EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa.- Emily McAteer (Thornton, Pa./Garnet Valley) scored a game-high 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting as one of three Golden Rams in double figures as the West Chester University women's basketball team (18-5, 13-4) rolled to a 61-42 victory over East Stroudsburg (7-14, 5-11) for its 10th win in as many tries.
West Chester trailed only briefly on Saturday afternoon, finding itself behind in the first two minutes, but the Golden Rams erased the deficit quickly with a 14-1 run and never looked back, leading by as many as 29 midway through the fourth en route to the 19-point victory.
In addition to the 21 from McAteer,
Leah Johnson (Columbus, N.J./Notre Dame) turned in another strong effort, finishing with 14 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and five steals to go along with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting from
Anna McTamney (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) as the third and final Golden Ram in double figures.
Michelle Kozicki (Wilmington, Del./Padua) finished with six points but led the team in rebounding again, coming away with nine boards in the victory.
West Chester shot 44.6 % (25-of-56) from the field, including 41.7 % (5-of-12) from three-point range, while also shooting 85.7 % (6-of-7) from the line in the victory.
East Stroudsburg scored the game's first points, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the first two minutes of play before a three by McAteer cut the deficit to 4-3 with 7:49 to play in the first quarter. Johnson erased the deficit moments later with a driving layup, giving the Golden Rams a 5-4 lead.
ESU tied things up with just over five minutes into play in the opening frame, going 1-for-2 at the line, but West Chester would never trail again, using a 9-0 run, including four points from McAteer to take a 14-5 lead late in the quarter before carrying an 18-7 lead into the second.
In the second, ESU once again scored the first four points of the frame, cutting the West Chester lead to 18-11, but the Golden Rams answered with a 6-0 run over the next minute-and-half, scoring next of their nine second-quarter points to stretch the lead back to 24-11 with 5:12 to play until halftime.
Over the final five minutes of the first half, West Chester and ESU combined for just five points as the Warriors scored a pair at the free throw line, while McAteer converted a three-point play with 2:07 to play until halftime, giving West Chester a 27-13 lead. Neither side was able to muster any offense over the final two minutes of the opening half, which led to the Golden Rams carrying a 27-13 lead into the halftime break.
After nearly three more scoreless minutes to open the second half, Johnson opened the scoring with a three with 7:17 to play, which extended the lead to 30-13 before Emily Chmiel countered with a layup to cut the West Chester lead back to 30-15.
This layup by Chmiel would be the last points for ESU until the 2:28 mark of the third quarter as West Chester went on another 9-0 run, extending its lead to 39-15 after an exciting sequence, which saw Johnson drain a three and McAteer hit a layup moments later.
The Golden Rams and Warriors traded points down the stretch of the third, including a three by McAteer with 44 seconds to play in the third as the Purple and Gold carried a 46-22 lead into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth, ESU scored four of the first six points of the frame, which cut the Golden Ram lead to 48-26 with 8:28 to play in regulation. The Warriors continued their ill-fated comeback bid as the fourth quarter continued, outscoring the Golden Rams 20-15 in the frame, but it was not nearly enough as West Chester held on for a 61-42 victory.
For East Stroudsburg, Izzy Vogel and Chmiel tied for the team lead in scoring with seven points each as the Warriors shot just 35.6 % (16-of-45) from the field while shooting 30.8 % (4-of-13) from three-point range. ESU also connected on 6-of-8 (75.0 %) from the line in the victory.
West Chester also ended the game with a 36-27 lead in rebounding, including a 13-8 lead on the offensive glass, which translated into a 14-12 lead in second-chance points. West Chester also ended the game with a 22-16 lead in turnovers, which led to a 22-14 lead in points off turnovers.
Up Next:
West Chester returns to action on Wednesday night against Kutztown beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the first game of a special Valentine's Day Night doubleheader in Hollinger Field House presented by McDonald's.
