West Chester at Holy Family
Game Details: November 14 I 6 p.m.
Location: Campus Center (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Coverage Links: Live Stats I Video
Series: 16-9 (WCU 4-1 in last five)
WCU Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
HFU Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Last Time Out
West Chester played its second game of the weekend on Sunday afternoon in West Virginia against 2023 NCAA Tournament foe Charleston. Looking to rebound from a () loss to open the season vs West Virginia State, which saw the team commit 43 rebounds, West Chester played significantly better on Sunday, winning the turnover battle 20-15 and nearly pulling an upset before falling by a 64-59 final. West Chester led throughout the first quarter and found itself within two points with under a minute to play before the Golden Eagles went 3-for-4 at the line in the final 30 seconds to escape with the five-point victory. Michelle Kozicki (Wilmington, Del./Padua) led West Chester in scoring with 22 points on 8-of-20 shooting, as the senior forward posted her second-highest scoring effort since a 28-point game against Mansfield in February 2023. Anna McTamney (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) scored 18 of her own on 8-of-18 shooting, but it was not enough to help the Golden Rams improve to 1-1 to open the year. West Chester shot 36.8 % (25-of-68) from the field and was 2-for-15 (13.3 %) from three-point range in the setback while also going 7-for-8 (87.5 %) at the free-throw line.
Flock Talk
After a 22-point effort on Sunday and a 17-point game against West Virginia State to open the season, Kozicki leads the team in scoring, averaging 19.5 points per game and a team-best 6.5 rebounds per game through the first two games of the young season. McTamney is close behind, averaging 14.5 points of her own. Erin Daley (Lafayette Hill, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) is third in scoring, averaging 10.5 points per game along with 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game after a career day against West Virginia State, which saw the sophomore forward score 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while also grabbing seven rebounds and coming away with four steals.
As a team, West Chester is averaging 63.5 points per game through its first two games, shooting 36.9 % from the field and 19.4 % from three-point range while also connecting on 77.4 % at the charity stripe. West Chester’s opponents average 80.0 points per game, shooting 40.4 % from the field and 37.7 % from deep while also shooting 81.8 % from the stripe. The Golden Rams opponents hold a slim 85-82 (42.5-41.0/g) lead in rebounding and an inflated +5.5 lead in the turnover margin after a 43-turnover performance by West Chester on opening night.
Chasing 1,000
McTamney and Kozicki are both closing in on their 1,000th career points. McTamney is now just 18 points away, while Kozicki is 141 points away. When McTamney reaches this marker, it will include her 199 points from her rookie season at the University of the Sciences, and she will remain 199 points away from her 1000th point as a Golden Ram.
Send a Postcard
West Chester will complete its first two weeks of the season away from home on Thursday night with a visit to Holy Family. This three-game road trip to open the year matches the Golden Rams three-game road swing to begin the 2022-23 season as the team visited West Virginia to open the year, falling to Glenville State and West Virginia State before returning to Pennsylvania and toppling Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia on November 20 of that season. West Chester followed this with a four-game homestand, which included a pair of wins over nationally ranked foes in #22/25 Jefferson and #15/8 Gannon.
Before the 2022-23 season, the last time West Chester was away from home for three or more games to open the year was in the 2001-02 season when the Golden Rams did not play a home game until December 7 vs Molloy. Of course, this does not include the 2017-18 campaign, which saw West Chester play its first two “home” games of the year at Widener due to facility issues in Hollinger to begin that season. West Chester did not play its first game in Hollinger until December 2 against Indiana (Pa.) in that campaign.
It’s Been 18 Years
West Chester has not opened its season 0-3 since the 2006-07 season when the team opened up with losses against Concord, Fairmont State, and the University of the Sciences before halting its skid with a 68-63 victory over Slippery Rock on December 2nd of that campaign. West Chester ended the year with a record of 15-13 and a PSAC Tournament appearance. This start marked the second year it took West Chester three games or more to find its first victory, as the Golden Rams also suffered a 0-4 start to the 2005-06 season.
Series History
West Chester holds a 16-9 lead in the all-time series against Holy Family, including wins in each of the last two meetings and four of the last five. The Golden Rams' lone setback to Holy Family in the previous five matchups came in December 2016, when West Chester lost by a 69-60 final.
When the two teams last met in November 2018, West Chester was down by 10 at the half but outscored Holy Family 28-10 in the third and 14-7 in the fourth to complete a 71-56 comeback victory over the Tigers. Destiny Jefferson led West Chester in scoring in the victory with 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field as the Golden Rams shot 46.4 % (26-of-56) from the field and 30.0 % (3-of-10) from three-point territory. West Chester also connected on 16-of-21 (76.2 %) at the free throw line, ending the game with a 43-30 lead in rebounding led by a 13-rebound/11-point double-double by Gabrielle Troisi.
Scouting Holy Family
Holy Family enters play a perfect 2-0 on the year following a 71-51 victory over the University of the District of Columbia on Friday night and a 65-58 triumph after the College of Staten Island on Saturday.
Saturday’s 65-58 victory over CSI did not come easily for the Tigers as they trailed by five (48-43) entering the fourth but held its hosts to just two points over the first 8:16 of the quarter and scored 11 unanswered to open the frame to retake the lead they would never relinquish. CSI got as close as four points (62-58) with a minute to play but could never get it down to a one-possession game as Skyler Searfoss knocked down three free throws in the final 36 seconds. Searfoss and Jessica Riepe led HFU in scoring in the victory, scoring 13 points each, while Taylor Hinkle combined with Searfoss for nine of the 11 unanswered points to begin the fourth and finished with 11 of her own in the victory. Hinkle also finished just one rebound shy of a double-double, coming away with nine rebounds in the win. Holy Family shot 41.4 % (24-of-58) from the field and 26.3 % (5-of-19) from three-point range while also going 12-for-15 (80.0 %) at the free throw line.
Searfoss and Riepe rank first and second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.5 and 10.5 points per game, while Hinkle is third, averaging 9.0 points and having a team-best 6.0 rebounds per game. Holy Family enters play as a team, averaging 68.0 points per game while holding opponents to just 54.5 points per game on 33.6 % shooting from the field and 23.8 % from beyond the arc. The Tigers are shooting 38.3 % from the field and 32.7 % from three-point territory while also shooting 79.4 % from the line. Holy Family has also won the rebounding battle consistently this year, holding a +6.5 (36.5-30.0) rebound per game advantage.
