WEST CHESTER, Pa.- After capturing a share of its first PSAC East Regular Season title since 2006 a year ago, the West Chester University men's basketball team (8-5, 5-2) is back in pursuit of another in 2023-24, entering play on Wednesday night with a mark of 8-5 overall and 5-2 in league play as East play gets underway in January. Off to its best start in league play since the 2019-20 season when the team was 7-0 to open league play, West Chester opened PSAC East play with a loss to Lock Haven on Saturday, falling by a 74-71 final but will look to bounce back on Wednesday night in its East home opener vs Shepherd at 7:30 p.m.
SERIES INFORMATION
West Chester will look to bounce back tonight against Shepherd, a team whom the Golden Rams have defeated in the last four meetings to take an 8-4 lead over in the all-time series. West Chester swept the season series from Shepherd a year ago, marking its first sweep of the Rams since they joined the league in 2019-20. Unbeaten against Shepherd in games played in Hollinger, West Chester won both its games over the Rams in dramatic fashion a year ago, winning on a
Joshua Walker buzzer-beater at home before
Elijah Allen played the hero on the road in the second meeting between the two rivals.
WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE FLOOR?
Before tonight's game, West Chester will recognize junior captain
Robert Smith for scoring his 1000th career point in the Golden Rams victory over No. 9 last Wednesday night. Smith is the first Golden Ram to score all 1,000 career points at WCU since Matt Penecale did so during the 2018-19 season.
FLOCK TALK
Despite a double-double by
Jordan Kellier (15 pts/15 rebs) and a team-high 18 points from Smith, West Chester was unable to extend its winning streak to three in a row on Saturday afternoon, falling to Lock Haven by a 74-71 final. The game was close throughout, featuring 12 ties and 15 lead changes, and neither team led by more than 10 (WCU held the largest lead of the game at nine early in the second half), but Lock Haven scored the final four points of the afternoon to hand the Golden Rams their second PSAC loss of the season.
Allen, the PSAC East Athlete of the Week for the second time this season after averaging 25.6 points per game over the last three games, leads the team in scoring, averaging 20.3 points per game on the year, while also ranking third on the squad in rebounding, averaging 4.6 per game.
Jordan Kellier leads the team and PSAC in rebounding, averaging 10.0 rebounds per game, which ranks 16th best in Division II men's basketball. The efforts of the Siena transfer have not gone unnoticed for West Chester this season, as the Golden Rams are 6-3 when outrebounding their opponents and 19th in DII in offensive rebounding, averaging 13.7 per game, which is third-best in the PSAC.
SCOUTING SHEPHERD
Shepherd enters play following a 66-47 loss against PSAC East leader East Stroudsburg at home on Saturday afternoon. Shepherd trailed by five at the half, but ESU used a big second half to pull away for the victory over the Rams. Daniel McClain-Corley led the team in scoring, finishing with 11 points as the team shot just 32.7 % from the field and 10.5 % from three-point range in the setback.
For the year, McClain-Corley is the leading scorer, averaging 13.8 points per game on a team that averages 62.3 points per game and shoots 41.6 % from the field and 31.9 % from beyond the arc. Shepherd usually keeps things close on the glass, averaging 31.8 rebounds per game, while its opponents average 32.3. Junior Jarod Robinson is the Rams top rebounder, averaging 5.1 rebounds per game, while Phillip Jordan ranks second on the team in most categories, including scoring (12.3/g), rebounding (4.6/g), and assists (3.8/g).
UP NEXT:
Wednesday night is the first home game of the 2024 half of the season for West Chester and the first of two straight in Hollinger as the Golden Rams will welcome East Stroudsburg to University Ave on Saturday on what will also be Alumni Day for the Golden Rams.
