West Chester vs Jefferson
Game Details: December 1 I 1 P.M.
Location: Kane-DeLaney Court at Hollinger Field House (West Chester, Pa.)
Coverage Links: Live Stats I Watch
Series: 18-21 (Jefferson 3-2 in last five)
WCU Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Jefferson Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Last Time Out
West Chester nearly stormed back to stun Edinboro on Saturday afternoon as the Golden Rams cut a 20-point deficit down to four with under a minute to play. Still, the Fighting Scots eventually closed the game out at the line to escape with a 75-67 victory over the visiting Golden Rams. West Chester kept things close early and trailed by just one midway through the first quarter before a 10-2 run to close the frame gave Edinboro a comfortable 24-15 lead heading into the second quarter. West Chester trailed by only 11 at the half but quickly found itself down 20 late in the third quarter, although a late Ava Mazur layup helped West Chester trail by 15 heading into the fourth. In the fourth, West Chester outscored its hosts 25-18, and Rachel Conran hit two threes late in the quarter to cut the deficit to four before Ava Haddad and Morgan Gentile closed the game for Edinboro. West Chester shot 40.0 % from the field after shooting 53.3 % in the fourth and was led offensively by 24 points from Anna McTamney and 13 more from Michelle Kozicki as the two Golden Rams in double figures.
Flock Talk
Averaging 65.7 points per game on 39.2 % shooting from the field, the West Chester offense has not been as high-powered as fans might remember from recent years, but the Golden Rams have found a way to stay in games early this year, nearly pulling upset victories on the road at Charleston and Edinboro before late free throws put the game out of reach. Anna McTamney and Michelle Kozicki rank seventh and eighth in the PSAC in scoring, averaging 18.0 and 17.7 points per game, while Erin Daley is third in scoring, averaging 9.0 points per game. Kozicki is also first on the team in rebounding, averaging 7.8 rebounds per game, while West Chester averages 37.2 per game. Ava Mazur is first on the squad in assists, averaging 2.8 per game, while Daley is second, averaging 2.3 per contest. McTamney also leads the team in steals, averaging 2.7 thefts per game, also fifth-best in the PSAC.
Good to be Home
West Chester has not lost at home since January 2023, winning each of its last 25 games in Hollinger through last year. This streak is the second longest in DII, trailing only Harding at 27 games. Harding picked up its first home win of the year earlier this month with an 84-56 drubbing of Central Oklahoma. The Bison are not home again until December 12 vs Arkansas-Monticello in the first of three of four at home to conclude 2024.
Working in the Paint
West Chester has outscored its opponents in the paint in four of six games this season, including a 48-14 lead vs Wilmington. The lone game in which West Chester was outscored inside was the season-opener at West Virginia State (30-26), and the Golden Rams finished tied at Edinboro (28-28)on 11/23. WCU has outscored opponents 194 (32.3/g)-92 (15.3/g) in the paint this season.
Bouncing Back
West Chester was 2-2 in the regular season following a loss last year, never suffering a losing streak longer than two games.
Cleaning It Up
After losing the turnover battle 43-27 in its season opener, West Chester has won or tied in every other game but one. Including-
- Charleston 20 WCU 15
- Holy Family 19 WCU 19
- Wilmington 19 WCU 11
- Slippery Rock 20 WCU 13
Trial by Fire
West Chester turns to two freshmen in its starting lineup as the Mazur twins (#3 Ava & #5 Bella) have earned the starting nod in each of the first three games this season. This marks the first time that WCU has turned to a pair of true freshmen consistently since 2019-20, when Leah Johnson and Sasha Marvel were in the starting five together.
Honoring the Legends
Fans will notice a new court design for the 2024-25 season as West Chester completed a refinishing of the Hollinger Field House floor (Kane-DeLaney Court) over the Summer to make it now bear the name of legendary basketball coaches Dick DeLaney and Deirdre Kane.
Series History
West Chester trails 21-18 in the all-time series vs Jefferson, including a loss a year ago, which halted a modest two-game winning streak against the Rams. West Chester started the series in 1979 with a 79-74 loss to the Rams before winning each of the next two meetings. After a win in Hollinger in 1982, West Chester would not defeat the Rams again until 1991. In modern history, West Chester enjoyed a five-game winning streak against Jefferson from 2008 to 2012 before seeing its streak halted in November 2015. West Chester bounced back with wins in 2014-15 and 15-16 but has lost four of six since, with the exceptions being November 2021 and 2022 victories.
Scouting Jefferson
For its part, Jefferson enters play on Wednesday night with a perfect 5-0 record, including wins over PSAC East foes Kutztown and East Stroudsburg in each of its last two games. Similarly to West Chester, today’s game is an important tune-up for Jefferson as the Rams jump into CACC play on December 3 at home against Goldey-Beacom beginning at 6 p.m. in the Gallagher Center.
The Rams are well rested, as they have not played since a 69-58 victory in East Stroudsburg on November 20. The game was tight throughout as the two sides were tied at 14-14 after the first quarter, and Jefferson saw its three-point halftime lead cut to two heading into the fourth quarter. In the fourth, the Rams outscored the Warriors 21-12 to put the game out of reach and leave Kohler Field House with an 11-point victory. Cassie Murphy led the team in scoring (22 points) and rebounding (seven), while Tori Nigro chipped in a team-high three assists. Murphy was one of four Rams in double figures in the victory.
For the year, Jefferson is averaging 73.0 points per game on 47.9 % shooting while holding opponents to 60.8 per game on 40.6 % shooting from the field. Murphy is first on the team in scoring and second in rebounding, averaging 17.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, while Emma Kuczynski is second in scoring, averaging 16.0 points per game. Sam Yencha is first in rebounding, averaging 11.3 rebounds per game, although the 2023-24 CACC Player of the Year has not played since playing only the first 20 minutes against Dominican on November 13.
