SHIPPENSBURG, Pa.- In need of a victory to secure the No. 3 seed in the upcoming PSAC Tournament, the West Chester University women's basketball team (15-13, 11-9 PSAC) took to the road on Wednesday evening to square off against rival Shippensburg (12-15, 8-11 PSAC). West Chester used a huge fourth quarter that saw the Golden Rams outscore the Raiders 21-13 to earn a 69-68 comeback victory over their rivals.
This victory also gives the Golden Rams the No.3 seed in the PSAC East in the upcoming PSAC Tournament, which will begin inside Hollinger Field House on Monday evening against an opponent yet to be determined.
The Basics:
Final Score: West Chester 69 Shippensburg 68
Records: West Chester (15-13, 11-9 PSAC) Shippensburg (12-15, 8-11 PSAC)
Location: Heiges Field House-Shippensburg, Pa.
How it Happened:
- West Chester played well throughout the early stages of the game, which enabled the Golden Rams to maintain a lead throughout most of the first quarter and carry a 21-17 lead to the second period of play.
- In the second quarter, the two teams traded baskets early on before Shippensburg got on an impressive run to outscore its guests 26-14, which gave the Raiders a 45-33 lead heading to the halftime break.
- The two sides traded baskets throughout the third quarter, which allowed West Chester to trim the deficit to just seven (55-48) heading to the fourth and final quarter of play.
- In the fourth quarter, West Chester was impressive outscoring its hosts 21-13 thanks in large part to a stellar 4-of-7 (57.1 %) performance from beyond the three-point arc.
Golden Ram Rundown:
- Destiny Jefferson (Scranton, Pa./West Scranton) was one of just two Golden Rams to end the contest in double-figures as she registered a game-high 25 points to lead the squad in scoring for the third straight game. Katherine Fisher (Rutledge, Pa./Strath Haven) was the only other Golden Ram to end the contest in double-figures as she scored 10 points all of which came in the first half of play. Fisher also led the team in rebounding with nine rebounds while Gabrielle Troisi (Norristown, Pa./Pope John Paul II) turned in a solid all-around performance with eight points, seven rebounds, and a game-high nine helpers.
- As a team, West Chester shot 39.4 % (26-of-66) from the field while also shooting 34.8 % (8-of-23) from deep and 56.3 % (9-of-16) from the charity stripe.
Shippensburg Summary:
- Ariel Jones led the Raiders in scoring once again with 22 points while teammate Lauren Pettis had 18 and Lauren Mills ended with 10 points of her own in the loss. Kryshell Gordy led the team in rebounding as she finished with a game-high 14 rebounds while also dishing out seven assists in the loss.
- As a team, Shippensburg 35.9 % (23-of-64) from the field while also shooting 38.9 % (7-of-18) from three, and 68.2 % (15-for-22) from the stripe. Shippensburg also ended the game with a plus-11 edge in rebounding (49-38).
Up Next:
This was the final regular season contest for the Golden Rams as they will now turn their attention to the PSAC Tournament, which is set to begin at home on Monday evening. Additional information regarding the Golden Rams opponent and timing of that matchup will be released as it becomes available.
