WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Looking to halt a two-game losing streak of its own, the West Chester men's basketball team (6-4, 1-3) is set to return to the court on Friday night vs Seton Hill (6-4, 1-3) beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the final home PSAC Crossover matchup of the year. This contest, part of a doubleheader with the West Chester women's team facing Seton Hill prior at 3:30 p.m., is the team's first home game since December 8th and is also the first game back from the Holiday Break that started after the Golden Rams matchup at No. 2 IUP on Monday the 19
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Series Information
Historically against Seton Hill, West Chester has dominated the series, holding a 5-0 lead all-time, including a 95-82 victory on the road a season ago. With little history against one another, having met for the first time in January 2015, West Chester appears well-positioned to avoid its first three-game losing streak since the 2019-20 season.
When West Chester and Seton Hill met a year ago, the matchup came two weeks earlier but under very similar circumstances, as the Golden Rams were looking for a way to halt a two-game skid. There are few better ways to do this than to face a team you have never lost to, and the streak continued a year ago as a hot-shooting West Chester team, which shot 50.0 % from the field, and three rolled past SHU by a 95-82 final.
Cam Polak had a career day, finishing with 23 points as one of six players in double figures, while
Robert Smith finished with 17 as the leading returning scorer from that victory.
Flock Talk
West Chester returned to the court for the second time in as many days on Monday night at No. 2 IUP. Boasting the top-ranked defense in Division II, the Crimson Hawks defensive might was on full display in the first half, holding West Chester to a season-low 17 points on 6-of-23 shooting from the field and an 0-5 effort from deep. West Chester attempted to stage a comeback in the second half and was moderately successful, outscoring IUP 38-29 in the second 20 minutes, holding IUP to the lowest second-half scoring output of any of the Golden Rams opponent this season, but the first-half deficit was too much to overcome in the 69-55 loss on Monday night.
Kyle McGee led the way with 17 points and eight rebounds, while
Robert Smith was the lone other Golden Ram in double figures with 11 on 4-of-13 shooting.
Eli Barrett led the team in rebounding with nine, which also served as the game-high for rebounding, while
Anthony Purnell Jr., who turned in a career-best effort on Sunday, finished with seven points and four assists, helping to direct the offense on Monday night.
As West Chester looks to avoid its longest losing streak since the 2019-20 season, one could argue that the break came at the right time for West Chester as the Purple and Gold have been very tough to beat in the first PSAC game back under head coach
Damien Blair, going 9-4 in his tenure including wins in each of the last four such games.
West Chester has done a solid job on the glass this year, ranking second in the PSAC in rebounding overall, averaging 41.1 per contest, while leading the league in offensive rebounding, averaging 13.5 per game. These 13.5 offensive rebounds per game rank West Chester eighth in all of Division II in rebounding, which has helped West Chester average 15 second-chance points per game, outscoring its opponents in eight of 10 games this season while winning the rebounding battle in eight of 10 games as well. The trio of
Eli Barrett (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg), Joshua Walker (Upper Marlboro, Md./Riverdale Baptist), and Moro Osumanu (Reading, Pa./Reading) have played a major role in this, ranking first and in a tie for second in this category, with 7.9 and 6.2 rebounds per game, respectively. Barret also has the lone two double-doubles of any Golden Ram this season, registering a double-double in wins over Lincoln and Gannon.
Robert Smith (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) and
Kyle McGee (Jersey City, N.J./St. Mary's of the Assumption) have been the unquestioned offensive leaders for West Chester throughout the season, with each player scoring in double figures in nine of 10 games to open the campaign. Smith has already scored over 20 points five times this season, leading the team in scoring four times on the year, allowing him to average a team-best 17.0 points per game. McGee ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 16.3 points per game, and while he has scored over 20 points just once this season, with a career-best 25-point effort vs. Virginia State in the home opener, he has still led the team in scoring three times and has led in assists six times, including a career-high and team-high seven in the win over Holy Family back on December 8
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Elijah Allen (Dover, Del./Dover) has also brought a dangerous element to the table for West Chester this year, showcasing his skill from three-point land regularly, leading the team in scoring in four games on the year, including a season-high 22 vs. Wilmington earlier in November.
Scouting Seton Hill
Coming off an exciting buzzer-beating win over nationally-ranked East Stroudsburg, the Griffins may have suffered a bit of a letdown last Monday afternoon, falling to the Golden Bears by a 91-77 final score. Seton Hill enters this game coming off a loss in its last contest before the DII Holiday Break as well, playing against and falling to Kutztown at home by a 91-77 final score. Seton Hill mustered just 31 points in the first half, which put the Griffins in an early 21-point hole heading into the halftime break. The host Griffins attempted to battle back in the second half, outscoring their guests 46-39, but it was not enough to erase the gaudy halftime deficit. Despite the loss, Seton Hill did not play poorly in this game, shooting 49.1 % from the field and 40.7 from deep while also winning the rebounding battle 27-19, but it was a lights-out performance by the Golden Bears, which included a 51.7 % field goal shooting effort and a 70.6 % performance from beyond the arc, which included 12 made three's that made the difference as Kutzotnw picked up its third win and third PSAC win of the year.
Ryan Meis, who ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 13.1 points per game, led the squad in scoring in this contest, turning in a 24-point effort, while Samuel Tabe, who leads the team in both points and rebounding this year, finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Tabe enters play on Friday night, averaging 16.7 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game, while Sean Dillon, who is second on the team in scoring this season, averaging 13.2 points per game,e also plays the role of facilitator, leading the team in assists at 3.9 per contest. Dillon is also a defensive leader for the Griffins, averaging 1.7 steals per game, which is the best on the team entering play this week.
As a team, Seton Hill appears very similar to West Chester, ranking third in the league in scoring average, averaging 81.9 points per game while holding opponents to 75.2 points per contest, which is just 0.5 less than the 75.7, which West Chester has held its opponents to. The Griffins have shot well from the field and three-point range this year, shooting 48.4 % from the field and 35.2 % from deep on the season, but it has been a -2.7 loss in the rebounding battle, which has proved costly in Seton Hill's four losses this season. The Seton Hill defense has been nightmarish for opponents this year, averaging almost 11 steals per game; however, if opponents can protect the ball from the hands of the Griffins defenders, they do stand a good chance of getting a solid shot with the Griffins averaging less than two blocks per game and allowing opponents to shoot 35.9 % from deep, potentially boding well for a three-point shooting minded team like the Golden Rams.
Up Next
West Chester will be off until the New Year, with its next game not coming until January 4
th vs. Mansfield in its PSAC East opener beginning at 7:30 p.m.
