WEST CHESTER, Pa.- The West Chester University men's basketball team (7-3, 1-2) is set to return to action this weekend to open 2026 as the Golden Rams look to halt a two-game losing streak against PSAC West rivals Indiana (Pa.) (8-1, 4-0) and Seton Hill (10-2, 4-0) on Friday and Saturday. West Chester will visit IUP on Friday at 5 p.m. before wrapping up its weekend trip to the West with a visit to Seton Hill on Saturday at 3 p.m.
West Chester at Indiana (Pa.)
Game Details: January 2 I 5 P.M.
Location: Kovalchick Convention Center and Athletic Complex (KCAC) (Indiana, Pa.)
Series: 14-18
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West Chester at Seton Hill
Game Details: January 3 I 3 P.M.
Location: The Katherine Mabis McKenna Center (Greensburg, Pa.)
Series: 7-0
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Last Time Out
West Chester heads into 2026 looking to halt a two-game losing streak after falling to Gannon (101-76) on December 20 and Clarion (96-90) on December 21. The Golden Rams' loss to No. 15 Gannon was the team's first regular-season loss at home since February 2024 and was the largest loss at home for the Golden Rams under head coach
Damien Blair since 2009. On Sunday, West Chester found itself down four at the half despite shooting 69.2 % (18-of-26) from the field, but roared back in the second half and led by nine with under 12 minutes to play after a 9-0 run. This lead did not last as Clarion steadily chipped away at the Golden Ram advantage and eventually closed the game out at the free throw line to earn a 96-90 victory. West Chester shot 56.1 % (32-of-57) from the field and 28.6 % (4-of-14) from three-point range, while also going 22-for-34 at the free throw line.
Anthony McCall (Philadelphia, Pa./ANC) led West Chester in scoring with 21 points as one of five Golden Rams in double figures. Sunday was also the Golden Rams' best shooting performance in a loss since a 57.6% effort in an 89-86 loss to Millersville in January 2024, which coincidentally was part of the Golden Rams' last two-game home losing streak.
Flock Talk
West Chester enters play on Friday averaging 88.6 points per game on 48.8 % shooting from the field and 32.2 % from beyond the arc, while also shooting 65.4 % from the free throw line. West Chester's opponents average 76.7 points per game on 44.6 % shooting from the field and 32.1 % shooting from beyond the arc. West Chester also holds a 43.2-32.3 lead in rebounding and a 19.3-17.5 lead in turnovers, averaging 23.5 points per game off turnovers. West Chester ranks among the nation's leaders in rebounding, ranking 12
th in Division II overall and fourth in offensive rebounds, averaging 17.5 per game.
Individually,
Ruben Rodriguez Jr. (Reading, Pa./Reading) is first on the team in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per game, while McCall is second, averaging 13.8 per game, followed by
Gabe Moss (Pottstown
, Pa./The Hill School) in third, averaging 12.3. Rodriguez Jr., who picked up his first double-double of the year on Sunday with 12, is also first on the team in rebounding, averaging 5.7 per game, while McCall is second, averaging 5.2 per game.
Dylan Blair (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) is first in assists, averaging 4.4 per game, followed by Rodriguez Jr. and his 4.3 helpers per game.
Welcome Back
After dropping back-to-back home games for the first time since the end of January and beginning of February 2024, when the team fell to Millersville and Lock Haven, West Chester will look to improve to 12-4 in the first game of the New Year on Friday at IUP. West Chester has won each of the last seven such games, including a 55-47 win at Shepherd last season after starting out 1-3 in such games through Blair's first four seasons at the helm.
It's Been a While
West Chester last endured a three-game losing streak early in the 2023-24 season, falling to Virginia State, Fairmont State, and Wilmington to drop to 1-4 to open the year. West Chester has not lost three conference games in a row since a five-game skid in 2020 against Lock Haven, Kutztown, East Stroudsburg, Bloomsburg, and Millersville.
Road Warriors
West Chester will begin a three-game road trip this weekend with visits to Indiana (Pa.) and Seton Hill before visiting Mansfield on January 7. West Chester is 3-1 in games away from Hollinger this season, with wins in each of its last three, and this trip will be the longest road trip of the season for the Golden Rams.
Superlative Central
West Chester is outscoring opponents in the paint (474-320), in second-chance points (190-124), and in points off turnovers (245-197) through the first 10 games of the season.
Give us Another Chance
West Chester ranks ninth in Division II in rebounding margin at +10.9 and fourth in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 17.5. The Golden Rams are 12
th in rebounding overall, averaging 43.2 per game.
The Second Unit
West Chester's bench ranks 32
nd in Division II and third in the PSAC in scoring, averaging 33.3 points per game after accounting for 27, led by 13 from
Gavin Dalen (Milford, Ohio/Milford) in the loss to Clarion.
Second Half Heroics
West Chester entered last weekend 3-0 in games in which it trailed at halftime, including a 20-point comeback win at Jefferson on December 16. West Chester trailed at the midway point against both Gannon and Clarion, and despite holding a lead midway through the second half against Clarion, West Chester fell to 3-2 when down at the half this season.
Series History
West Chester improved to 14-18 against Indiana (Pa.) in 2024 with an 88-80 victory in Hollinger Field House, which halted a five-game losing streak for the Golden Rams. Since 1999, West Chester is just 2-9 at IUP and has not won in Indiana since November 2015, when the Golden Rams prevailed 86-76.
Against Seton Hill, West Chester improved to 7-0 last December with a 69-56 victory over the Griffins in Hollinger just before the Division II Holiday Break. West Chester's last visit to Seton Hill came in 2022 when the Golden Rams won by a 95-82 final to halt a two-game losing streak.
Scouting IUP
Indiana (Pa.) enters 2026 riding a six-game winning streak at 8-1 overall and 4-0 in league play following 87-55 and 96-82 victories over Bloomsburg and East Stroudsburg on December 20 and 21. At East Stroudsburg on Sunday afternoon, IUP opened up a 52-41 lead at the half and outscored its hosts 44-41 in the second half to head home for the Division II Holiday Break with a 96-82 victory. Dallis Dillard finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds while Christian Moore added 22 of his own. Kymani Merraro was the third and final Crimson Hawk starter in double figures with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Tyler Grove chipped in 14 off the bench. As a team, IUP shot 53.0 % (35-of-66) from the field, including 11 makes from three-point range (45.8 %; 11-of-24), while also going 15-for-17 (88.2 %) at the line.
As a team, IUP enters 2026 averaging 88.8 points per game on 50.0% shooting from the field and 39.2% from beyond the arc, while also shooting 67.6% at the line. The Crimson Hawks' opponents average 69.1 points per game, shooting 44.0% from the field and 29.8% from three-point range. IUP also holds a 36.8-34.8 rebounding advantage and a 17.2-11.6 turnover advantage, which has led to the Crimson Hawks averaging 20.8 points per game off turnovers.
Individually, Dillard is first on the team in scoring, averaging 18.8 points per game, followed by Moore and Merraro, averaging 14.7 and 14.3, respectively. Damir Brooks is first on the team in rebounding, averaging 6.3 rebounds per game, while Dillard leads the team in assists, averaging 4.9 per game. Dillard also leads the team in steals, averaging 3.0 per game.
Scouting Seton Hill
Seton Hill heads into 2026 at 10-2 overall and 4-0 in league play, after finishing 2025 with 89-61 and 104-70 wins over Mansfield and Bloomsburg. Seton Hill is on a three-game winning streak and has won four of its last five, with the lone loss being a 66-63 OT setback at Shepherd in what was a non-league game between the Rams and Griffins. On Sunday at Bloomsburg, Seton Hill jumped out to a 52-31 lead at the half and never looked back, outscoring its hosts 52-39 in the second half to roll to the 104-70 victory. Edir Ortiz led the Griffins offensively with 18 points and was one of five players in double figures as Kedrick Curtis, Camden Brewer, and Rashaad Williams all scored 15, along with 12 from Dimitrios Sklavenitis. Seton Hill shot an outstanding 58.7 % (37-of-63) from the field in the win, including a 60.0 % (12-of-20) clip from beyond the arc, while also going 18-for-22 (81.8 %) at the line. The Griffins also finished the game with a 40-16 lead in rebounding.
As a team, Seton Hill enters 2026 averaging 87.4 points per game on 50.6 % shooting from the field and 39.2 % shooting from beyond the arc, while also shooting 71.4 % at the free throw line. The Griffins' opponents average 73.8 points per game on 44.0% shooting from the field and 34.0% from beyond the arc. Seton Hill holds a 37.1-31.5 lead in rebounding and a 14.5 -11.1 lead in turnovers, averaging 18.3 points per game off turnovers.
Individually, Ortiz leads the Griffins in scoring, averaging 16.8 points per game, while Curtis is second, averaging 16.4 per game. Curtis also leads the team in rebounding, averaging 8.3 rebounds per game along with a team-best 4.8 assists per game.
Up Next
After concluding crossover play at Seton Hill on Saturday, West Chester will open East play on January 7 at Mansfield, beginning at 4 p.m., before hosting Shippensburg on January 10 at 4 p.m. as part of an Alumni Day doubleheader in Hollinger Field House.
