WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Jayde Boyd (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic) had a career night in the victory, pouring in 20 points against an old Western Division foe on 6-of-9 shooting, including a 4-for-6 effort from deep to help the 13th-ranked West Chester women's basketball team (5-1, 1-0) remain unbeaten in Hollinger Field House with an 83-51 victory over Slippery Rock (0-3).
The Golden Rams 83 points came from 12 different players, three of whom finished in double figures as the Golden Rams scored the second most points in a single game that they have scored all season, trailing only their 85-point effort against Livingstone.
Anna McTamney (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, while
Leah Johnson (Columbus, N.J./Notre Dame) added 11 and a team-high six assists in the victory. Johnson's 11 points, which came on 4-of-5 shooting in just over 27 minutes of action, also allowed the senior guard to tie head coach
Kiera Wooden on the scoring chart, entering play on Saturday with 1,378 career points, which ranks seventh in program history.
Boyd's 20-point outburst, which sets a season-high and career-high for her as a Golden Ram, is the most she has scored in a single game since a 26-point performance against Clarion while playing for Mercyhurst on February 18 last year.
Kirstina Donza was the lone Slippery Rock player in double figures, finishing with 17 points on 5-of-17 shooting. Endya Robinson flirted with a double-double throughout the evening but came up short, finishing with seven points and 11 rebounds in the loss.
West Chester jumped out to an early lead, benefiting from a 12-0 run in the first quarter, which helped the Purple and Gold take a 29-13 lead into the second period of play.
In the second, West Chester stretched its lead to as many as 23 just under three minutes in before the Rock began to battle back. The visitors continued to fight throughout the remainder of the second quarter. Still, West Chester, led by ten first-half points on 4-of-5 shooting from
Anna McTamney (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh), took a 43-22 lead into the halftime break.
West Chester had a new season-high for first-half points in the opening 20 minutes, surpassing its previous high of 42 against Livingstone from the opening weekend of the regular season. The Golden Rams shot 48.5 % (16-of-33) from the field and 35.7 % (5-of-14) from three-point range while also shooting 66.7 % from the line in the first half.
Kaylin Venick scored seven points in the first half for Slippery Rock, leading the Rock in scoring as the Rock shot 29.6 % (8-of-27) from the field in the first half and 23.1 % (3-of-13) from three-point range while also going 3-for-6 at the line.
West Chester also ended the first half with a 26-14 lead on the glass, translating into a 20-6 lead in points in the paint and a 3-0 advantage in second-chance points.
West Chester never struggled in the second half, stretching its lead to as many as 36 midway through the fourth quarter en route to the 83-51 victory over the Rock.
West Chester shot 47.7 % (31-of-65) from the field in the victory while also shooting 30.4 % (7-of-23) from beyond the arc and 82.4 % (14-of-17) from the line. For its part, Slippery Rock shot 29.8 % (17-of-57) from the field and 25.8 % (8-of-31) from deep while connecting on 9 of its 16 attempts at the line.
The Rock's eight made threes are tied for the most by any opponent this season, matching the eight that Elizabeth City State drained in the season-opener against the Golden Rams.
Led by seven rebounds from
Emily McAteer (Thornton, Pa./Garnet Valley) and six rebounds each from McTamney, Boyd, and
Erin Daley (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh), West Chester ended the night with a 50-30 lead on the glass, which resulted in a 9-1 lead in second-chance points. West Chester also ended the game with a slim plus-one edge in the turnover battle, forcing 18, which helped the team finish with a 23-13 lead in points off turnovers.
West Chester, who once again never trailed in the victory, also ended the game with a 42-12 lead in points in the paint, a 27-19 edge in points off the break, and a 27-15 lead in points off the bench, led by eight from
Briana Seltzer (Reading, Pa./Reading).
Up Next:
West Chester stands to benefit from the depth it showed this evening, rotating 15 different players through in the victory as the Golden Rams return to action tomorrow at 1 p.m. against Edinboro in the second crossover matchup of the weekend.
