WEST CHESTER, Pa.- The West Chester men's basketball team (8-4, 3-4 PSAC) will need to have a short memory as it returns to action on Wednesday evening vs Millersville (11-4, 5-4) after a buzzer-beating loss on the road at Kutztown on Monday afternoon. This game will be the second game in a doubleheader inside Hollinger Field House as the West Chester women's basketball team will face off with Millersville beginning at 5:30 p.m. with the opening tip in this contest set for 7:30 p.m.
Fan Information
In an effort to continue a safe atmosphere for coaches, student-athletes, officials, and game administration, West Chester has temporarily modified its seating options for home basketball games. Under the current arrangement, while spectators will still be welcomed to Hollinger Field House, they will be unable to sit in the bleachers located behind the team benches/scorer's table. Spectators attending games will be able to sit in the bleachers on the side of the gym opposite the team bench area.
As a reminder, all spectators, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear a mask when attending any indoor athletic contests inside Hollinger Field house. Masking by all spectators in attendance creates the safest possible atmosphere for the student-athletes, coaches, staff, team representatives, officials, and all other spectators.
Series Information
Millersville is one of the West Chester's oldest rivals as the two squads have 203 documented meetings, going back to the 1904 season. The Golden Rams hold a slight edge in this rivalry, leading 105-98 in the series, having won nine of the last 10 games dating back to the 2016 season.
In 2019-20, West Chester and Millersville split the series, with each picking up a win on its home court. The Golden Rams closed out their home regular-season slate vs the Marauders in February 2020, emerging victorious by a 86-69 final.
Josh Samec (Tresckow, Pa./Hazleton Area) was one of three Golden Rams in double figures in this contest, scoring 15 points to help lead the Golden Rams to victory. Samec now enters play as the leading returning scorer from that 17-point triumph.
Golden Ram Notes
On Monday evening, West Chester began a busy stretch, which will see the Purple and Gold play three games a week for the next three weeks, with a visit to PSAC East rival Kutztown. In this contest, West Chester led by as many as 16 and had five players score in double figures for the second game in a row, led by 21 points from
Matt Dade (Collegeville, Pa./Episcopal Academy) but a late cold-spell and corresponding run by the Golden Bears, lifted Kutztown to the thrilling 94-92 comeback victory. West Chester shot very well in the first half, ending the stanza with a 52.5 % field-goal percentage and a 46.15 % three-point shooting percentage while also shooting 77.8 % from the line. Unfortunately, the 77.8 % free-throw percentage would be the only performance that West Chester was able to duplicate in the second half, as the Golden Rams shot just 35.9 % from the field and 28.57 % from beyond the arc as Kutztown stormed back to claim the victory.
West Chester has been a dangerous unit on its home court in recent years, winning over 75 % (105-34) of its home games dating back to the 2011-12 season. The 2021-22 campaign has been no different as the Golden Rams are now 2-2 in home games following a comeback victory over Mansfield on Saturday afternoon. West Chester will look to improve upon its overall record and home record with its game vs Millersville on Wednesday evening and again on January 26
th at home against Lock Haven. In addition to its home court edge, West Chester has been a dangerous team offensively since beginning PSAC play back in early December. While West Chester enters tonight's contest with a mark of just 3-4 in league play, the Golden Rams boast one of the top-scoring offenses in the league, averaging 87.1 points per game through its first seven league games, which is best in the PSAC over that span.
Additionally, West Chester has been a determined rebounding unit throughout the year, entering play atop the league in rebounding, averaging 44.9 rebounds per game on the year. A key piece in this impressive rebounding advantage has been the Golden Rams work on the offensive glass since beginning PSAC play, as the team is averaging 18.0 offensive rebounds per game, resulting in an average of 16.0 second-chance points per game over that stretch. Dade, who leads the team in double-doubles with four on the year, which ranks in a tie for fifth in the PSAC, has been a major part of this, ranking second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.5 points per game while leading the squad in rebounding, averaging 8.8 rebounds per contest entering play on Wednesday evening.
Scouting Millersville
For its part, Millersville enters play on Wednesday evening following a 92-60 victory over Bloomsburg on Saturday afternoon for its second win as many tries. In this contest, the game was close throughout the early stages, but a late first-half run gave the Marauders a 41-25 lead at the break, which they would never relinquish en route to the 32-point victory. James Sullivan was one of five players in double figures in the victory, scoring a team-high 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, while Caden Najdawi added 15 points of his own on 6-of-8 shooting from the field in the victory. As a team, Millersville shot a stellar 67.3 % from the field and 62.5 % from three-point range to make up for a poor performance from the charity stripe, which saw the Black and Gold shoot just 52.2 % on the evening.
The Marauders field-goal and three-point shooting efforts were both season-highs for Millersville as they enter play, averaging 46.0 % from the field and 33.5 % from three-point territory on the year while averaging 78.0 points per game. Millersville's defense has been its calling card throughout much of the season, holding opponents to an average of just 67.4 points per game, thanks in large part to a three-point shooting percentage of 29.0 % on the season. Jaden Faulkner leads the team in scoring so far this season, averaging 14.0 points per game, while Sullivan ranks second on the team, averaging 12.1 points per game to this point in the campaign. Faulkner also leads the team in assists per game, averaging 4.6 assists per contest while remaining tied for first in steals per game, averaging 1.3 thefts per game. Najdawi, who is tied with Sullivan for second on the team in scoring, also averaging 12.1 points per game, leads the team in rebounding, averaging 8.4 rebounds per contest.
Up Next
Following this contest, West Chester will be back in action on Saturday afternoon at Bloomsburg, with that contest set to begin at 3:00 p.m.
