ERIE, Pa. - Freshman guard
Robbie Heath (Whittlesea, Australia/Abington) scored a team-best 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Golden Rams, leading the squad to a 72-67 win against Gannon University on the road inside the Hammermill Center Saturday afternoon.
West Chester (5-0, 1-0 PSAC) extended its season-opening winning streak to five games while opening Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play with a victory. Gannon (0-2, 0-1) is still in search of their first win of the season.
In the first half, the Golden Rams went 11-for-27 from the field, shooting 30.8 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. West Chester was able to capitalize on defense, obtaining five steals and scoring eight points off of Gannon turnovers. With three lead changes in the first half, the Golden Rams were able to go into halftime with a 34-31 lead over the Golden Knights.
Sophomore
Josh Samec (Tresckow, Pa./Hazelton Area) put up 16 points and three rebounds for the Golden Rams. Samec also went 6-for-6 on free throws for the night, helping West Chester clinch the victory down the stretch.
West Chester never lost the lead after halftime, holding Gannon to 36 points in the second half. West Chester tallied 13 defensive rebounds and held the largest lead of a nine-point deficit at the 13-minute mark.
Freshman
Kyle McGee (Jersey City, N.J./St. Mary's of the Assumption) and senior
Malik Jackson (Lansdowne, Pa./Penn Wood) rounded out four players in double figures for the Golden Rams. Jackson ended with 12 and McGee put up 11.
West Chester continues its weekend on the road in a game against Clarion University on Sunday. Tip is scheduled for 3 p.m.
