WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Kyle McGee (Jersey City, N.J./St. Mary's of the Assumption) hit another huge shot, drilling a corner three with just under three seconds to play in regulation, which proved to be the difference maker as West Chester (19-7, 14-6) shook off a slow start to earn a Senior-Day victory over Lock Haven (16-9, 12-8) by an 81-78 final.
West Chester trailed by as many as eight at the halftime break before rallying back in the second half, eventually retaking a lead off a big three from
Robert Smith (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) with nine minutes to play, which helped West Chester never trail again en route to the narrow PSAC East triumph. Lock Haven stayed well within striking distance throughout the balance of the game, never allowing West Chester to lead by more than five in the final 10 minutes of action, although West Chester would never trail after the 9:28 mark of the second half.
West Chester maintained a slim lead over Lock Haven until just 26 seconds remained in regulation, when the Bald Eagles tied the game up with a driving layup by Dymir Montague to even the score at 76-76. West Chester, knowing it would be able to take what may be the last shot of the contest to win or force overtime, West Chester took its time bringing the ball up the floor, with McGee surveying his options.
The junior guard nearly had the ball poked loose just beyond the mid-court line with a touch under 10 seconds to play but regained possession quickly. McGee made his way into the corner in front of the Golden Ram bench and drilled a three, which gave the Golden Rams a 81-78 lead with under three seconds to play in regulation. Following dueling full timeouts by West Chester and Lock Haven, the Bald Eagles had one final shot at the buzzer to force overtime, but the shot was wide to the right, thus, giving the Golden Rams a narrow victory.
McGee tied for the team lead in scoring with 15 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds in the win while
Robert Smith (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) added 15 of his own to go along with 14 points from
Elijah Barrett (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg) and Elijah Allen (Dover, Del./Dover) finished with 13 of his own in the victory.
Jayy Davis led the Bald Eagles in scoring with 24 points as one of four players in double figures while Dymir Montague finished with 15, including his late layup, which evened the score at 78-78 in the closing seconds of regulation.
Prior to Saturday's game, West Chester honored its senior class of
Elijah Barrett (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg), Marcus Littles (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann Goretti), and Dame Wall (Philadelphia, Pa./Constitution)
West Chester got out to an early four-point lead just minutes into the first half of action before Lock Haven erased the deficit. The remainder of the half remained tight until a late run by Lock Haven allowed the Bald Eagles to carry an eight-point (45-37) led into the halftime break. This seven-point cushion was the largest advantage by either side in the opening 20 minutes as Jayy Davis led all scorers with 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting in the first half.
Moro Osumanu (Reading, Pa./Reading) led the way for West Chester in the first half, finishing with eight points four rebounds, all of which came on the offensive glass as the sophomore forward provided some big second-chance points for the Golden Rams.
As a team, West Chester shot 42.9 % (15-of-35) from the field and 18.2 % (2-of-11) from deep while also going 5-for-8 (62.5 %) from the line. Lock Haven shot an even 50.0 % (17-of-34) from the field and 25.0 % (31-of-12) from three-point territory while also going 7-of-11 (63.6 %) from the line.
As a team, West Chester shot 48.4 % (31-of-64) from the field and 30.4 % (7-of-23) from three-point range while also converting 63.2 % (12-of-19) of its free throw attempts. For Lock Haven, the visitors shot 42.4 % (28-of-66) from the field and 16.7 % (4-of-24) from three while also shooting 18-for-29 (62.1 %) from the line in the loss.
West Chester ended the game with a 42-40 lead in rebounding and 15 second-chance points after corralling 12 offensive rebounds. West Chester also ended the game with 42 points in the paint, 10 points off turnovers, and 18 points off the bench, led by eight from Osumanu in the victory.
Up Next:
West Chester returns to action on Wednesday night at home against Millersville beginning at 7:30 p.m.
