WEST CHESTER VS CALIFORNIA (PA.)
Game Details: December 6 I 3 P.M.
Location: Kane-DeLaney Court at Hollinger Field House (West Chester, Pa.)
Series: 3-26
Coverage Links: Live Stats I Watch
WCU Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
CAL Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
WEST CHESTER VS INDIANA (PA.)
Game Details: December 7 I 1 P.M.
Location: Kane-DeLaney Court at Hollinger Field House (West Chester, Pa.)
Series: 9-15
Coverage Links: Live Stats I Watch
IUP Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Last Time Out
West Chester stunned No. 7 Jefferson on Sunday afternoon with a 79-73 victory in overtime. West Chester trailed for much of the game (26:02 to be exact) and trailed by 10 late in the third and five (61-56) with two-and-a-half minutes to play in regulation. The Golden Rams outscored the nationally-ranked and previously unbeaten Rams 8-3 in the final two minutes of play and 15-9 in overtime, led by 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting from Michelle Kozicki to upset the Rams for the third time in four years. Kozicki scored 19 of her 23 points in the second half, with 15 of those points coming in the fourth quarter or overtime as the senior forward was one of four players in double figures. Anna McTamney chipped in 17 points of her own, while Bella Mazur and Rachel Conran added 14 and 10, respectively. West Chester shot 43.8 % from the field, including a 46.4 % effort in the final 15 minutes of the game, while also going 7-for-18 from three-point range, including a 5-for-9 effort between the fourth quarter and overtime. West Chester also ended the game with a 41-31 lead in rebounding thanks to 13 rebounds from Michelle Kozicki, which helped lead to a 16-10 advantage in second-chance points.
Flock Talk
As a team, West Chester enters play averaging 67.6 points per game on 39.9 % shooting from the field and 27.9 % from beyond the arc while also shooting 84.8 % from the free-throw line, which is third-best in Division II women’s basketball. West Chester is even in rebounding at 37.7 rebounds per game and rebounds allowed while now holding a +0.3 advantage in the turnover battle at 20.3-20.6, despite committing 43 turnovers in its season-opening loss against West Virginia State.
Individually, Michelle Kozicki and Anna McTamney are first and second on the team in scoring, averaging 18.4 and 17.9 points per game, which rank fifth and sixth best in the PSAC and third and fourth in the PSAC East. Kozicki also leads the team in rebounding, averaging 8.6 rebounds per game, which is seventh best in the PSAC and fourth best in the PSAC East, entering the second weekend of crossover play around the league. First-year guard Ava Mazur is first on the team in assists and eighth in the PSAC in assists per game, averaging 3.6 per game, while McTamney and Kozicki are first and second on the team and top-10 in the league in steals, averaging 2.3, and 2.1 steals per game.
Giant Slayed
West Chester picked up its first win over a nationally-ranked team since 2022-23 on Sunday (def. 22/25 Jefferson; 8/15 Gannon). Sunday was WCU's first win over a top-10 opponent since that December 3rd win over Gannon.
Not Since 2016
West Chester also picked up its first OT victory since February 2016 on Sunday afternoon with the 79-73 win over Jefferson.
It’s Good to be Home
West Chester has not lost at home since January 2023, winning each of its last 26 games in Hollinger through last year. This streak is the second longest in DII, trailing only Harding at 27 games. West Chester will have the chance to match and perhaps claim the longest streak with a pair of wins this weekend as Harding does not play at home again until December 12.
Bella Can Ball
Bella Mazur has had a strong start to her collegiate career, particularly at home, averaging 14.5 points per game in Hollinger after scoring 15 vs. Wilmington in her home debut and 14 more in the victory over No. 7 Jefferson on Sunday.
Working in the Paint
West Chester has outscored its opponents in the paint in five of seven 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 at Edinboro (28-28)on 11/23. WCU has outscored opponents 230 (32.8/g)-120 (17.1/g) in the paint this season.
Series History
West Chester trails 26-3 in the all-time series vs Cal after falling to the Vulcans 54-51 a year ago and trails IUP 15-9 after losing five straight, including a 73-63 setback at IUP on December 19, 2022. West Chester picked up its first win against Cal since January 2012 when the team vanquished the Vulcans by an 80-67 final behind a 44-point outburst by Leah Johnson in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. West Chester's last win over IUP came in November 2015 when the Golden Rams won 92-79. West Chester has not beaten IUP in Hollinger 70-66 OT win in December 2004.
Scouting Cal
Cal (4-4, 1-1) enters play after a 65-53 loss to Virginia State earlier this week in what was the team’s third loss in four games, with a 70-52 victory over Shepherd being the only thing preventing a four-game losing streak. The Vulcans held a six-point lead at the half and a one-point heading into the fourth but were outscored by 13 (25-12) in the fourth in the 12-point loss. Cal shot just 32.8 % from the field and 22.2 % from three-point territory while also shooting 56.3 % (9-of-16) at the free-throw line in the setback. Alicia Young scored 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting from the field, while Talia Gilliard added 10 points of her own as the lone other Vulcan in double figures.
For the year, Cal enters play with a team stat line that does not appear different from the Golden Rams. The Vulcans averaged 66.6 points per game on 35.6 % shooting and 23.6 % shooting from three-point range while also connecting on 66.9 % at the free throw line. Cal’s opponents average 64.5 points per game on 40.6 % shooting from the field and 30.3 % from three-point territory while losing the rebounding and turnover battle by -4.4 (43.6-39.3) and -4.5 (15.8-20.3) margins.
Alicia Young leads the team in scoring this year, averaging 17.6 points per game, while ranking second to Allycia Harris in rebounding, averaging 5.6 rebounds. At the same time, Harris collects an average of 7.9 per game. Nina Shaw leads the team in assists, averaging 2.8 per game, while Talia Gilliard is first in steals, averaging 1.8 thefts per game.
Scouting IUP
Indiana (Pa.) (5-0, 2-0) enters play on the weekend a perfect 5-0 on the year, averaging 72.8 points per game and holding opponents to just 46.0 points per game. Shooting 46.0 % from the field and 28.6 % from three-point range, a nearly 50 rebound per game average (49.8) has played a significant role in the Crimson Hawk’s success under the tutelage of third-year head coach Craig Carey. Carey’s bunch will start the weekend in West Virginia vs Shepherd as the Crimson Hawks look to move to 6-0 on the year after vanquishing Shippensburg by a 77-41 final in their last game. The Crimson Hawks jumped out to a 12-point lead after the first and never looked back as they shot 48.3 % from the field and 41.7 % from three-point range while also winning the rebounding battle by a 43-28 final. Rookie forward Madison Zavasky led the team in points and rebounds in the victory, finishing with 13 points and nine rebounds.
Individually, IUP boasts the top rebounder in the league in Nyshae’ Weaver, who averages a double-double, averaging 12.8 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Shamia Strayhorn is second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.6 points per game and a team-best 2.6 assists per game.
