West Chester vs East Stroudsburg
Game Details: February 19 I 5:30 P.M.
Location: Hollinger Field House (West Chester, Pa.)
Coverage Links: Live Stats I Video
Series: 86-33 (W7)
WCU Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
ESU Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Last Time Out
West Chester traveled to Shippensburg last Wednesday afternoon and used a dominant second half, which saw the Golden Rams outscore the Raiders 36-17 to coast to a 58-38 victory. West Chester trailed by one after the first quarter and led by just one (22-12) at the half but stymied the Raider offense in the third quarter, holding them to just four points on 11.1 % shooting from the field to break the close game open and earn the victory after leading by as many as 25 with under four minutes to play. Michelle Kozicki led the team in scoring once again with 28 points on 12-of-19 shooting, finishing one rebound shy of her 16th double-double of the year, while Erin Daley picked up her first career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds in the victory. West Chester shot 41.0 % (25-of-61) from the field, including 20.0 % from beyond the arc, while also going a perfect 5-for-5 at the free throw line for the first time this season.
Working in the Paint
West Chester has outscored its opponents in the paint in 19 of 24 games this season, including a 48-14 lead vs Wilmington. WCU has outscored opponents 732 (30.5/g)-432 (18.0/g) in the paint this season.
Second Quarter Woes
West Chester has struggled in the second quarter this season, being outscored 411-343 while outscoring its foes by 48 (1,213-1,142) in the other three quarters combined, including a 450-413 lead in the fourth quarter of games and an 837-763 lead in the second half.
Erin’s Emergence
Erin Daley has turned in an excellent stretch of basketball for West Chester since a career-high 19 points vs Kutztown on 1/11, Daley has scored in double figures four times in six games, including an 18-point effort in the win at Lock Haven on February 1 and an 11-point/12-rebound double-double at Shippensburg last Wednesday night. The sophomore forward is now averaging 8.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game heading into the final weeks of the 2024-25 regular season.
The Walking Double Double
Kozicki ranks second in the PSAC in scoring, averaging 21.1 points per game, while her 10.5 rebounds per game are fifth best in the league. The senior forward has 15 double-doubles to her name, including seven in as many games, which ranks her in a tie for third in D2 in double-doubles while also ranking second in the PSAC. Emily Chmiel of ESU leads the PSAC and D2 in double-doubles with 16.
Two in the Top-10
Anna McTamney is second on the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. McTamney is seventh in the league in scoring, making West Chester the only team to place two players (Kozicki 21.1/g-2nd) in the top 10 in the league in scoring.
Rare Air
Kozicki has also scored 35 points twice since December 17, becoming the first player to score 35 or more twice in the same season since Leah Johnson, who, along with Mitzi Reitnouer, are the only two Golden Rams to accomplish this feat.
We Love Free Stuff
West Chester leads the PSAC and ranks fifth in Division II in free throw shooting, connecting on 79.4 % of its attempts at the stripe.
Heating Up
After knocking off PSAC East leader Lock Haven on Saturday to open February, West Chester has caught fire, stretching its winning streak to a season-best four in a row while winning seven of 10 to earn a spot in the PSAC Tournament.
The Playoff Picture
West Chester clinched a PSAC Tournament spot while inactive on Saturday by virtue of other results. WCU would be the fourth seed in the Tournament. West Chester is tied with Millersville for third in the standings but trails the Marauders due to a road loss at Millersville earlier this season. Lock Haven (12-6) and Kutztown (11-6), both of whom West Chester has wins over this season, have separated themselves from the pack slightly and are battling for the top seed in the East. The Golden Rams will make their ninth PSAC Tournament appearance in 10 competitive seasons under head coach Kiera Wooden.
Thank You!
Wednesday night is the Golden Rams annual Corporate Partner Appreciation night as the Department welcomes its Corporate Partners to Hollinger to say thank you for their continued support of WCU Athletics.
My Wish
At halftime of the men’s game, West Chester will also have the chance to grant a Wish for a child and their family in partnership with Division II and Make-A-Wish.
Series History
West Chester is 85-33 all-time vs ESU after winning each of the last seven, including a 77-72 OT victory at ESU earlier this season, which was the team’s third OT win of the year. West Chester has not lost to East Stroudsburg since a three-game skid between the second meeting of the 2018-19 season and a sweep at the hands of the Warriors in 2019-20.
West Chester is 42-13 (.763) at home since November 2021, and to take it a step further, the Golden Rams are 36-6 (.857) at home since November 22, which includes the team’s 27-game winning streak at home, which was halted in December after starting in January 2023.
Last Time They Met
When the two teams last met, West Chester jumped out to an early lead and held a 14-10 lead at the end of the first before ESU stormed back in the second quarter to take a two-point lead into the halftime break. West Chester seemed to restore order in the second half, pulling out to a 14-point lead with under eight minutes to play, thanks partly to a 9-0 run, which spanned the end of the third quarter and the early stages of the fourth. ESU had an answer once more, storming back with a 13-0 run of its own to take a slim two-point lead late. Kozicki led West Chester in scoring with 26 points, including a late layup, which forced overtime as regulation ended with the two teams tied at 66. West Chester outscored ESU 11-6 in OT, led by five points from McTamney and 66.7 % shooting from the field to earn the five-point victory. McTamney finished the game on Wednesday with 18 points and eight rebounds. Bella Mazur scored in double figures for the second game in a row and the fourth time in the last five games, finishing with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting while also going 2-for-2 at the line to help lead West Chester offensively. As a team, WCU shot 38.5 % (25-of-65) from the field, including 26.3 % (5-of-19) from three-point range, while also going 22-for-24 (91.7 %) at the line.
Scouting ESU
East Stroudsburg (11-12, 8-9) enters play as winners of three of its last four, including a 54-49 Alumni Day victory over Shippensburg on Saturday afternoon. On Saturday, ESU used an 18-7 fourth-quarter effort to erase a 42-36 deficit heading to the fourth and escape with the five-point victory. Led by 25 points and 10 rebounds from Emily Chmiel, ESU shot 41.9 % from the field in the victory, including 55.6 % in the third and 46.2 % in the fourth to overcome a nine-point second quarter, which saw the Warriors go just 2-of-9 from the field to trail by four at the half. Izzy Vogel was the lone other Warrior in double figures, chipping in 12 points off the bench along with six rebounds, which was also second-best on the squad.
For the year, ESU enters play averaging 62.7 points per game on 40.4 % shooting from the field, including 25.9 % from beyond the arc, led by 22.5 points per game and 12.2 rebounds per game from Chmiel. Corrin Gill leads the Warriors in assists, averaging 3.4 per game.
