West Chester at Caldwell
Game Details: December 14 I 1 P.M.
Location: George R. Newman Center (Caldwell, N.J.)
Series: First Meeting
Coverage Links: Live Stats I Video
WCU Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Caldwell Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Last Time Out
West Chester ran its winning streak to seven in a row with an 88-80 victory over Indiana (Pa.) on Saturday afternoon as the Golden Rams picked up their first victory over the Crimson Hawks since December 2017. West Chester finished with four players in double figures, led by 19 from Dylan Blair, as the sophomore recorded his second consecutive double-figure scoring game en route to being named PSAC East Athlete of the Week. Blair also finished with 12 rebounds, while Joshua Walker registered a double-double of his own with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Elijah Allen scored 17 points, and Anthony Purnell Jr. finished with 11 points off the bench, leading the second unit in scoring.
Flock Talk
West Chester enters play on Saturday afternoon, averaging 81.0 points per game while yielding 76.1 on 42.6 % shooting and 42.2 % shooting, respectively. West Chester also connects on 33.1 % of its shots from three-point range and hits 69.8 % at the charity stripe, although the team has been much improved at the line in recent weeks. The Golden Rams are once again one of the best rebounding teams in Division II men’s basketball, averaging 45.2 rebounds per game, while holding opponents to just 34.9 for a +10.3 margin on the year.
Individually, Elijah Allen (Dover, Del./Dover) leads the team in scoring, averaging 17.9 points per game. He has scored double figures in seven of nine games, including four games with 20 or more points. PSAC East Athlete of the Week, Dylan Blair (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West), is second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.9 points per game, while also leading the team and ranking in the top 10 in the league in assists, averaging 4.0 assists per game. Blair also ranks third in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio, posting a 2.57 ratio through nine games. On the glass, Davante Dennis (Baltimore, Md./Red Lion) is first on the team in rebounding, averaging 5.8 per game, while Anthony McCall (Philadelphia, Pa./ANC) and Joshua Walker (Upper Marlboro, Md./Riverdale Baptist) are tied for second, averaging 5.3 per game.
We Are Honored
Dylan Blair became the first Golden Ram to win a weekly award this season on Monday afternoon when he was named PSAC East Athlete of the Week after averaging 16.0 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, including a 19-point, 12-rebound and six-assist effort to help lead WCU to its first victory over IUP since 2017 on Saturday night.
Crashing the Glass
WCU is fourth in Division II in rebounding, averaging 45.2 rebounds per game, thanks in part to a PSAC-Best 18.3 offensive rebounds, which is also second-best in DII. West Chester is also 11th in DII in rebounding margin and is first in the PSAC in rebounding margin (+10.3) while continuing to lead the league in rebounding.
Second Half Strength
West Chester has outscored its opponent in the second half in seven of nine games. The lone exceptions were a season-high 58-point second half against West Liberty, which saw the Hilltoppers score 62 in a 114-91 victory over WCU, and Saturday vs. IUP when WCU scored only 35 points after a season-high 53 first-half points.
Last Two of its Kind
WCU will play its last two non-league games of the year in its next two games, visiting Caldwell on Saturday before playing what will count as a non-league game at Pitt-Johnstown on Tuesday.
Scouting Caldwell
West Chester will face off against Caldwell for what is believed to be the first time in program history on Saturday afternoon. West Chester is a perfect 3-0 vs. the CACC this season, posting home victories over Wilmington, Jefferson, and Chestnut Hill. For its part, Caldwell is 2-0 against PSAC programs, including a 79-77 win over ESU in Orangeburg, New York, on November 17 and a 75-72 win over Bloomsburg just two nights later in North Jersey.
Caldwell enters play on Saturday afternoon following a victory in a non-league battle vs Queens on Tuesday night for the team's second win in three games to improve to 8-2 on the season. The Cougars carried a 13-point (34-21) lead into the halftime break and almost needed all 13 of those points in the second half to hold off a Queen's comeback, which saw the Knights outscore their hosts 37-27 as Caldwell escaped with a 61-58 victory to improve to 8-2 overall and 4-1 at home on the year. Caldwell shot 43.7 % in the first half and just 31 % in the second half to end the game, shooting 37.7 % from the field, including a 30.0 % (6-of-20) effort from three-point range. Isaiah Philbert led Caldwell in scoring with 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting, while Jaiden Williams added 11 of his own. DeAngelo Horn nearly recorded a double-double, finishing with 13 rebounds, including six offensive boards, and nine points on 4-of-12 shooting.
For the year, Caldwell enters play averaging 73.6 points per game on 42.8 % shooting from the field and 34.3 % shooting from three-point range while also hitting 68.2 % of its shots at the free throw line. The Cougars opponents enter play averaging 72.7 points per game on 45.7 % shooting from the field, including 35.1 % from deep. Caldwell holds a slim 37.0-36.6 lead in rebounding, along with a 16.5-14.6 lead in the turnover battle through 10 games. Horn leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.8 points per game, while Derrick Bueno is a close second, averaging 12.9 points of his own. Horn also leads the team in rebounding, averaging 8.2 per game, while Bueno is second, averaging 6.7 per game. Melvin Evans is also first on the team in assists and steals, averaging 4.2 and 2.2 per game, respectively.
