West Chester vs Shippensburg
Game Details: January 18 I 1 P.M.
Location: Hollinger Field House (West Chester, Pa.)
Coverage Links: Live Stats I Video
Series: 38-31 (WCU 3-2 in last five; W3)
WCU Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
SHIP Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Last Time Out
West Chester (7-9, 4-5) wrapped up a busy four-game, eight-day stretch with a 3-1 record after defeating Kutztown on Alumni Day by a 68-58 final in front of a great Hollinger Field House crowd. West Chester led by as many as 20 late in the first half and carried a 12-point lead into the break but needed a final stand in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter to escape with the 10-point victory. Led by a career-high 19 points from Erin Daley and the eighth double-double of the year by Michelle Kozicki (11 pts/11 rebs), West Chester improved to 7-9 overall and 4-6 in league play with its third win of the new year and second win in a row. West Chester shot 43.1 % (22-of-51) from the field and 35.7 % (5-of-14) from deep while also going 19-for-24 (79.2 %) at the line, including a 12-for-15 (80.0 %) effort at the line in the fourth quarter to stretch a three-point lead with four minutes to play into a 10-point victory.
Flock Talk
Kozicki ranks second in the PSAC in scoring, averaging 20.5 points per game, while her 10.1 rebounds per game is fifth best in the league. The senior forward has eight double-doubles to her name, including four in the last six games. Anna McTamney, whom West Chester plans on honoring before the game on Saturday for her 1000th point as a Golden Ram, is second on the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 16.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. McTamney is eighth in the league in scoring, making West Chester one of just two teams (Seton Hill being the lone other) to place two players in the top 10 in the league in scoring. Ranking third on the team in scoring, Bella Mazur has been a great addition to the Golden Ram lineup in her rookie campaign, averaging 9.5 points per game thanks in part to five double-digit scoring efforts in six games and six such efforts in seven home games this season. As a team, West Chester averages 67.4 points per game on 39.7 % shooting from the field and 26.5 % from three-point range. West Chester also leads the PSAC and ranks third in Division II in free throw shooting, connecting on 81.3 % of its attempts at the stripe.
Happening Pregame
Before Saturday afternoon’s game, West Chester plans to honor Anna McTamney with a second commemorative basketball in recognition of her 1000th point at WCU. McTamney scored her 1000th point as a Golden Ram with the first basket of the second quarter in Saturday’s 68-58 victory over Kutztown, which was two of her 11 points after being held scoreless in the first quarter.
Double Double Machine
With her eight double-doubles on the year, Kozicki is tied for eighth in DII in double-doubles and is tied for second in the PSAC with Mia Kalich of Seton Hill. Emily Chmiel of East Stroudsburg leads the PSAC and all of DII women’s basketball with 11.
We Love Free Stuff
West Chester is third in DII in free throw percentage, shooting 81.3 % at the line this season. WCU has hit over 70.0 % in 14 of 16 games and 80.0 % or better in nine of 13, including a season-high 92.0 % effort vs Lock Haven.
Bella Can Ball
Averaging 9.5 points per game, Mazur is enjoying an outstanding start to her collegiate career, ranking third on the team in scoring and already showing herself as one of the top first-year players in the PSAC. The rookie guard has scored in double figures eight times so far this season, including five of the last six and six times in seven home games.
Series History
West Chester is 38-31 all-time vs Shippensburg, including wins in each of its last three meetings and a sweep of the season series a year ago. West Chester triumphed by an 82-55 final on the road in the first meeting between the two rivals in January of last year before winning the series finale by a 64-59 final in Hollinger last February. The Golden Rams five-point win in Hollinger was the team’s first home win over Shippensburg since January 8, 2020, and the team’s first three-game winning streak against the Raiders since winning three in a row between December 2014 and March 2015. West Chester has not won more than three in a row over Shippensburg since an eight-game winning streak that stretched from February 2009 through February 2012.
Scouting Shippensburg
Shippensburg (7-9, 4-6) enters play coming off a hard-fought victory over East Stroudsburg on Wednesday night as the Raiders stormed back for a 70-69 win over the visiting Warriors. In the win over ESU, Shippensburg trailed by eight points entering the fourth quarter but outscored its guests 26-17 in the final frame, shooting 57.1 % (8-of-14) from the field in the final 10 minutes to escape with the one-point win. Colbert played the full 40 minutes in the victory and scored 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including a 3-for-4 effort from deep, while Michelle Olak added 14 points off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting. Shippensburg shot 46.4 % (26-of-56) from the field in the win, including a 31.3 % (5-of-16) effort from deep, while also going 13-for-15 (86.7 %) at the line.
As a team, Shippensburg averages 59.9 points per game on 37.3 % shooting from the field, including a 25.7 % effort from deep and 73.0 % shooting from the line, led by a 10.9 per game scoring average by Taja Colbert and 9.3 points per game from Bella Chimienti. Senior forward Abbie Miller leads the team in rebounding, averaging 7.2 rebounds per game, and ranks third in scoring, averaging 8.3 points per game. Colbert is first on the team in assists, averaging 3.1 per game, while Miller also leads the team in steals, averaging 1.7 per game.
