WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Despite trailing for much of the first half and by as many as 14 in the second half, the West Chester University men's basketball team (22-5, 17-3) used a 26-7 run midway through the second half to earn a 75-70 victory over Millersville (17-10, 13-7) and capture its first PSAC East Regular Season crown since 2006.
West Chester shot 47.1 % (16-of-34) from the field in the second half to pick up its 22
nd win of the season, which is tied with the 2017-18 and 18-19 seasons for the second most wins in single-season program history. The program record remains 23, which was set in the 1998-99 season and matched during the 2015-16 campaign. Tonight's win also completed an unbeaten regular-season at home as the Golden Rams have now won 18 in a row in Hollinger dating back to last February.
With tonight's win, West Chester has ensured that the road to the PSAC Championship game will run through Hollinger Field House, as the Golden Rams will be the top seed in the PSAC Tournament when play gets underway next Monday. If West Chester wins its Quarterfinal on Wednesday, March 5, against an opponent yet to be determined, the Golden Rams will host the PSAC Semifinals and Finals on March 8 and 9.
Elijah Allen (Dover, Del./Dover) led West Chester in scoring with 20 points, including 15 in the second half, while
Joshua Walker (Upper Marlboro, Md./Riverdale Baptist) scored 14, including 12 in the second half.
Anthony Purnell Jr. (Chester, Pa./Kiski) and
Anthony McCall (Philadelphia, Pa./ANC) scored nine points each, with all nine of Purnell Jr.'s points coming during the Golden Ram's second-half comeback.
West Chester ended the game shooting 37.3 % (25-of-67) from the field, including 25.0 % (4-of-16) from three-point range, while also going 21-for-26 (80.8 %) at the free throw line.
West Chester jumped out to an early 8-0 lead before Millersville responded with a 9-0 run to erase the early deficit and eventually lead by as many as 11 late in the first half.
West Chester shot just 27.3 % (9-of-33) from the field in the first half, including 22.2 % (2-of-9) from three-point range, while going 9-for-13 (69.2 %) at the free throw line.
Millersville shot 44.4 % (12-of-27) from the field and 33.3 % (2-for-6) from three-point range while going 10-for-16 (62.5 %) at the free throw line.
Aiden Gair led Millersville in scoring in the first half with 15 points, while a host of Golden Rams scored five points in the first 20 minutes.
West Chester cut into the Millersville lead to start the second half, getting the deficit down to 38-34 before another 7-0 run by the Marauders gave the visitors a 45-34 lead and prompted a quick WCU timeout with 17 minutes to play.
Trailing 48-34 early in the second half, West Chester countered with a 26-7 run over a 10-minute span led by nine points from Allen and seven from Purnell Jr. to take a 60-52 lead with under seven minutes to play.
West Chester was 10-for-19 (52.6 %) from the field during this run, including a 2-for-5 effort from deep, while forcing nine turnovers, including seven steals, to erase the early deficit.
Purnell Jr. gave West Chester a 55-53 lead before two quick takeaways and back-to-back makes by Allen, including a deep three with 6:59 to play, gave West Chester the eight-point lead late in the second half.
Millersville fought its way back into the game late, trailing by just one with 1:30 to play before West Chester closed the game out on an 8-4 run to capture its first PSAC East Regular Season crown since 2006.
Millersville saw four players out of its starting five finish in double figures, led by 19 points from Aiden Gair as he scored 19 on 5-of-14 shooting from the field, including three makes from three-point range, while also going 6-for-6 at the free throw line.
Millersville shot 49.0 % (24-of-49) from the field, including 30.8 % (4-of-13) from three-point range, while also going 18-for-29 (62.1 %) at the free throw line.
Millersville ended the game with a slim 39-37 lead in rebounding, despite a team-high 10 rebounds from McCall but West Chester ended the night with a 20-10 lead in turnovers after committing just four, while forcing 11 thanks in part to seven steals in the second half.
Dylan Blair (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) led West Chester in steals and assists in the victory, finishing with three thefts and four helpers.
West Chester ended the game with a 20-11 lead in points off turnovers, including a 16-7 lead in the second-half comeback. West Chester also finished the game with an 11-10 lead in second-chance points, a 20-15 lead in points off the break (an 18-7 lead in the second half), and a 23-4 lead in points off the bench led by nine from Purnell Jr.
Up Next:
West Chester will be back in action on Saturday afternoon at Kutztown beginning at 3 p.m.
