WEST CHESTER, Pa.- The West Chester University women's basketball team (1-2) returns home on Sunday afternoon for its fourth game of the year and third Division II matchup of the season against the California (Pa.) Vulcans (3-4) as the team looks to return to .500 following an 83-50 loss at La Salle on Tuesday night.
West Chester vs California (Pa.)
Game Details: November 23 I 1 P.M.
Location: Hollinger Field House (West Chester, Pa.)
Series: 5-26
Coverage Links: Live Stats I
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WCU Links: NEWS I
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CAL Links: NEWS I
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Fan Information
Similar to West Chester football games, West Chester basketball games will be cashless events this season. Ticket prices remain the same at $10 for general admission adult tickets and $5 for students (K-12) and seniors (+65), with WCU students with a current, valid ID admitted free of charge. Fans are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets online prior to arriving at Hollinger via this
link.
Series History
West Chester is 5-26 against California (Pa.) since 1998, despite a 75-64 victory over the Vulcans in Hollinger Field House last December. This win was the Golden Rams' first regular-season win over Cal since an 89-66 win in January 2012, but was the Golden Rams' second win in three meetings against Cal, including a historic 80-67 victory over the Vulcans in the 2023 NCAA Tournament led by a single-game program record 44 points from Leah Johnson.
Last Time Out
West Chester returns home looking to get back in the win column after an 83-50 loss at Division I La Salle on Tuesday night. After closing the first quarter on a 16-8 run, West Chester trailed by just four (20-16) heading into the second, but scored just two points at the free-throw line in the second quarter in an 83-50 loss to the Division I Explorers.
Marianna Papazoglou (North Wildwood, N.J./Wildwood Catholic) led West Chester in scoring with 10 points, while
Jordin Tate (Wilmington, Del./Caravel) and
Kimi Sayson (Oceanport, N.J./Shore Regional) added seven points each in the loss. West Chester shot 31.1 % (19-of-61) from the field, including a 3-for-28 (10.7 %) effort from beyond the arc, while going 9-for-10 at the free throw line. Ashleigh Connor led La Salle offensively with 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting as the Explorers shot 40.6 % (28-of-69) from the field, despite going just 1-for-16 from beyond the arc.
Flock Talk
West Chester heads into play on Sunday averaging 63.3 points per game on 39.3 % shooting from the field, including an 18.5 % effort from beyond the arc. One of the top free-throw shooting teams in Division II in recent seasons, West Chester is shooting 73.7 % from the line, including its 90.0 % effort on Tuesday night in Philadelphia. West Chester also holds a 44.7-39.0 lead on the glass, which has helped West Chester outscore Division II competition 84-36 in the paint and 25-14 in second-chance points to open the season.
Individually,
Lena Stein (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) leads the team in scoring, averaging 9.7 points per game, while
Bella Mazur (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) is second in scoring, averaging 9.3 points per game, followed by
Jordin Tate (Wilmington, Del./Caravel), averaging 8.0 points per game. Stein,
Erin Daley (Lafayette Hill, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh), and Tate are top three on the team in rebounding, averaging 6.0 and 5.0 rebounds per game. Daley is also first on the team in assists, averaging 3.3 per game, while Stein is first in steals, averaging 2.3 per game.
Youth Movement
West Chester is starting three freshmen in 2025 as
Lena Stein,
Jordin Tate, and
Kimi Sayson all begin their careers as starters for Wooden's Golden Rams. Fellow freshmen
Alivia Mauz (Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown) and
Amelia McMichael (Butler, Pa./Butler) are some of the first players off the bench for Wooden this year as well. West Chester has scored 190 points (63.3/G) through its first three games, and the newcomers have accounted for 104 (54.7 %) of that scoring as Sayson led the team with 11 points in her college debut on Friday before Stein recorded the first double-double of the year with 17 points and 13 rebounds on Saturday against Glenville State. Tate and Sayson scored seven points each in the loss at La Salle. Stein leads the team in scoring, averaging 9.7 points per game, while
Bella Mazur is second, averaging 9.3 per game, followed by Tate, averaging 8.0 per game.
Home Sweet Home
Returning to Hollinger on Sunday may very well be just what the Doctor ordered for the Golden Rams as the team boasts a .763 (45-14) winning percentage in Hollinger since the beginning of the 2021-22 season, including a 27-game winning streak that IUP halted last December but not before the Golden Rams picked up their first regular season win over California (Pa.) since 2012.
Scouting California
California enters play following a 79-58 victory at Wilmington to begin a road trip to the Delaware Valley and improve the Vulcans to 3-4 on the year after falling to 2-4 with a 75-71 home loss to Fairmont State on November 19. At Wilmington, Kennedy bankett led the Vulcans in scoring with 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting, as one of four players in double figures. Alicia Young scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds, while Kimaya Williams flirted with a highly unconventional triple-double, grabbing nine rebounds, dishing eight assists, and coming away with seven steals.
For the year, Cal is averaging 65.0 points per game on 43.3 % shooting from the field and 27.2 % from beyond the arc, while opponents average 73.0 points per game on 40.5 % shooting, including a 29.9 % effort from deep. Bankett leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.0 points per game, while Young is second, averaging 11.6 per game. Williams is first on the team in rebounding, averaging 7.9 rebounds along with a team-best 3.6 assists per game.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action after Thanksgiving when the Golden Rams visit Jefferson on November 30 at 1 p.m. before opening Crossover play at home on December 6 vs Pitt-Johnstown at 1 p.m.
