and her 2.0 triples per game put her amongst the leaders in the conference.  Mitchell had her best game of the season in Gannon's loss against Findlay on Wednesday, pouring in 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the floor to go along with six assists.
 
Multi-faceted sophomore Chelsea Rourke is the top rebounder for Gannon at 7.0 boards per game and she currently leads the squad with 2.3 triples a game through three contests. The point-forward's 12.3 points per game are second on the team and she is atop the team leaderboard with 105 total minutes played. Rourke has scored at least 10 points in each of the three games so far this season, most recently logging 10 points in the Golden Knights' loss against Findlay.

Team Stats and All That
Coming into Saturday's game, the Golden Knights have been outscored by its opponents 185-174 and have a -3.7 scoring margin through three games. Gannon has just barely outshot its opponents through three games (37%-36%) from the floor and has connected on just 29% of its shots from deep compared to 36% from its competition. Entering Saturday, the Golden Knights have been handily outrebounded 33-46 (-12.3) and have committed 60 turnovers while forcing 58. Last year, Gannon's -9.4 offense/defense margin was one of the lowest in the league and its -7.21 turnover margin landed the Golden Knights in last place amongst the 18 representatives in the PSAC.

Coach Wooden on Gannon
"Gannon is big team that tries to dictate tempo - they try to slow the game down and play at a slower tempo. They will throw a 1-3-1 defense at you and use their length to try and slow you down. With us being a more fast-paced team that tries and push the tempo, it will be a clash of two conflicting styles in terms of us trying to be uptempo and them trying to make it more of a half court game."
 
 

SCOUTING CLARION

Head Coach: Jana Ashley
Conference: Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) – West
Overall Record: 2-1
Conference Record: 0-0
Streak: W1
Team Page: http://www.clariongoldeneagles.com/index.aspx?path=wbball
 
Convocation Observation
Heading into Saturday's contest against East Stroudsburg University,  Head Coach Jana Ashley and the Golden Eagles are 2-1 on the year with wins coming over Concord University (73-66) and Wilmington University (74-69). In Wednesday's win over the Wildcats, Clarion held its opponent to just 16% (2-of-12) from the three-point line, including a 0-of-5 performance in the first half. Wednesday's outing was the second time in three games that Golden Eagles have held its opponents to under 25% shooting from deep, as the squad managed to keep Concord to just 6-of-25 (24%) shooting from beyond the arc in Clarion's 13-point victory to start the season.
 
Roster Check
Through three games, Clarion features three double-digit scorers, led by Amesha Harden-Pullium's 17.7 points per contest. Harden-Pullium is one of the most dangerous shooters from deep in the league, ranking amongst the conference leaders in both three-point shooting percentage (.400) and triples made per game (3.3). Her 119 total minutes through three games are the most by any PSAC player this season and she is currently one of only two players in the league to average over 39 minutes per outing (39.7). Last time out, Harden-Pullium put up 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting in a game-high 39 minutes against Wilmington.
 
Coming off an impressive freshman campaign, Jodan Bekelja returns to pace the Clarion offense in 2017-18. The sophomore's 6.3 assists per game are currently tied for the most in the PSAC this season and her 1.9 assist/turnover ratio lands Bekelja ninth in the league through three games. Logging 32 minutes per game, Bekelja has played the sixth-most minutes of anybody in the league and she trails only Harden-Pullium on the Golden Eagles' roster. Bekelja's 20 points and 11 assists versus Wilmington were both game highs and marked the second double-double in the sophomore's young career.
 
Team Stats and All That
The Golden Eagles have been outscored 215-193 through three games and take a -7.4 scoring margin into its game versus East Stroudsburg. Clarion's opponents are outshooting them 45% to 37% thus far and are outrebounding coach Ashley's squad 126-123. The Golden Eagles are averaging 13 free throws per contest and are shooting 62% from the line in 63 total attempts. Against the Wildcats, Clarion shot 29-of-69 (42%) from the floor and connected on 8-of-27 (29%) of its shot from deep in the win.
 
Coach Wooden on Clarion
 "The fact that Clarion plays their best players so many minutes actually bodes well for us and the way we play. Our goal is to wear down our opponents, so if we are pressing the entire game we should be able to force them into some turnovers and force them to have play on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Hopefully in the final minutes they won't have any legs left where we will still have something in our tanks to push us to the victory."