EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa.- The West Chester University women's basketball team (9-8, 5-6) is set to return to action on Thursday night at East Stroudsburg (11-8, 6-6) in an important PSAC East rivalry clash inside Koehler Field House beginning at 5:30 p.m.
West Chester at East Stroudsburg
Game Details: January 29 I 5:30 P.M.
Location: Koehler Field House (East Stroudsburg, Pa.)
Series: 87-33 (W8)
Coverage Links: Live Stats I
Video
WCU Links: NEWS I
ROSTER I
SCHEDULE I
STATS
ESU Links: NEWS I
ROSTER I
SCHEDULE I
STATS
Last Time Out
West Chester returns to action on Thursday, looking to get back in the win column and avoid another losing streak after falling to Lock Haven on the road on Saturday by a 73-50 final. West Chester used an early 10-0 run to take an 11-point lead in the first quarter and led 20-12 at the end of the first. After shooting 46.7 % (7-of-15) from the field in the first quarter, including a 3-for-6 effort from beyond the arc, West Chester led into the second but trailed by six (34-28) at the half and never led again in a 73-50 setback in Lock Haven.
Lena Stein (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) picked up another double-double with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including two makes from beyond the arc, along with 12 rebounds, four steals, and four assists, while
Jordin Tate (Wilmington, Del./Caravel) scored a career-high 12 off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting in 30 minutes of action. West Chester's freshman class accounted for 41 of 50 points for the Golden Rams on Saturday afternoon. WCU shot 36.5 % (19-of-52) from the field, including a 4-for-11 (36.4 %) effort from beyond the arc and an 8-for-12 (66.7 %) effort at the line.
Flock Talk
West Chester enters play averaging 64.0 points per game on 41.6 % shooting from the field and 26.1 % shooting from beyond the arc, while also shooting 72.1 % at the free throw line. The Golden Rams opponents average 62.4 points per game on 37.0 % shooting from the field and 24.5 % shooting from beyond the arc, while also holding a slim 37.9-37.6 lead in rebounding and a 16.9-17.4 lead in turnovers, despite the Golden Ram defense averaging 9.9 steals per game.
Individually,
Macie McCracken (North Wildwood, N.J./Wildwood) continues to lead the team in scoring, averaging 10.3 points per game, while
Marianna Papazoglou (North Wildwood, N.J./Wildwood Catholic) and Stein are second and third, averaging 9.3 and 9.2 points per game, respectively. Stein also leads the team in rebounding and steals, averaging 5.4 rebounds per game along with 1.6 steals per game.
Ava Mazur (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) leads the team in assists, averaging 2.8 helpers per game, along with 2.6 per game from
Kimi Sayson (Oceanport, N.J/Shore Regional).
Youth Movement
West Chester has scored 1,088 (64.0/g) points on the season, and the Golden Rams' rookie class has accounted for 54.9 % (598) of the team's scoring, averaging 35.2 points per game through their first 17 collegiate games. A freshman has led West Chester in scoring in every game, but three, as
Bella Mazur (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) led the team with 12 at Jefferson, and
Marianna Papazoglou led the team twice with 26 and 12 against Mansfield and Kutztown.
The Painters
After outscoring opponents in the paint in 24-of-30 games last year (936-522), West Chester is right back at its old tricks this season, outscoring opponents 550-448 in the paint through its first 16 Division II games of the season.
A Helping Hand
West Chester ranks 21st in Division II and second in the PSAC in assists per game, averaging 16.4 assists per game.
Second Unit Strong
WCU ranks 12th in D2 and first in the PSAC in points off the bench, averaging 30.8 per game.
Series History
Winners of the last eight against East Stroudsburg after another season sweep of the Warriors last winter, West Chester enters play on Thursday looking to pick up its 10th win of the season and stretch its winning streak over ESU to nine in a series that the Golden Rams lead 87-33. West Chester has not lost to East Stroudsburg since February 2020, when the Golden Rams fell to the Warriors in Koehler Field House by a 51-43 final as part of a three-game losing streak against the Warriors. Since that loss, West Chester has gone 8-0 and has won six of those eight games by double figures, with the lone exceptions being a 77-72 overtime win at ESU last January and a 63-60 win at West Chester in February 2022. Since 1980, West Chester is 28-12 against ESU in Koehler Field House.
Scouting ESU
East Stroudsburg (11-8, 6-6) enters play on Thursday night following a road loss at Kutztown on Tuesday evening by a 62-59 final in overtime for its second loss in a row and fourth in PSAC East play. Led by 22 points from Avery White and a near double-double from Brie Droege (15 points/9 nine rebounds), East Stroudsburg held a one-point lead at the end of the first quarter but was tied at the half and remained tied at the end of the third and fourth quarters, thus forcing overtime to decide a winner. Kutztown outscored ESU 8-5 in OT as the Warriors shot just 28.5 % (2-for-7) after shooting from 25.0 % (4-for-16) in the fourth quarter to hold on for a narrow victory over the visiting Warriors. ESU shot 34.3 % (24-of-70) from the field in the loss, including a 7-for-28 (25.0 %) effort from beyond the arc, while also going 4-for-9 (44.4 %) at the free throw line in the loss.
For the season, East Stroudsburg enters play averaging 63.6 points per game on 39.0 % shooting from the field and 27.0 % shooting from beyond the arc, while also shooting 69.7 % at the free throw line. The Warriors' opponents average 62.2 points per game on 37.2 % shooting from the field and 28.7 % from beyond the arc, while also holding a 40.3-37.1 lead in rebounding over head coach Liz Flook's Warriors.
Individually, Brie and Brooke Droege are first and second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.7 and 12.3 points per game, respectively. Caitlin Marten leads the team in rebounding, averaging 5.7 rebounds per game, while Lacie Kringe is second in rebounding, averaging 5.3 per game and first in assists, averaging 3.3 helpers per contest.
Up Next
West Chester returns home this weekend to take on Mansfield on Saturday at 1 p.m. before hosting Millersville on February 2 in a rescheduled game from Tuesday evening beginning at 5:30.
