#8 West Chester Advances To 14-1 With 79-71 Win At Mansfield

MANSFIELD, Pa. - No. 8-ranked West Chester University men's basketball got back to its winning ways on Saturday at Mansfield University with a 79-71 win over a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division opponent.
 
The Golden Rams (14-1 overall, 8-1 PSAC) took their first loss of the season on Wednesday against Shippensburg University and came out firing on Saturday. A good layup by senior center Tim Toro (Scranton, Pa. / Abington Heights) gave them a 15-0 lead over the Mountaineers (4-10, 3-6) just 4:26 into the game.
 
West Chester never trailed in the win as freshman guard Robbie Heath (Whittlesea, Australia / Abington) led the way with 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and a season-high four steals. He's scored at least 20 points in 12 of the 14 games he's played in during his freshman season. He's leading the PSAC and all Division II freshman at 23.7 points per game.
 
The Golden Rams let the Mountaineers come within five with 13:13 remaining in regulation before piecing together a 21-9 run over the next seven minutes to essentially seal the victory.
 
Freshman guard Kyle McGee (Jersey City, N.J. / St. Mary's of the Assumption) made the most of his 19 minutes on the floor, chipping in with eight points, six rebounds and a team-high five assists. McGee leads the team at 3.3 assists per game this season.
 
Junior Antoine Lewis (New Rochelle, N.Y. / New Rochelle) added 12 points on Saturday. He had three assists, two steals and didn't turn the ball over once in 26 minutes played.
 
West Chester's next game is at Lock Haven University on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The Bald Eagles, also in the PSAC East, are currently 6-7 overall and 3-6 in PSAC play.
 
West Chester's No. 8 national ranking is its highest since 1983. The Golden Rams have gone 1-1 since the National Association of Basketball Coaches poll came out on Tuesday, and the next one comes out this upcoming Tuesday.