West Chester at Kutztown
Game Details: March 1 I 1 P.M.
Location: Keystone Arena (Kutztown, PA.)
Coverage Links: Live Stats I Video I Tickets
Series: 51-37 (W5)
WCU Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Kutztown Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Last Time Out
West Chester completed its home regular-season slate with a dominant 76-58 victory over Millersville on Wednesday night. West Chester trailed only briefly in the victory, leading by as many as 26 later in the fourth quarter with four players in double figures led by 22 second-half points from Michelle Kozicki (Wilmington, Del./Padua) and 17 from Bella Mazur (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional). Erin Daley (Lafayette Hill, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) added 15 and corralled 13 rebounds for another double-double, while Anna McTamney (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) chipped in 11 points. West Chester shot 46.4 % (26-of-56) from the field in the victory, including a 2-for-10 (20.0 %) effort from beyond the arc. The Golden Rams also went 22-for-29 (75.9 %) at the free-throw line.
Follow Their Lead
Kozicki and McTamney remain the only duo in the PSAC East to average in double figures, averaging 20.9 and 15.4 points per game, to rank second and seventh in the league in scoring, respectively. Kozicki, who has 17 double-doubles to her name, including 10 in the last 12 games, which remains third best in Division II women’s basketball, ranks fourth in the league in rebounding, averaging 10.6 rebounds per game. After a second-half performance on Wednesday night, which saw her score all of her team-leading 22 points, Kozicki has scored in double figures in all 27 games this season, while McTamney has scored in double figures in 23 of 27 games and led the team in scoring on five occasions. To take things a step further, Kozicki has scored 35 or more in a single game twice this season, making her just the third Golden Ram to do so (Leah Johnson 2022-23; Mitzi Reitnouer 1981-82) while also becoming the first player to do so since Leah Johnson.
We’ve Got Options
After Wednesday night’s victory, which saw four Golden Rams finish in double figures, West Chester is now 13-4 in games in which three or more players score in double figures. The Golden Rams are 9-2 in games that see exactly three players score in double figures, including victories over California, East Stroudsburg, and Shippensburg earlier this season. In addition to the regular contributions of Kozicki and McTamney, West Chester can look to Erin Daley and Bella Mazur for excellent scoring depth. Since a career-high 19 points against Kutztown earlier this season, Daley has scored in double figures seven times in 12 games, including five of the last seven, which includes a pair of double-doubles. With this, the sophomore forward is now averaging 8.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Mazur, a rookie guard from South Jersey, has scored in double figures 12 times in her rookie season, including a 17-point effort on Wednesday night, as she averages 9.1 points per game to rank third on the team in scoring.
Second Quarter Woes
The second quarter continues to be a house of horrors for West Chester as the Golden Rams find themselves being outscored 464-381 in the second quarter, while outscoring opponents 429-422 in the first, 442-392 in the third, 499-466 in the fourth, and 35-17 in three OT wins this season.
Working Inside
West Chester has outscored its opponents in the paint in 22 of 27 games this season, including a 48-14 lead vs Wilmington in its home opener. This season, WCU has outscored opponents 842 (31.2/g)-476 (17.6/g) in the paint.
The Playoff Picture
West Chester improved its chances of earning a top-four seed in the PSAC Tournament when it begins on Monday on Wednesday evening with a dominant 76-58 victory over Millersville. With a win on Saturday, West Chester will leave no question as to its seed and secure a First Round home game at 5:30 p.m. on March 3. Otherwise, West Chester will be forced to earn its seed based on tiebreaks. If West Chester and Bloomsburg are the only teams tied at 11 wins at the end of play on Saturday, meaning ESU, West Chester, and Millersville all lose their regular season finales, West Chester would be the fourth seed. If only East Stroudsburg wins its finale, West Chester remains the fourth seed. If only Millersville wins its finale, West Chester will be the fifth seed and will visit Millersville on Monday evening. Finally, if Millersville, Bloomsburg, West Chester, and East Stroudsburg all finished the year with 11 wins, West Chester would once again be the fourth seed and host East Stroudsburg in the first round on Monday night.
Series History
West Chester will look to stretch its winning streak against Kutztown to six in a row and improve to 52-37 all-time with a critical matchup against the PSAC East rival Golden Bears. West Chester swept three meetings against Kutztown last year, including a 69-42 triumph in the PSAC Tournament in March 2024. West Chester has not lost to Kutztown in Keystone Arena since a January 2023 setback by a 73-57 final.
Scouting Kutztown
Kutztown enters play hoping to bounce back from a 77-64 setback at East Stroudsburg, which halted a program-record 12-game winning streak that had begun after a loss to the Golden Rams in Hollinger in early January. Kutztown shot just 36.8 % from the field and 42.1 % from beyond the arc, and despite ending the game with a 34-31 lead in rebounding, the Golden Bears fell by 13. Kutztown trailed by six at the end of the first quarter and seven at the half but erased this deficit and seemed to quiet the thought of an upset in the third quarter thanks to a dominant 15-6 performance gave them a slim leading into the fourth. Unfortunately for Kutztown, East Stroudsburg had more in store for its local rivals as the Warriors won the battle of 476 with a 36-21 fourth-quarter performance, on 62.5 % (10-of-16) shooting from the field, including a 3-for-5 effort from deep. Kutztown was led by 22 points from Leila Hurley, along with 15 from Naia Pulliam and 12 from Bella Quinn. Shannon Remolde led the way in rebounding with 10 in the loss.
Kutztown, who averages 66.4 points per game on 39.7 % shooting from the field and 32.1 % from deep, enters play on Saturday still battling with Lock Haven for the PSAC East Regular Season crown. Kutztown and Lock Haven both have a share of the crown at the moment and know that, at the very least, they will both have a bye to the PSAC Quarterfinals, which will be played at home on Wednesday, March 5. Individually, Pulliam leads Kutztown and ranks among the league leaders in scoring, averaging 17.0 points per game, while Hurley is second, averaging 11.3 per game. Olivia Smelas and Pulliam rank first and second on the team in rebounding, averaging 6.9 and 5.8 per game, while Bella Quinn leads in assists, averaging 2.6 per game.
