WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Michelle Kozicki (Wilmington, Del./Padua) scored a game-high 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting and corralled a game-best 13 rebounds to help lead the West Chester University women's basketball team (2-5) to a thrilling 79-73 overtime victory over No. 7 Jefferson (5-1) on Sunday afternoon.
West Chester led by as many as seven late in the first quarter, but it was a fourth-quarter run that saw West Chester outscored its guests 8-3 over the final 2:26 of regulation. This forced overtime, and the Golden Rams handed the nationally ranked Rams their first loss of the season after outscoring them 15-9 in the extra period.
Between the last two-and-a-half minutes of regulation and overtime, West Chester outscored its foes 22-15 and shot 7-for-13 from the field, including a 2-for-2 effort from deep and a 6-for-7 effort at the free throw line. West Chester also forced Jefferson into seven turnovers over this span, while the Rams shot 4-for-5 from the field in a desperate attempt to combat the late Golden Ram surge.
Kozicki was one of four Golden Rams in double figures as the senior forward scored 19 of her 23 points in the second half, with 15 of those 19 points coming in the fourth quarter or overtime. The senior was joined in double figures by
Anna McTamney (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh), who scored 17 points, along with Bella Mazur (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) and Rachel Conran (Springfield, Pa./Springfield), who finished with 14 and 10 points, respectively.
Ava Mazur (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) led the team in assists, finishing with a team-high eight in the victory.
Tonight's victory is the Golden Rams' first over a top-10 opponent since a 72-66 victory over No. 8 Gannon in December 2022. It is also the team's first overtime victory since a February 2016 (2/10/16) victory over East Stroudsburg.
West Chester finished the game shooting 43.8 % (28-of-64) from the field and 38.9 % (7-for-18) from three-point range while also going 16-for-18 (88.9 %) at the free throw line. West Chester was 13-for-24 (54.1 %) from the field in the final 15 minutes (fourth quarter and overtime) of the game, including a 5-for-9 (55.6 %) effort from three-point range, while also going 11-of-12 (91.6 %) at the charity stripe.
West Chester led by (16-9) seven with 2:43 to play in the first quarter after a 12-0 run was capped off by a Mazur three, but the Golden Rams were held scoreless down the stretch of the first quarter. Jefferson was held similarly quiet late in the first, shooting just 4-for-13 from the field in the first 10 minutes as the Golden Rams carried a 16-14 lead into the second.
In the second, West Chester and Jefferson both shot below 25.0 % from the field in the first five minutes as the game was tied at 22-22 with 4:49 to play until halftime. The offensive struggles, which dominated the end of the first quarter, continued through the second as West Chester was just 4-for-17 (23.5 %) from the field, while Jefferson connected on 4-of-15 (26.7 %) from the field while going 5-for-7 at the line to carry a slim 27-26 lead into the halftime break.
West Chester shot 34.5 % (10-for-29) from the field in the first half, including a 1-for-6 (16.7 %) from beyond the arc, while going 5-for-6 (83.3 %) at the free throw line. For Jefferson, The Rams shot 28.6 % (8-of-28) from the field, including a 2-for-3 (66.7 %) effort from deep, while also 9-for-11 (81.8 %) at the line.
Bella Mazur led all scorers in the first half with 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting, including the Golden Rams' lone make from three-point range, while Daley finished with six first-half points of her own. For Jefferson, Emma Kuzcynski and Emily Spratt tied for the team led in scoring with six points each, while Tori Nigro chipped in five of her own.
Jefferson opened the second half on an 8-0 run, stretching its 3-0 run from the end of the first half to take a 35-26 lead over the Golden Rams midway through the period. Kozicki cut the deficit back to seven with a jumper with 5:01 to play in the quarter. West Chester rallied and cut the deficit to three, making the score 35-32 after a 6-0 run and 37-34 moments later, but Jefferson closed the frame on a 7-0 run to take a 44-34 lead. West Chester cut the deficit to seven late in the frame when
Rachel Conran (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) hit a late corner three to make it 44-37 heading into the fourth.
West Chester opened the fourth on a 9-7 run, which helped the Golden Rams cut the deific to five (51-46) thanks in part to six early points from Kozicki as the senior forward registered her second double-double of the season. The Golden Ram comeback continued late in the fourth as West Chester erased a 61-56 deficit late in the fourth with back-to-back threes by McTamney and Conran to take a 62-61 lead with 1:30 to play. Emma Kuczynski restored a one-point lead with three of her own with 1:17 to play, giving the Rams a 64-62 lead. West Chester tied the game up at 64-64 with two free throws by Kozicki, and after a late turnover by Jefferson on the final shot of the game, the game went to overtime.
West Chester started overtime with a four-point play as Conran drilled a three in front of the West Chester bench and was fouled in the process to give the Golden Rams a 68-64 lead. West Chester never trailed in the extra period, stretching its lead to five (71-66) after a critical three by Kozicki en route to the 79-73 triumph. Jefferson answered Kozicki's three with a quick 7-2 run, but West Chester held its nationally-ranked guests scoreless in the final two minutes and got four crucial points from McTamney and two more from
Erin Daley (Lafayette Hill, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) to complete the upset victory.
Jefferson shot 41.4 % (24-of-58) from the field and 40.0 % (4-of-10) from three-point range, while also 21-for-24 (87.5 %) at the free throw line. Cassie Murphy and Kuczynski led the Rams in scoring with 18 points each, while Murphy corralled 10 rebounds for a double-double of her own in the losing effort.
West Chester won the rebounding battle with a 41-31 margin, including a 15-10 lead on the offensive glass, which translated into a 16-10 advantage in second-chance points and a 36-28 lead in points in the paint.
This advantage was crucial as West Chester committed 25 turnovers, which translated into 30 points off turnovers for the visitors. Jefferson also struggled to take care of the ball, especially from the fourth quarter on, committing the seven costly turnovers late and 10 for the fourth and overtime as a whole to finish the day with 24.
Today's win also marks the first time West Chester has overcome a halftime deficit to win since a February 28, 2024, victory over Millersville a year ago, which was one of two comeback wins for the Golden Rams. This triumph also extends the team's home winning streak to 26 in a row, dating back to January 2023, as West Chester continues to hold the second-longest active streak in Division II women's basketball.
Up Next:
West Chester will jump back into conference play this weekend against Cal on Friday at 3 p.m. and IUP on Saturday at 1 p.m.
