SHIPPENSBURG, Pa.- Robert Smith (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) finished with a season-high 27 points on 11-of-21 shooting as one of four Golden Ram starters in double figures to help lead the West Chester University men's basketball team (11-6, 8-3) to an 88-73 victory over Shippensburg (5-12, 2-10) on Wednesday night.
Smith flirted with a career night throughout the game, finishing the first half with 19 points and finishing just one point shy of his career-high, while
Jordan Kellier (Kingston, Jamaica/Redemption Christian) and
Joshua Walker (Upper Marlboro, Md./Riverdale Baptist) each recorded double-doubles, finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds and 14 points and 10 rebounds, respectively.
Elijah Allen (Dover, Del./Dover) was the fourth and final Golden Ram starter in double figures, finishing with 16 points to help the Golden Rams earn their first victory in Heiges Field House since December of the 2015-16 season.
Markus Frank did everything in his power to help Shippensburg pull the upset on Wednesday, finishing with 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting, but was one of just two Raiders in double figures in the setback.
West Chester trailed only briefly in the early stages of the first half but erased this deficit before the break, carrying a 45-34 lead into the half and eventually leading by as many as 22 in the triumph.
After a slow start offensively by both teams, Shippensburg got out to a 12-6 lead with 13:35 to play in the first half after a driving layup by Markus Frank off an assist from Andrew Recchia.
West Chester answered quickly, going on a 14-1 run over the next four minutes to take a 20-14 lead after a made jumper by Kellier off an assist from
Anthony Purnell Jr. (Chester, Pa./Kiski).
This run, coupled with a 15-2 run in the late stages of the first half, allowed the Golden Rams to take a 38-22 lead with just under four minutes to play, eventually carrying a 45-34 lead into the halftime break.
Smith had a huge first half, heading to the break with 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting to lead all scorers. Frank led the way for Shippensburg in the opening 20 minutes, scoring 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting as the lone other player to join Smith in double figures at the midway point.
West Chester shot 47.6 % (20-of-42) from the field in the first half while holding its host to 45.2 % (14-of-31) shooting from the field as the Raiders connected on each of their final five shots of the first half, including a long-distance three at the buzzer by Donovan Hill, who ended the half with six points.
West Chester also did an excellent job of taking care of the basketball in the first half and capitalizing on mistakes by Shippensburg, heading into the locker room with a 5-1 lead in turnovers and a 10-2 lead in points off turnovers.
West Chester continued to play well through the early stages of the second half, leading by as many as 22 (68-46) with just under 10 minutes to play in regulation. Over the next five minutes, Shippensburg started a valiant comeback effort, which saw the Raiders trim the Golden Ram lead to as few as 12 with 5:22 to play after a 2-for-2 trip to the line by Kyle Whippen. The score of 71-59 was as close as Shippensburg would get to completing a comeback against the Golden Rams on Wednesday night as West Chester pulled away again for an 88-73 victory over the Raiders.
West Chester shot 48.1 % (37-of-77) from the field in the victory, including a 6-for-20 (30.0 %) effort from beyond the arc, while also shooting 57.1 % (8-of-14) from the line, including a 6-for-11 effort in the second half. For its part, Shippensburg suffered its seventh loss in a row with a 45.8 % (27-of-59) field goal percentage, including a 4-of-19 (21.1 %) effort from three-point land. The Raiders also shot 68.2 % (15-of-22) from the line in the setback.
Purnell Jr. led all players in assists in the victory, finishing with seven helpers to help guide the Golden Rams to their second win in a row.
West Chester ended the game with a 42-37 lead on the glass, including an 18-13 lead in offensive rebounding, which translated into an 18-10 lead in second-chance points. West Chester also won the turnover battle by a 15-6 margin, which led to a 22-5 advantage in points off turnovers and helped contribute to a 58-44 lead in points in the paint.
Notes:
Tonight's victory also moves head coach Damien Blair into a tie with longtime Millersville head coach Fred Thompson for 16th in career wins among PSAC coaches. Blair remains sixth among active PSAC head coaches with 272 wins to his credit.
Up Next:
West Chester returns to action on Saturday afternoon against Mansfield beginning at 3 p.m. in Hollinger Field House.
