Game Notes
GLENVILLE, W.V.- After picking up its first NCAA Tournament win in 20 years behind a stellar 44-point outing by
Leah Johnson (Columbus, N.J./Notre Dame), which set a new school record for points in a single game, the West Chester women's basketball team (23-8) has shifted its attention to Charleston (W.V.) (24-8) for the Round of 32 on Saturday evening beginning at 5 p.m.
Fan Information
This weekend's Tournament will be held inside the Waco Center in Glenville, West Virginia, for the second year in a row. Ticket sales will begin one hour prior to the first game of the day each day and will only be available on-site, with ticket prices at $7 for adults and $5 for children, students, and seniors.
Fans should plan to park in the upper portion of the lot at the Waco Center, with the spectator entrance being by the doors with the Waco Center signage.
Series Information
West Chester enters play on Saturday trailing 0-1 in the all-time series against the Golden Eagles, dropping the first and only meeting in November 2005 by a 93-76 final inside Hollinger Field House.
Flock Talk
Seeking to avenge a loss against Cal just under a week ago in the PSAC Semifinals, West Chester got out to an early lead, taking a 22-7 lead after the first thanks to one of two 11-0 runs during the game and held off the upset-minded Vulcans for an 80-67 triumph.
Leah Johnson scored 44 points in the win, the most in a single game in program history, breaking the record previously held by Mitzi Reitnouer, which had stood since the 1982 season when she scored 42 against Towson in February of 81-82 season. This effort, combined with a 29-17 performance in the fourth quarter, a frame that opened with another 11-0 WCU run, led West Chester to its first NCAA Tournament win since the 2002-03 season over Pfeiffer. The last victory came during Coach Wooden's senior year, so this also served as her first NCAA Tournament win as head coach in her fourth Tournament appearance.
Johnson's 44-point effort, which also moved her into eighth all-time in scoring, now just over a 100 points shy of Wooden's spot in seventh on the all-time chart, also finished just shy of an NCAA Tournament record for most points scored in a single Tournament game. Sherika Tarpkins holds that distinction after scoring 48 in a 2005 matchup between Central Arkansas and Fort Valley State. Entering the second day of the Tournament, Johnson also ranks first in the Tournament field in scoring. The next closest player is Sofia Persson of Eckerd, who poured in 35 for Eckerd in their First Round win over Nova Southeastern.
Not to be missed amongst the excitement of Johnson's historic performance,
Emily McAteer (Thornton, Pa./Garnet Valley) also turned in a stellar performance, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds for her 12
th double-double of the season. With this 12 double-double, McAteer matched Mia Hopkin's 2017-18 mark for the most double-doubles in a single season under Wooden.
West Chester is making its fourth appearance in the Rounds of 32 and its first since the 2002-03 season when the Golden Rams fell to Cal after defeating Pfeiffer in what was head coach
Kiera Wooden's senior season. West Chester has been to this stage via an opening round victory just twice, with the other two appearances coming during the 1997 and 2001 seasons when WCU advanced to this round via a bye through the round of 48.
Scouting Charleston
Charleston also enters play following a win over a PSAC team, dispatching second-seed Gannon in its First Round matchup by a 69-65 final. In this contest, Charleston found itself behind early as Gannon charged out to a 16-4 lead early in the contest. Charleston worked its way back into the game and, after a 24-11 second quarter, held a 39-32 lead at the halftime break. After a back-and-forth first half, it would have felt unjust for the second half to be a blowout, and a blowout it was not, as the two teams traded stops throughout the second 20 minutes of basketball. Gannon outscored Charleston by three in the second half, but the second-quarter run by the Golden Eagles lifted them to a 69-65 win over the favored Golden Knights. Markiya McCormick had a big day for Charleston, scoring 27 points, largely thanks to three made three-pointers for the upset win. Haley Moore led the way in rebounding with eight, while Trinity Palacio dished out six assists to go along with her seven points to help propel Charleston to the win.
No stranger to the NCAA Tournament in recent years, Charleston enters looking for its third Atlantic Regional Final appearance in as many years under the tutelage of third-year head coach Tianni Kelly. In the Waco Center a season ago, Charleston dispatched two PSAC teams in Kutztown and Gannon to advance to the Final after defeating Walsh and Tiffin to advance to the Final in 2021.
As one of just two teams to defeat defending National Champion Glenville State earlier this season, the Golden Eagles enter with a record of 24-8, averaging 72.2 points per game on the year. Shooting 42.4 % from the field, Charleston has shown itself to be effective from beyond the arc this season, shooting 34.6 % from deep, which is among the best at the Atlantic Regional. Trinity Palacio leads the team in scoring on the year, averaging 15.6 points per game, while McCormick is second on the squad in scoring, averaging 13.6 per game. Palacio also leads the team in assists (3.5/g) and steals (1.7/g) as the 5-4 grad student guard plays a role similar to Johnson for West Chester. Dakota Reeves is first on the team in rebounding, averaging 5.6 per game, while also ranking third in scoring, averaging 11.9 points per game. Reeves' efforts on the glass have been significant for Charleston this season as the Golden Eagles enter play with a +3.4 (38.0-34.6) lead on the glass on the season.
With a Win
With a victory, West Chester would not only improve to 1-1 in its history against the Golden Eagles but also advance to the Regional Championship/Round of 16 for the first time in school history. If West Chester does advance to this round, the Golden Rams would have a well-deserved off day on Sunday, with the Regional Final scheduled to be played on Monday at 7 p.m. in the Waco Center.
