MILLERSVILLE, Pa.- Entering play on a four-game winning streak, the West Chester men's basketball team (13-6, 8-5) looked to keep it rolling at Millersville (11-8, 8-5) on Wednesday night. Despite trailing for much of the game, West Chester held a two-point lead with under 10 minutes to play and stayed well within striking distance down the stretch, but Millersville was able to hold off the Golden Rams and earn a narrow 79-72 victory for its fourth win in a row.
Elijah Allen (Dover, Del./Dover) led all scorers with 19 points on 5-of-12 shooting to o along with six rebounds, three assists, and three steals in the setback. Allen was one of four Golden Rams in double figures as
Kyle McGee (Jersey City, N.J./St. Mary's of the Assumption) finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while
Robert Smith (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) had 16 to go along with 11 from
Anthony Purnell Jr. (Chester, Pa./Kiski Area).
Mekhi Hendricks led Millersville in scoring as one of three Marauders in double figures, finishing with 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting and a 3-of-7 effort from deep. Justin Nwosu added 15 of his own, while
Matt Dade finished with 14 in the victory.
West Chester shot 39.7 % (25-of-63) from the field and 33.3 % (9-of-27) from three while also going 13-for-17 (76.5 %) from the line while Millersvlle shot 45.5 % (25-of-55) from the field, 40.0 % (10-of-25) from three and 70.4 % (19-of-27) from the line.
Millersville jumped out to an early 7-2 lead before West Chester went on a 13-7 run to erase the deficit and take a 15-14 lead after a made three by
Anthony Purnell Jr. (Chester, Pa./Kiski Area).
Unfortunately, this lead did not last long as the Marauders countered with an 8-0 run to take a 22-15 15 lead over West Chester with 7:44 to play in the first half.
Down the stretch of the opening half, Millersville extended the lead to double digits, holding a 12-point advantage with 4:50 to play in the first half before carrying a nine-point lead into the locker room after Purnell Jr. hit a jumper as the half was ending to make it a 37-28 score after 20 minutes.
McGee ended the first half as the Golden Rams leading scorer with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting to go along with five rebounds in 18 minutes of action, while Purnell Jr. and
Elijah Allen (Dover, Del./Dover) each chipped in five points in the first half as well.
Millersville started the second half strong, stretching its lead to 50-37 with 14:09 to play in regulation before West Chester began its comeback. Over the next seven minutes, the Golden Rams outscored their hosts 21-6 to not only erase the deficit but take a 58-56 lead, marking the first time since midway through the first half that West Chester had led. Allen played a major role in this comeback, connecting on 3-of-4 attempts from beyond the arc, increasing his point total for the night to 14 points, and hitting the tying basket, which evened the score at 56-56.
With the score locked at 56-56,
Eli Barrett (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg) hit a big layup down low to give West Chester a 58-56 lead. This lead was short-lived, as Millersville countered with a 9-0 run to take a 65-58 lead over West Chester with 6:05 to play in regulation.
Purnell Jr. halted the run with two made free throws, trimming the deficit to 65-60. West Chester had the chance to make it a two-point game moments later when Allen went to the line, but he was unable to convert, which allowed Millersville to take a 69-64 lead with under four minutes to play.
Millersville extended the lead back to 75-66 with 1:!4 to play before McGee drained a three of an assist from Smith, cutting the deficit to 75-69 with 1:03 left in regulation.
Following a West Chester timeout, Millersville was forced to use a timeout as well to avoid a 10-second violation as a result of the West Chester press. The Marauders eventually did draw a foul with 46 seconds to play, hitting both free throws to extend the lead back to eight (77-69), which would eventually allow the Marauders to escape with the seven-point win.
Millersville did end the game with a slim 36-33 lead in rebounding, thanks to a 27-22 edge on the defensive glass. West Chester and Millersville did end the game tied in turnovers with 14 each, which resulted in a 21-11 lead in points off turnovers for WCU, along with a 20-9 lead in fast break points in the setback.
Up Next:
West Chester returns to action on Saturday afternoon vs Bloomsburg beginning at 4 p.m.
