Heath Scores 31 In West Chester Win Over Goldey-Beacom

WEST CHESTER, Pa. - Freshman guard Robbie Heath (Whittlesea, Australia / Abington) scored an early career-high 31 points in West Chester men's basketball's 82-74 non-conference win over Goldey-Beacom College on Wednesday night at Hollinger Field House.
 
With the win, the Golden Rams will begin Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play on Saturday with a 4-0 record, averaging 90.5 points per contest thus far.
 
The Lightning are 0-5, but the eight-point loss to the Golden Rams was their largest margin of defeat this season. Goldey-Beacon took a 32-29 lead into half on Wednesday.
 
Two made free throws from freshman Kyle McGee (Jersey City, N.J. / St. Mary's of the Assumption) had West Chester out to a 17-3 run over the first 6:31 of the second half. The Golden Rams led 46-35 at that point and 65-52 with 7:59 remaining in regulation. However, the Lightning didn't go down easy.
 
West Chester had just a 76-72 advantage with 56 seconds to go, but the team made all six of its free-throw attempts in the final minute to seal the victory. The Golden Rams went 32-of-39 from the free throw line in the win. West Chester hadn't made as many as 32 free throws in a contest since going 37-for-53 in a 108-99 defeat of Kutztown University on Feb. 3, 2018.
 
Senior Malik Jackson (Lansdowne, Pa. / Penn Wood) chipped in with 15 points for WCU, and McGee had 13.
 
Heath had a team-high eight rebounds against GBC. Averaging 6.8 per game, the 6'3, 180-pound guard is tied with sophomore center Marcus Littles (Philadelphia / Neumann Goretti) for the West Chester lead this season. Littles is one of the largest players in Division II at 6'9, 265 pounds. A constant distraction at the rim, Littles had five points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes played on Wednesday.
 
West Chester heads to Gannon University and Clarion University for its first PSAC action of the season on Saturday and Sunday. Both games begin at 3 p.m.