EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa.-Leah Johnson (Columbus, N.J./Notre Dame) became the 21
st player in school history and first since Porscha Speller in 2017-18 to score 1,000 points in a West Chester uniform as part of 21-point performance as West Chester (10-7, 7-4) cruised to a 76-50 victory over East Stroudsburg (9-8, 5-6).
Johnson wasted little time in scoring her 1,000
th career point, doing so as a part of a 6-0 run midway through the first quarter with a pair of made free throws to join current coaches
Kiera Wooden and
Allison Hostetter on the exclusive 21-player list.
West Chester never trailed on Saturday night, eventually leading by as many as 30 early in the fourth quarter en route its third victory in a row and third in a row over the Warriors. Johnson led all scorers with 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc while also 5-for-6 at the line to go along with 11 assists as the first of two Golden Rams with double-doubles. McAteer also finished with 20 on 8-of-11 shooting and 10 rebounds as the other Golden Ram with a double-double and 20-plus points in the victory.
Anna McTamney (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) also finished in double figures with 13 points of her own as West Chester cruised to a PSAC East victory. In addition to her 20 points and 10 rebounds, McAteer also led the team in blocks with three while
Michelle Kozicki (Wilmington, Del./Padua) posted a team-high three steals in the victory.
For East Stroudsburg, Ryan Weise was the lone Warrior in double figures with 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting.
West Chester opened the game on a 12-0 run through the first three-and-a-half minutes of play, led by seven early points from
Emily McAteer (Thornton, Pa./Garnet Valley), forcing ESU to burn an early timeout. Following the timeout, ESU got its first points of the game with just over six minutes to play in the first quarter, sparking a 7-2 run, which saw the Warriors cut the West Chester lead in half, making the score 14-7 with 4:29 to play in the opening quarter. West Chester countered quickly, going on a 6-0 run with all six points scored by Johnson as she etched her name into Golden Ram history in the middle of this run, scoring her 1000
th point with a perfect 2-for-2 effort at the line. With her 1000
th point this afternoon, Johnson becomes the 21
st Golden Ram to do so and the first since Porscha Speller achieved the feat during the 2017-18 season while also joining current coaches
Kiera Wooden and
Allison Hostetter on the exclusive list.
As the first quarter continued, West Chester continued to control the play, carrying a 27-13 lead into the second quarter, which would eventually lead to the Golden Rams taking their largest lead of the first half, 21 points, with 15 seconds to play, following a late layup by McAteer. ESU scored the final points of the half on a Gwenn Sabato jumper to cut the deficit back down to 19 heading into the halftime break.
Johnson led all scorers in the first half, pouring in 16 points on an impressive 6-of-8 shooting and a 2-for-3 effort from beyond the arc, while McAteer ended the first half with 11 on 5-of-6 shooting. For ESU, Weise was the lone Warrior in double figures at the end of the first 20 minutes of basketball, mustering 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting, including a 2-for-5 effort from beyond the arc.
The second half was no different as West Chester continued to impress, eventually stretching its lead to as many as 30, 63-33, with eight minutes to play in regulation. With a 30-point lead and under 10 minutes to play, West Chester cruised down the stretch, winning by a 76-50 final on Saturday afternoon.
West Chester shot an impressive 55.8 % (29-of-52) from the field and 62.5 % (5-of-8) from three while also shooting 65.0 % 13-of-20 from the line in the decisive victory. For East Stroudsburg's part, the Warriors shot just 30.3 % (20-of-66) from the field and 16.7 % (4-of-24) from three while also shooting an even 50.0 % (6-of-12) from the line.
West Chester also ended the game with a 51-24 lead in rebounding, which led to 10 second-chance points and a 42-24 lead in points in the aint. West Chester also ended the contest with a 21-18 lead in points off turnovers and a 14-5 advantage in points off the break despite a 25-16 loss in the turnover battle.
Up Next:
West Chester returns to action on Monday night vs Shepherd beginning at 5:30 p.m.
