WEST CHESTER, Pa.- After splitting its opening weekend games in Virginia, the West Chester University men's basketball team (1-1) returns home for its lone home game of the month of November against #23Â Fairmont State (2-0) on Wednesday evening in Hollinger Field House.
West Chester opened its 2023-24 season with a 68-61 victory over St. Augustine's on Friday night before falling to Virginia State by an 82-62 final on Saturday evening to conclude its opening weekend away from home.
THE MATCHUP
West Chester and Fairmont State will meet for the fifth time in their respective histories on Wednesday night when the Falcons come calling to Hollinger Field House. The two sides first met back in 1958, resulting in the lone victory in the series for West Chester as the Golden Rams won by 77-65 final before dropping the next three. The two teams met most recently at the outset of the 2014 season, a game which the Falcons won 89-85. Fairmont State will pay its first visit to Hollinger Field House on Wednesday night, as all prior matchups occurred away from home for the Golden Rams.
FLOCK TALK
West Chester enters play on Wednesday night looking to bounce back from an 82-62 loss at the hands of Virginia State on Saturday night. West Chester kept things close throughout the early going but led for less than a minute as the Trojans answered quickly throughout the night, eventually stretching the lead to as many as 26 early in the second half in a victory over the Golden Rams. The team's first setback of the young season came despite a 13-point effort by Joshua Walker as the junior forward connected on 5-of-9 attempts from the floor while also going 3-for-5 at the charity stripe. West Chester shot below 40.0 % from the field on Saturday, shooting just 38.9 % (21-of-54) while shooting 33.3 % (7-of-21) from beyond the arc and 56.5 % (13-of-23) from the line.
After suffering its first loss of the season on Saturday evening against the Trojans, West Chester appears well-positioned to bounce back in a big way on Wednesday night, provided that history remains on the side of the Golden Rams. A season ago, West Chester posted a winning percentage of .857 in games immediately following a loss, playing to a record of 6-1 in such contests, with the lone loss being the second of back-to-back losses in Western Crossover against Pitt-Johnstown and Indiana (Pa.). Additionally, the Golden Rams enter play on Wednesday night riding a nine-game winning streak in home openers, with the squad's last loss coming in the 2012 home opener against Chestnut Hill by a slim 63-62 margin. Playing in Hollinger has been a definite advantage for West Chester. Coach Blair's charges have played to a record of 35-11 in Hollinger since the beginning of the 2019-20 season, including a 12-3 mark in regular-season games a year ago. Â
Robert Smith (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) led the team in scoring in the opening-night victory over St. Augustine's, pouring in 19 points as he continues his journey toward his 1000th career point as a Golden Ram. Jordan Kellier (Kingston, Jamaica/Redemption Christian Academy), who joined the Golden Rams as a transfer this season, played well in both contests over the weekend for the Golden Rams, entering play on Wednesday leading the team in scoring (11.5/g), rebounding (7.5/g), and assists (2.0/g) after nearly recording a double-double on opening night, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds in the victory. As a team, West Chester enters play on Wednesday evening, averaging 65.0 points per game, shooting 38.3 % from the field and 25.5 % from three-point territory following the opening weekend.
FIGURING OUT THE FALCONS
For its part, Fairmont State enters Wednesday ranked 23rd in the nation with a perfect 2-0 record on the year following a pair of victories over Bloomsburg and Edinoro to open the season. The Falcons started the year with a 90-69 victory over Bloomsburg on Friday night before earning an 85-64 win over Edinboro on Saturday afternoon. Fairmont State flexed its offensive muscle over the weekend, averaging 87.5 points per game, with four players in double figures in each of the two victories. On Friday night, Zyon Dobbs and David Jolinder led the way, finishing with 20 and 17, respectively, while Tyheil Peterson led the squad on Saturday with a 15-point performance. Freshman forward Callum Crossman posed quite the problem for opposing offenses this weekend, rejecting six shots throughout his first two games, including four against Edinboro on Saturday night. Â Jolinder and Dobbs also rank among the team leaders in rebounding, averaging 7.5 and 7.0 rebounds per game, respectively.
Averaging 87.5 points per game and limiting opponents to 66.5 points per game suggests a lot of things working well for the Falcons to begin the year, and this is easy to see with a look at the rest of the team statistics. Fairmont State enters play shooting a blistering 42.6 % from the floor and 85.4 % from the line while also holding +3 (41.5-38.5) and +7 (20.5-13.5) advantages in the rebounding and turnover battles. Fairmont State has also shared the ball well this year, averaging 13.5 assists per game, led by a 3.5 assist per game average for Dobbs and Cameron Whiteside.
 UP NEXT:
Following Wednesday night's game, West Chester will take to the road for a pair of matchups to end the month, traveling to Wilmington (Del.) on Sunday at 1 p.m. before visiting Chestnut Hill at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday night before the Thanksgiving Holiday. After its road swing around the Philadelphia metro area is complete, West Chester will return home for its longest homestand of the season, a three-game stint, which will see the team host Slippery Rock, Edinboro, and Goldey-Beacom on December 1, 2, and 9.
