LOCK HAVEN, Pa.- Just days removed from a 100-97 win over No. 9 California, which gave the Golden Rams their first win over a top-10 team since the 2015-16 season, the West Chester University men's basketball team (8-4, 5-1) has shifted its attention to the business of PSAC East play, beginning with a matchup at Lock Haven (6-5, 4-2) on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Today's game is the second of two straight away from home for the Golden Rams as the team will return to action in Hollinger Field House on Wednesday, January 10, against Shepherd at 7:30 p.m. before hosting East Stroudsburg on Saturday, January 13, to wrap up a brief two-game homestand.
SERIES INFORMATION
West Chester enters play holding a 34-9 lead in the all-time series over Lock Haven, including a six-game winning streak dating back to the first meeting of the 2019-20 season at Lock Haven, which saw the Bald Eagles escape with an 89-84 victory over the Golden Rams.
West Chester swept the season series from Lock Haven a year ago, including a thrilling 81-78 victory over the Bald Eagles on Senior Day in Hollinger Field House. West Chester trailed by eight at the halftime break in this contest but rallied back and retook the lead midway through the second half after a three by
Robert Smith (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt). The three by Smith with nine minutes to play gave West Chester the lead back, and the Golden Rams never trailed again in the victory. Tied at 78-78 in the waning seconds of regulation,
Kyle McGee hit a corner three in front of the Golden Ram bench, which moved the West Chester lead to 81-78, enough for the Purple and Gold to send out its Senior Class victorious. As a team, West Chester shot 48.4 % from the field and 30.4 % from beyond the arc as Smith and McGee tied for the team lead in scoring with 15 points each in the comeback victory.
FLOCK TALK
West Chester enters play on Saturday afternoon riding a two-game winning streak, including what may be looked back upon as a "statement win" as the season progresses after posting a 100-97 victory on the road against previously unbeaten and ninth-ranked Cal on Wednesday night. West Chester found itself locked in a tight game throughout the evening on Wednesday, with the lead changing hands throughout the game, but it was a late 25-17 run by the Golden Rams, led by 13 from Smith and seven from
Elijah Allen (Dover, Del./Dover), which helped grant the visitors the victory. Allen posted a career-high 34 points in the win, the most by a Golden Ram since a 50-point outing from Robbie Heath in the 2019-20 season to go along with 22 from Smith to help propel West Chester to its first win over a top-10 team since a victory over No. 7 Indiana (Pa.) during November of the 2015-16 season. West Chester stayed hot with its shooting on Wednesday afternoon, shooting a stellar 53.7 % from the field and 51.6 % from beyond the arc, including 16 made three-pointers, which is the most in a game since the team made 17 in the 2019-20 season against Lincoln and the second most in a game dating back to at least the 2007-08 season.
Smith became the latest Golden Ram to join the 1,000-point club in the victory over the Vulcans on Wednesday afternoon, pouring in 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting as he became the first Golden Ram to score all of his 1,000 career points wearing a West Chester uniform since Matt Penecale during the 2018-19 season. Smith has unquestionably been one of the major driving forces behind the Golden Ram's success so far in 2023-24, averaging 15.7 points per game and helping West Chester to a record of 8-1 in games that he plays. Allen, who is getting ever closer to becoming the next Golden Ram to score his 1000
th career point, entering Saturday afternoon just 27 points shy of the milestone, has been nearly unstoppable since the calendar turned to December, scoring 24 points or more in five of the last six games. Since December 1, Allen has averaged 24.4 points per game, including 28-point efforts against Edinboro (12/2) and Clarion (12/30) before his 34-point outburst against Cal a few days ago.
As a team, West Chester is now averaging 79.8 points per game and shooting 45.6 % from the field, including a 34.4 % three-point shooting effort, while also averaging 37.2 rebounds per game and limiting opponents to 32.3 rebounds per game. Defensively, West Chester has managed to hold its opponents to 78.3 points per game as teams shoot 45.2 % from the field and 33.1 % from beyond the arc against the Golden Rams defense through 12 games this season.
SCOUTING LOCK HAVEN
Lock Haven enters play riding a two-game winning streak of its own after closing out Crossover play with victories over Slippery Rock on December 30 and Clarion on Wednesday night. Against Clarion on Wednesday night, Lock Haven trailed for much of the game, falling behind early and remaining behind until tying the score at 65-65 with 49 seconds to play. Senior forward Jalen Gorham lifted the Bald Eagles to the victory with a 1-for-2 trip to the line and a late steal to erase any thought of a last-second victory for the Golden Eagles. Justice Shoats scored 17 points to lead Lock Haven as one of three players in double figures, as Collin Jones and Isaiah Stewart added 15 and 11, respectively. The Haven shot 44.0 % (22-of-50) from the field on Wednesday, including a 3-for-9 (33.3 %) effort from beyond the arc, while also converting 19-of-26 (73.1 %) at the line to complete the comeback victory at Clarion.
Entering play, averaging 74.0 points per game on 46.7 % shooting from the field and 33.3 % from beyond the arc, Shoats and Jones have been the two top offensive options for Lock Haven this year, averaging 18.2 and 14.7 points per game, respectively. Shoats also leads the team in assists (4.4/g) and steals (2.8/g), while Dyson Harward and Gorham handle the glass, averaging 5.8 and 5.2 rebounds per game.
UP NEXT:
West Chester will return to action against Shepherd next Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.
