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WEST CHESTER, Pa. - Hoping to bounce back from Monday's stunning loss at Bloomsburg, the No. 17 West Chester University men's basketball team headed to the Hollinger Field House on Wednesday evening to square off against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opponent Cheyney University. The favored Golden Rams acted as the visitors in this cross-town rivalry, as Wednesdays' game had to be relocated from Cheyney's Cope Hall to the Hollinger Field House due to facility issues at the Wolves venue.
After losing its first game of the season on Monday, 12-1 West Chester took its frustrations out on the two-win Cheyney squad on Wednesday. Featuring five players in double figures, the Golden Rams were in control for the entirety of the contest; eventually building a lead as large as 50 points in the second half. When the final buzzer sounded, Head Coach Damien Blair's squad secured the lopsided 99-51 victory over the Wolves on Wednesday – marking the largest margin of victory (48 points) for a West Chester team since the 2010-2011 season.
With the win, the No. 17 Golden Rams improve to 13-1 overall and 9-1 in PSAC games ahead of its contest at Lock Haven on Saturday.
Cheyney started the game up 4-2, but that lead would be short lived. Down two, the Golden Rams answered back with 22-2 run to go up 24-6 with just over 10 minutes to play in the opening half. West Chester gradually started the put the game out of each over the next handful of minutes and a back-to-back free throws by
Matt Penecale (Jenkintown, Pa. / Abington) would give the Golden Rams their largest lead of the half (44-20) with just under a minute to go. The first frame ended with a jumper by the Wolves' Kyle Parker to bring the score 44-22 in favor of the Golden Rams.
West Chester was even more dominating in the second half, outscoring Cheyney by 31 points overall. With the game well in hand, Head Coach Blair had the opportunity to rest his starters and play his bench unit for the majority on the second stanza. These different lineups led to career numbers by some Golden Rams' reserves, highlighted by career-best scoring outputs by freshmen
Terrence Moore (Philadelphia, Pa. / Audriend) (12 points) and
Colin Daly (Havertown, Pa. / Archbishop Carroll) (eight points).
The "visitors" connected on 58% (33-of-57) of their shots from the field and on 9-of-17 (53%) attempts from beyond the arc. West Chester outscored Cheyney 38-22 in bench production, while holding the Wolves to a 10% (1-of-10) clip from deep.
Tyrell Long's
(Philadelphia, Pa. / Bishop McDevitt) 21 points on Wednesday led all scorers, while
Penecale contributed 14 points and a team-high five assists in the win.
Frank Rokins (Plainfield, N.J. / St. Mary's) chipped in 11 points in 25 minutes and
Jackson Hyland (Avondale, Pa. / Kennett) logged 10 points, six rebounds and four assists against Cheyney.
Cheyney's Cliff St. Juste paced the Wolves (2-11, 2-7 PSAC) attack with 12 points and Amir Boney contributed eight points and a team-high seven board in loss.
