West Chester vs Seton Hill
Game Details: December 21 I 3 P.M.
Location: Hollinger Field House (West Chester, Pa.)
Coverage Links: Live Stats I Video
Series: 6-0
WCU Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
SHU Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Last Time Out
West Chester continued its best winning streak since 2019 on Tuesday night with a 71-57 victory over Pitt-Johnstown in Johnstown on Tuesday afternoon. West Chester trailed only briefly on Tuesday early in the first half and led by as many as 17 twice in the second half in the 14-point triumph. Elijah Allen scored a season-high 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting, including a 5-for-11 effort from three-point range, as he and Anthony McCall were the lone Golden Rams in double figures in the victory. West Chester shot 40.8 % from the field, including a 6-for-23 (26.1 %) effort from deep, while also going 7-for-11 at the charity stripe. The Golden Rams, led by 13 rebounds from Joshua Walker, ended the game with a 45-29 lead on the glass, which led to a 22-8 lead in SCP.
Flock Talk
Allen’s 27-effort on Tuesday was his ninth double-figure scoring effort of the season and the fifth time this year that he has scored 20 points or more. Averaging a team-best 18.0 points per game, Allen has led the team in scoring six times in 11 games, and West Chester has won five of these games, with the lone exception being the season-opening loss at nationally-ranked West Liberty by a 114-91 final. The Golden Rams 91 points their second-best scoring effort of the year, trailing only the Wilmington game when the Golden Rams rolled to a 92-78 victory over the Wildcats.
One of the best rebounding teams in Division II, West Chester ranks fourth in the country in rebounds per game, averaging 44.9, including 18.2 offensive rebounds per game, which leads the nation. West Chester’s +11.0 rebounding margin is also sixth-best in DII men’s basketball. West Chester averages 80.0 points per game on 42.6 % shooting from the field and 31.9 % shooting from three-point range while also hitting 70.9 % of its shots at the charity stripe. After struggling at the line through the first few weeks of the season, West Chester has improved dramatically in recent weeks, including a season-best 81.3 % effort at the stripe in an 80-76 win over Caldwell on December 14.
Going Streaking!
West Chester has won nine in a row after dropping its first two games of the year. This winning streak is the longest streak since the team rattled off 13 in a row to open the 2019-20 season. It's the longest mid-season streak since the team won 15 in a row from a Dec. 2018 win over Seton Hill until a Feb. 2019 loss to ESU in 2018-19.
Good to be Home
Unbeaten (5-0) at home in 2024, West Chester has been very difficult to beat in Hollinger in recent years, playing to a record of 50-14 at home since 2019-20, including a mark of 10-4 in its home gym a year ago. Since the calendar turned to 2024 last January, West Chester has lost only three times in Hollinger, playing to a record of 11-3 at home, with its last home loss coming on February 3, 2024, vs. Lock Haven by the slimmest of margins (78-77).
Crashing the Glass
West Chester is tied for 4th in Division II in rebounding, averaging 44.9 rebounds per game, thanks in part to a DII-best 18.2 offensive rebounds. West Chester is also sixth in DII in rebounding margin and is first in the PSAC in rebounding margin (+11), while continuing to lead the league in rebounding.
Chasing the Legend
Head coach Damien Blair is just 11 wins away from his 300th win at WCU. When he reaches this milestone he will become the second WCU coach to do so, joining his coach and one of the two individuals the Hollinger Field House floor (Kane-DeLaney Court) is named after-Dick DeLaney as the only West Chester men’s basketball coaches to do so. DeLaney ended his Golden Ram career with 370 wins.
When Given a Second Chance
West Chester has outscored its opponents in second-chance points in every game but two this season, entering play with a 200 (18.2)-105 (9.5) lead through 11 games. West Chester remains unbeaten in those two exceptions, tying with Edinboro (13-13) and Chestnut Hill (14-14) in second-chance points in a pair of victories at the end of November.
A Second Half Team?
West Chester gained an early reputation as a second-half team after starting the year outscoring its foes in seven of its first nine games-routinely opening close games up in the second half. In recent games, West Chester has been outscored in the second half in each of the last three games, although all three have still resulted in wins. This includes a season-high 53 point first half vs IUP on 12/7.
Series Information
West Chester will wrap up its 2024 slate with its seventh meeting all-time vs Seton Hill on Saturday afternoon. The Golden Rams hold a 6-0 lead in the series against the Griffins, including an 82-68 victory in Hollinger on December 30, 2022. Today will be West Chester's first countable league game since a December 7 victory over IUP by an 88-80 final. West Chester stretched its winning streak to nine in a row on Tuesday night against a PSAC team in UPJ, although the game did not count as a league game for the Golden Rams.
Scouting Seton Hill
Seton Hill (9-4, 2-3) returns to action on Saturday, looking to halt a two-game losing streak after falling to East Stroudsburg by an 80-72 final on Wednesday afternoon in Greensburg. Seton Hill trailed by four at the half and was outscored 43-39 in the second half in the eight-point setback. Ryan Meis led Seton Hill in scoring in the loss, averaging 15 points, while Kedrick Curtis, who leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.6 points per game, finished with 13 of his own in the loss. Curtis also leads the team in rebounding, averaging 7.2 per game, following his team-high nine rebounds in the loss on Wednesday. Meis is second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game, while also leading the team in rebounding through 13 games this year, averaging 3.5 rebounds per game. As a team, Seton Hill averages 78.0 points per game on 46.7 % shooting from the field and 35.7 % shooting from three-point range while also hitting 67.4 % at the free throw line. Seton Hill kept close to its averages on Wednesday night, hitting 44.2 % from the field and 33.3 % from three-point range while also going 17-for-24 (70.8 %) at the free throw line.
