WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Elijah Allen (Dover, Del./Dover) and
Kyle McGee (Jersey City, N.J./St. Mary's of the Assumption) tied for the team lead in scoring with 16 points each as two of four Golden Rams in double figures to help lead West Chester (4-1) to its most lopsided win of the season, earning a 86-59 victory over Georgian Court (2-3) on Monday evening.
Moro Osumanu (Reading, Pa./Reading) poured in a career-high 14 points while
Robert Smith (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) added 14 of his own to help lead West Chester to its 27-point victory ahead of PSAC play beginning on Friday evening vs Mercyhurst while also avoiding its first non-league losing streak since November 2018.
West Chester who never trailed, led by as many as 38 points with just over five minutes to play in regulation, shot 51.5 % (34-of-66) from the field and 9-of-22 (40.9 %) from three-point range and an identical 9-of-22 from the line in the win. For Georgian Court, the Lions were just 22-of-62 (35.5 %) from the field and 6-for-26 (23.1 %) from three-point range while also going 9-of-18 from the line in the loss.
After a slow start to the game with just two points being scored through the opening three-and-a-half minutes, West Chester found its stride offensively, lunging out to a 17-6 lead with 12:54 to play in the opening half following a driving layup by
Elijah Allen (Dover, Del./Dover).
Georgian Court mounted a brief comeback, trimming the deficit to 19-16 with 10:19 to play in the first half before a late first-half run by West Chester extended the lead to 24 points heading into the halftime break thanks to a 14-point first half effort from
Kyle McGee (Jersey City, N.J./St. Mary's of the Assumption) and 12 points from
Moro Osumanu (Reading, Pa./Reading).
West Chester ended the first half with a 22-12 lead in points in the paint and a 20-2 advantage in points off the break thanks in part to 11 Georgian Court turnovers through the first 20 minutes of basketball.
As a team, West Chester shot 57.6 % (19-of-33) from the field and an even 50.0 % (5-of-10) from three-point range while holding Georgian Court to a 1-of-9 (11.1 %) effort from three-point range and 10-of-31 (32.3 %) effort from the field overall in the first half.
West Chester opened the second half on an 11-4 run over the first three-and-a-half minutes of action, stretching the lead to 31 (59-28) with 16:30 left to play. As the second half continued, West Chester remained firmly in control, eventually leading by as many as 38 with just over five minutes to play in regulation en route to the 27-point victory.
After a first half, which saw the Golden Rams shoot just under 58 % from the field and 50.0 % from three-point range, West Chester shot a slightly lower percentage in the second half, shooting 45.5 % (15-of-33) from the field and 33.3 % (4-of-12) from three-point territory but the Golden Rams defense remained strong, holding Georgian Court to just 38.7 % shooting from the field and just five made three's on 17 attempts to cruise to the non-league victory.
Osumanu also finished with the game-lead in rebounding with seven rebounds as West Chester outrebounded its guests by a 48-34 margin, which led to a 17-15 advantage in second-chance points.
West Chester also finished with +2 edge in the turnover battle thanks in large part to three steals by McGee, which helped lead to a 22-15 advantage in points off turnovers and a 40-26 lead in points in the paint along with a 30-12 advantage in points off the break.
Clint Wright Jr, who led Georgian Court in scoring in its win over Kutztown a week ago, led the team in scoring once again, finishing with 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field as one of three Lions in double figures on Monday evening.
Up Next:
West Chester will shift its attention to league play beginning with a battle against PSAC West foe Mercyhurst on Friday night in its first Crossover game of the season.
