WEST CHESTER, Pa.-Michelle Kozicki (Wilmington, Del./Padua) recorded yet another double-double with 26 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not enough to lead the West Chester University women's basketball team (4-8, 1-4) to an upset victory over No. 12/5 Seton Hill (12-0, 6-0). West Chester cut the deficit down from 13 late in the first half to just three with under 20 to play but Seton hill escaped with a 78-73 victory.
Kozicki scored 26 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the field and a 3-for-6 effort at the line as one of four Golden Rams in double figures.
Bella Mazur (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) continued her outstanding rookie season with another 19-point, seven-assist game, while
Rachel Conran (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) and
Anna McTamney (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) added 11 each.
Before the game, West Chester paused to thank the parents of its women's basketball student-athletes, thanking them for their support of the Golden Rams throughout the 2024-25 season. West Chester also presented a commemorative ball to Kozicki in honor of her 1,000
th collegiate point, which she scored at Chestnut Hill last Sunday.
West Chester battled through the first five minutes and found itself down 17-11 with five minutes to play in the first quarter after seven early points from Christiane Frye. West Chester closed the quarter on a 13-5 run to carry a 24-22 lead into the second after a buzzer-beating three by Seton Hill to end the first.
Mazur finished the first with eight points, while Kozicki added seven of her own through the first 10 minutes as West Chester went 9-for-15 (60.0 %) from the field.
Seton Hill scored eight of the first 12 points of the second quarter, going 3-for-5 from the field and 2-for-2 at the line in the first three minutes to erase the deficit and claim a 30-28 lead. This run, which included a 6-0 run in a minute, prompted the first Golden Ram timeout of the afternoon. Seton Hill stretched its lead to as many as 13 with under a minute to play in the first half before West Chester cut the deficit to 11 (49-38) heading into the halftime break.
West Chester shot 48.3 % (14-of-29) from the field in the first half, led by 13 early points from Kozicki and 12 more from Mazur. Christiane Frye led Seton Hill in scoring in the first half, finishing with 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting while also going 5-for-5 at the line.
West Chester outscored its guests 10-7 through the first five minutes of the third quarter, cutting the deficit to as few as eight after a three-point play by Kozicki with 5:24 to play in the quarter. West Chester got the deficit down to just three (56-53), but Seton Hill closed the quarter on a 7-0 run, including another three at the buzzer to carry a 63-53 lead into the fourth.
A
Rachel Conran (Springfield, Pa./Springfield) layup with 7:42 to play got the deficit down to six (65-59) before Seton Hill stretched its lead back to double digits moments later. A Mazur three got the deficit down to seven, 74-67, with under two minutes to play.
Alainna Hopta (York, Pa./York Suburban) knocked down a clutch three with under 50 seconds to play, cutting the deficit to 74-70. West Chester pulled back to within three after a pull-up three by McTamney. McTamney had another shot with under 10 seconds to play, which would have tied the game at 76-76, but the shot was off the mark as the senior tried to draw contact on the shot attempt.
Left with no choice but to foul late, West Chester sent Frye to the line, who hit both free throws to lift the Griffins to the five-point (78-73) victory.
West Chester shot 44.3 % (27-of-61) from the field, including 33.3 % (5-of-15) from three-point range in the loss, while also going 14-for-18 (77.8 %) at the line.
Seton Hill also finished with four in double figures, including a pair of double-doubles from Mia Kalich (14 points/12 rebounds) and Frye, who scored a team-high 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Helen and Hallie Cowan finished with 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Seton Hill ended the game with a 44-30 lead in rebounding and a 16-4 lead in second-chance points, while West Chester ended the game with a 25-17 lead in turnovers and a corresponding 29-16 lead in points off turnovers and a 42-36 lead in points in the paint.
Up Next
West Chester will open PSAC East play on January 3 at Shepherd beginning at 5:30 p.m.
