WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Michelle Kozicki (Wilmington, Del./Padua) scored a game-high 16 points in the first half to lead the 13th-ranked West Chester University women's basketball team (3-0) to a dominant 69-21 victory over Wilmington (0-4) on Saturday afternoon in Hollinger Field House.
Today's victory, which saw the Golden Rams once again lead throughout the contest, leading by as many as 50 with just under four minutes to play in the fourth quarter, allows the Golden Rams to start the season a perfect 3-0 for the first time since the 2014-15 season. West Chester played well throughout the afternoon on Saturday, finding itself tied with its guests for less than a minute, leading FOR 39:03 in the dominant victory.
Kozicki was one of two Golden Rams in double figures in the victory as grad student point guard
Leah Johnson (Columbus, N.J./Notre Dame) chipped in 10 points of her own on 4-of-7 shooting, including a 2-for-3 effort from three-point range.
As a team, West Chester ended the game shooting 35.7 % (25-of-70) from the field and 20.0 % (6-of-30) from three-point territory while also shooting 76.5 % (13-of-17) at the line.
The first quarter saw a slow start offensively for both teams, with just two points scored by either side through the opening minutes of action. Once West Chester found its footing, the Golden Rams went on a 14-0 run, eventually carrying a 19-2 lead into the second quarter.
After shooting just 30.0 % (6-of-20) from the field in the first, West Chester improved its efforts in the second, connecting on 46.7 % (7-of-15) from the field, including a 3-for-8 effort from beyond the arc as the Golden Rams extended their lead to 32 (39-7) heading into the halftime break. Kozicki led all scorers in the first half, pouring in 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting while also coming away with five rebounds and a pair of steals to help disrupt the Wildcat offense.
West Chester shot 37.1 % (13-of-35) from the field in the first half, including a three-point shooting effort, which saw the Golden Rams shoot 29.4 % (5-of-17). WCU also connected on 8-of-9 from the line, extending its lead to 32 heading to the half.
For Wilmington, Aniyah Bond led the team in scoring with three points in the first half as the Wildcats shot just 12 % (3-of-25) while also going 1-for-11 (9.1 %) from three-point land.
West Chester continued to control the game in the second half, outscoring its guests 20-8 in the third, behind a 52.9 % (9-of-17) third-quarter shooting effort before outscoring its visitors 10-6 in the fourth en route to the victory.
The West Chester bench played a leading role in the victory as well, outscoring Wilmington 25-13, while the Golden Rams also ended the contest with a 26-14 lead in points in the paint, a 16-2 lead in second-chance points, and an 8-2 advantage in points off the break.
Morgan Warley (West Chester, Pa./Villa Maria) and Erin Daley (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) led the Golden Ram's second unit in scoring, finishing with five points each as two of 12 Golden Rams to find their way into the scoring column on Saturday.
Anna McTamney (Plymouth Meeting, Pa/Plymouth Whitemarsh) posted a team-high eight rebounds to help lead West Chester to a 58-30 advantage on the glass in the victory. The Golden Rams also ended the game with a 24-13 lead in the turnover battle, resulting in a 26-2 advantage in points off turnovers.
For Wilmington, Bond led the Wildcats in scoring with five points on Saturday as the visitors shot just 19.6 % (10-of-51) from the field and 1-for-23 (4.3 %) from beyond the arc.
Up Next:
West Chester returns to action on Monday against Chestnut Hill at 5:30 p.m. in its final home game of November. West Chester will conclude the month with its first road trip of the season, a quick ride to Philadelphia to take on perennial power Jefferson on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, with the opening tip set for 1 p.m.
