ERIE, Pa.- Playing in its second game in as many days, the No. 9/12 West Chester University women's basketball team (7-3, 2-2) squared off against No. 3/5 Gannon (12-1, 4-0) in a battle of top-10 teams in the final game before the Division II Holiday Break. Gannon got out to an early lead and rode this early advantage to an 86-71 victory over the Golden Rams.
Leah Johnson (Columbus, N.J./Notre Dame) led West Chester in scoring with 20 points on 7-of-18 shooting while tying for the team lead in rebounding with five boards.
Michelle Kozicki (Wilmington, Del./Padua) and
Anna McTamney (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) tied for second on the team in scoring with 16 points, while Kozicki tied with Johnson for the team lead in rebounding with five while also leading the team in assists with five in the setback.
Gannon was led by 21 points from Bri Claxon to go along with 18 from Sam Pirosko along with 10 rebounds as she finished with a double-double. Trinitee Harris was the third and final Golden Knight in double figures, finishing with 13 points and a game-high six assists in the victory over the Golden Rams.
Gannon jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter, surging ahead out to a 7-2 lead before West Chester went on a 5-3 run to make the score 10-7 before a steal and fastbreak layup by Bri Claxon gave Gannon a 12-7 before West Chester scored the next four points off a layup by Kozicki and a perfect trip to the line by Johnson as the Golden Rams trailed by just one (12-11). Gannon closed out the first quarter on an 11-4 run to take a 23-15 lead over West Chester into the second quarter.
Gannon shot well in the first quarter, shooting a stellar 66.7 % (10-of-15) from the field and 2-of-4 from long range to build its early lead over the visiting Golden Rams.
The second quarter was a similar story as the third-ranked Golden Knights continued their strong start offensively, stretching the lead to as many as 17 late in the half before carrying a 46-31 lead into the halftime break. Kozicki led West Chester in scoring through the first 20 minutes, heading to the break with eight points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field, while Johnson,
Jayde Boyd (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic), and
Anna McTamney (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) finished the half with six points each.
Sam Pirosko finished the first half with a game-high 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including a 2-for-3 effort from three-point range, while Trinitee Harris added 11 of her own as the second Golden Knight in double figures through the first 20 minutes of action.
Gannon shot a stellar 54.8 % (17-of-31) from the field and 42.9 % (6-of-14) from three-point range while also shooting a solid 85.7 % (6-of-7) from the line.
West Chester cut into the Gannon lead early in the second half, cutting the deficit to 10 quickly after a pair of makes by McTamney combined with a few early stops by the Golden Rams defense. Gannon scored its first points of the half with a Carissa Dunham three, which extended the lead back to 49-36. West Chester continued its comeback bid as the third quarter progressed, but Gannon carried a 68-50 lead into the fourth and final quarter of play.
The Golden Rams opened the fourth quarter on a run once again, scoring the first six points of the frame to make the score 68-56 but the visitors were never able to fully erase the deficit as the Golden Knights held on for a 86-71 victory on Tuesday night.
As a team, West Chester shot 45.5 % (25-of-55) from the field and 28.6 % (2-for-7) from three-point range, while also shooting 76.0 % (19-of-25) from the line. For its part, Gannon built off its outstanding first half shooting percentage, shooting 54.2 % (32-of-59) from the field for the game as the hosts did not shoot below 50.0 % throughout the evening. Gannon also shot 44.4 % (12-of-27) from three-point range and 76.9 % (10-of-13) from the line to remain unbeaten in PSAC play.
Gannon also ended the game with a 34-27 lead in rebounding, including an 11-10 lead in offensive rebounds, which translated into a 9-7 lead in second-chance points.
Up Next:
West Chester returns to action on Saturday, December 30 against Clarion on what will also be Parent's Day in Hollinger Field House. Opening tip is set for approximately 1 p.m. on University Avenue but fans are encouraged to arrive early as pregame ceremonies, including Parent's Day and a ball presentation to honor
Emily McAteer and her 1000
th career point will occur prior to opening tip.
