West Chester at Bloomsburg
Game Details: Saturday, February 22 I 3 P.M.
Location: Nelson Field House (Bloomsburg, Pa.)
Coverage Links: Live Stats I Video
Series: 77-69 (W8)
WCU Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Bloomsburg Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Last Time Out
Facing East Stroudsburg with control of the PSAC East on the line, West Chester captured a huge 84-80 victory over the Warriors behind a pair of 14-point performances from Saleem Payne and Joshua Walker. Another classic battle between the Golden Rams and Warriors featured 15 ties and five lead changes, with 13 of the ties and all five lead changes coming in the first half. West Chester shot 39.7 % (27-of-68) from the field and 15.0 % from beyond the arc while also shooting 84.4 % at the free-throw line. ESU was led by 18 points from Cam Young as the Warriors shot 45.0 % from the field and 31.8 % from three-point range while also going 37-for-47 (78.7 %) at the line.
Flock Talk
After its win over ESU, which included five players in double figures, West Chester is now averaging 78.2 points per game on 42.3 % shooting from the field and 31.9 % from deep while also holding a 42.5-34.9 rebound per game advantage as one of the top rebounding teams in DII. West Chester also extended its lead in turnover margin on Wednesday night to +1.8 (16.1-14.3) entering the final three games of the regular season. West Chester’s opponents average 72.0 points per game on 41.9 % shooting, including a 29.3 % effort from deep, as the Golden Ram defense has stiffened considerably after yielding 200 points on the season's opening weekend against No. 17 West Liberty and Wheeling.
Individually, Elijah Allen continues to lead the team in scoring, averaging 15.3 points per game as one of four Golden Rams averaging in double figures. Davante Dennis (Baltimore, Md./Red Lion) is second in scoring, averaging 11.1 points per game, while Dylan Blair (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) and Joshua Walker (Upper Marlboro, Md./Riverdale Baptist) are tied for third, averaging 10.4 points per game. Allen’s scoring continues to be a harbinger of good things for West Chester as the senior guard has scored in double figures in 19-of-24 games and led the team in scoring in 11 of those 19 games, leading WCU to a 9-2 record in such games. Walker continues to lead the team in rebounding, averaging 7.3 per game after corralling seven on Wednesday night. Blair, who finished Wednesday night’s win with four assists to go along with his 12 points, remains first on the team and among the top seven in the league in assists, averaging 4.3 assists per game.
Playoff Picture
West Chester regained control of the PSAC East race on Wednesday night with its 84-80 victory. West Chester can clinch at least a share of the Eastern Division crown with a win on Saturday. However, the Golden Rams need two wins or another ESU loss to secure the outright PSAC Crown and hosting rights (with a win in the PSAC Quarterfinals) for the PSAC Championship weekend on March 8-9.
Made in the Paint
West Chester has outscored its opponents in the paint in 18-of-25 games. West Chester is unbeaten when finishing the game tied (IUP 34-34, Mansfield 34-34) or ahead of its foes in points in the paint. WCU is 1-4 when being outscored in the paint (West Liberty 50-44, ESU 34-26, Millersville 46-20, Shepherd 22-26, Shippensburg 40-22) with its lone win coming vs Shepherd.
Crash the Glass
WCU is seventh in Division II in rebounding, averaging 42.6 rebounds per game, thanks in part to a 16.5 offensive rebounds per game, which is fifth best. West Chester is 10th in DII in rebounding margin and is second in the PSAC in rebounding margin (+7.7). West Chester also ranks second in the PSAC in rebounding & offensive rebounding.
The Second Unit
West Chester's bench remains fourth in the PSAC in scoring, averaging 25.6 points per game through 25 games. The WCU bench has outscored the opposing bench in 17 of 25 games this season, including a 42-31 advantage over No. 17 West Liberty in the season opener.
NCAA Aspirations
West Chester was one of 10 teams to appear in the first regional rankings of the year released on Wednesday. West Chester is 4-2 against other teams appearing in the rankings, including a sweep of Shepherd, a split with ESU, and a win over California (Pa.).
Series History
West Chester holds a 77-69 lead in the all-time series against Bloomsburg after winning each of the last eight meetings to break open a series that was once tied at 69-69. West Chester has not lost to Bloomsburg since a January 2020 setback in Bloomsburg by a 102-89 final, which was the team's first loss to the Huskies since January of the 2017-18 season. West Chester captured a 101-52 victory over Bloomsburg earlier this season, the team's largest PSAC East victory under Blair and the largest win over a PSAC East foe since a February 1996 win over Mansfield by a 107-54 final.
Scouting Bloomsburg
Bloomsburg (6-20, 5-14) was back in action on Wednesday night in Millersville, falling to the host Marauders by an 88-68 final after being outscored 49-34 in the second half. Tony Henderson led Bloomsburg in scoring with 25 points, and Louie Wild chipped in 13 in an attempt to keep the Huskies in the game, but the Marauders were too much in the 20-point victory. Bloomsburg shot 44.4 % from the field in the loss, including 8-for-20 from beyond the arc as the team trailed by just five at the half, but Millersville shot an even more impressive 61.0 % from the field and 38.9 % from deep, led by 21 points from Saraj Ali and 16 from Aamir Hurst as the Marauders finished with five in double figures in the dominant victory.
As a team, Bloomsburg enters play averaging 70.5 points per game on 44.3 % shooting from the field and 35.4 % from deep. Still, its opponents shoot an even more impressive 46.4 % on the year and force the Huskies into an average of 15.2 turnovers per game while also outrebounding them 39.3-32.6 to average 81.5 points per game. Individually, Matt Bengel is a bright spot for Bloomsburg, leading the team in scoring (16.3/g) and rebounding (5.8/g). At the same time, Louie Wild is second on the team in scoring (13.5/g) and rebounding (3.9/g) while leading in assists, averaging 3.3 helpers per game.
