Golden Rams Men's Hoops Hit the Road to Start PSAC Play

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WEEKEND INFORMATION

Opponent: Gannon University
Date: Saturday, November 18, 2017
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: The Hammermill Center (Erie, Pa.)
Live Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/gannon/
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/gannon/wbball

Opponent: Clarion University
Date: Sunday, November 19, 2017
Time: 3:00 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: Damien Blair
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=mbball
 
Flock Talk
Under the tutelage of Head Coach Damien Blair, the Golden Rams head into this weekend with a 2-0 overall record following two "home" victories over Wesley College and Chestnut Hill College. In its most recent game against the Griffins, West Chester flexed its defensive muscles at the Schwartz Center, holding the visitors to just 27% shooting (12-of-44) from the field and 3-of-14 (21%) from deep in West Chester's 71-45 victory. Ending the first half up 12, the Golden Rams put the game away in the second half after holding Chestnut Hill to just 13% (3-of-23) shooting, highlighted by a spurt of 11 minutes where the Golden Rams did not allow a field goal by the Griffins. Jackson Hyland's (Avondale, Pa./Kennett) 17 points led four West Chester players in double figures and newcomer Frank Rokins (Plainfield, N.J./St. Mary's) collected his first double-double as a Golden Ram after scoring 12 points and grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds in the win.
 
Roster Check
Hyland is pacing the Golden Rams offense through the first two games of the season, putting up a team-high 20.5 points per game to go along with 5.5 boards and four total steals in 31.5 minutes played. His 24 points against Wesley College to start the season were a career high for the junior and the most points put up by a Golden Ram in a season opener in over a decade.
 
Forward Tyrell Long (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) ranks third in the PSAC with a .700 shooting percentage, while his 16.0 points per game are the second most on West Chester through two games. Rokins leads the team and ranks amongst the league leaders in rebounding at 8.0 per game and his 11.0 points per outing are third best on the team heading into this weekend. Matt Penecale (Jenkintown, Pa./Abington) leads the Golden Rams with 4.0 assists per game and Rokins' four total blocks are the most of any player on Head Coach Blair's squad.
 
Team Stats and All That
West Chester boasts one of the stingiest defenses in the entire country, leading the PSAC and ranking No. 10 in NCAA Division II with a 0.351 field goal percentage defense. On the flip side, the Golden Rams are shooting a solid 0.527 from the field through two games, giving the team the second best field goal percentage in the league. The squad is only allowing 57.0 points through its first two games, which lands West Chester at T10 in the country and third in the PSAC to start the season.  The Golden Ram's 28 defensive rebounds per game are second best in the conference thus far and its +12.5 rebounding margin is No. 3 in the league and only one of three double-digit margins in the entire PSAC.
 
 
SCOUTING GANNON
Head Coach: John T. Reilly
Conference: Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) – West
Overall Record: 1-1
Conference Record: 0-0
Streak: W1
Team Page: http://www.gannonsports.com/index.aspx?path=mbball
 
Knights Highlights
Head Coach John T. Reilly and the Golden Knights head into Saturday's home opener with a 1-1 overall record and coming off a 79-69 victory over Shepherd University last Saturday.  Gannon featured three scorers in double figures against the Rams, led by Zay Jackson's 21 points in 40 minutes played. The Golden Knights held Shepherd to just 27% (6-of-22) shooting from the field in the victory, while outscoring the Rams in the paint, 28-18.
 
Roster Check
Putting up 22.0 points per game through the first two games of the season, Zay Jackson leads a Gannon offense that ranks inside the top 10 of the PSAC. After averaging 22 points, 5.5 assists, three rebounds and three triples through the two-game Clarion Hotel Conference Challenge hosted by Shepherd University, the Queens, N.Y., native was named the PSAC Western Division Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Monday afternoon. The last time West Chester and Gannon faced each other – a 73-63 victory for the Golden Rams last season – Jackson only managed to put up four points on an abysmal 1-for-14 shooting from the floor.
 
Forward Evan Phoenix has been on a hot streak to start the season, averaging a near double-double through the Golden Knights' first two games. Phoenix's 17.5 points per game are tied for second on the team, while his 9.5 boards per outing are tops on Gannon and rank fifth in the conference. In his most recent game, Phoenix put up 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting and grabbed a game-high 10 boards in Gannon's ten-point victory over Shepherd. Phoenix had a huge game against the Golden Rams in last year's loss in West Chester, notching a career-high 25 points and seven boards in just 25 minutes played.
 
Team Stats and All That
Although Gannon does not take many three-pointers, its offense is highly efficient from beyond the arc. The Golden Knights' 44% (11-of-25) clip from deep is the second best mark in the PSAC so far this season, while its 0.250 three-pointer percentage defense lands the squad tied with Mercyhurst for the second spot in the league. The Golden Knights are putting up 76.5 points per game, while giving up 75.0 and are shooting 49% from the field compared 45% from its opponents. Through two games, Gannon is outrebounding its opponents 39.0-34.5 (+4.5) and coach Reilly's team is causing as many turnovers (12.5) as they commit thus far this season.
 
Coach Blair on Gannon
"Playing a team like that Gannon that is really physical just turns out to be a war. We have to prepare our minds mentally to being hit on both ends of the floor – a game like this makes the weekend tough because your body does not have much time to recover, but I think my guys are up for the challenge."
 
 
SCOUTING CLARION
Head Coach: Marcess Williams
Conference: Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) – West
Overall Record: 2-1
Conference Record: 0-0
Streak: W2
Team Page: http://www.clariongoldeneagles.com/index.aspx?path=mbball
 
Congregation Explanation
Heading into Saturday's matchup against East Stroudsburg, Clarion is 2-1 on the year and riding a two-game winning streak. In its last game, the Golden Eagles handed Penn State – Greater Allegheny its first loss of the season 109-93 inside the Tippin Gymnasium. Clarion's 109 points against PSUGA on Wednesday marked the highest scoring output for the Golden Eagles in a game since 2014 and just the third time in three seasons that the squad has eclipsed the 100-point mark.  Clarion held a big 56-30 advantage in points in the paint against PSUGA and the Golden Eagles' bench outscored its opponent 46-24 behind 21 points from Maqi Watson.
 
Roster Check
Clarion's offense features five players who are averaging double figures, led by Kyheim Hall's 22.5 points per game. Hall's best game of the season came in the Golden Eagles' season-opening loss against Winton-Salem State, when the senior poured in 36 points to go along with six rebounds in Clarion's 111-95 loss in North Carolina.
 
Starting all three games thus far, Cameron Grumley is the team's leader in minutes played with 92. The senior guard currently ranks second on the team with 16.7 points per game and his 6.3 boards per outing are tops on the squad to start the season. Grumley flirted with a triple-double in Clarion's victory over PSUGA on Wednesday after putting up nine points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists in 39 minutes played.
 
Team Stats and All That
The Golden Eagles have put up a ton of points this season but they have also allowed a lot of points through its first three games. Notching 95.0 points per game, Clarion features the second best scoring offense in the league, while its 93.3 points allowed per game lands coach Williams' team second to last in the conference. The Golden Eagles are shooting 47% (99-of-221) from the floor through three games and have only managed to convert 27% (16-of-58) of its shots from beyond the arc. Clarion has a negative rebounding margin (-3.3) after three games it does have a +5.0 margin in turnovers heading into Saturday.
 
Coach Blair on Clarion
"Clarion likes to speed you up and they try to use their defense to create offense. Almost anyone they put out on the floor can score – they do a great job of driving the ball and kicking out for three pointers, so we have to be disciplined and keep people in front of us on defense."