WEST CHESTER, Pa.- After falling to Seton Hill on Saturday to drop to 2-3 in league play, the West Chester University men's basketball team (8-4, 2-3) will look to open PSAC East play with a victory over Mansfield (1-10, 0-5) on the road on Wednesday afternoon beginning at 3 p.m.
West Chester at Mansfield
Game Details: Wednesday, January 7 I 3 P.M.
Location: Marion Decker Gymnasium
Coverage Links: Live Stats I
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Series: 61-34
WCU Links: NEWS I
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Mansfield Links: NEWS I
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Last Time Out
West Chester enters PSAC East play at 8-4 overall and 2-3 in league action, suffering its first losing crossover season in recent memory after falling to Gannon and Clarion at home before the Holiday Break, before splitting with IUP and Seton Hill to open 2026. Against IUP, West Chester posted its first road win over the Crimson Hawks since 2015, behind a career-high 30-point performance by
Ruben Rodriguez Jr. (Reading, Pa./Reading) on 9-of-15 shooting from the field and a 10-for-10 effort at the line. West Chester led by as many as 12 with under eight minutes to play after trailing by 12 just over five minutes into the game as the Golden Rams halted their losing streak with a 53.6 % (30-of-56) field goal percentage and a 76.7 % (23-of-30) effort at the line.
Against Seton Hill on Sunday, Rodriguez Jr. led West Chester once again with 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting, but the Griffins would not be denied their second home victory of 2026 as they prevailed by a 97-83 final.
Jaysean Williams added 16 off the bench with five assists as the lone other Golden Ram in double figures. West Chester led for just over five minutes in the loss, as the game, which saw Seton Hill lead by as many as 17, featured four ties and four lead changes. The Golden Rams shot 46.5 % (33-of-71) from the field, including a 10-for-30 (33.3 %) effort from beyond the arc, while also just 7-of-15 at the free throw line.
Flock Talk
West Chester enters play on Wednesday with the 25
th-ranked offense in Division II men's basketball, averaging 88.1 points per game on 48.9 % shooting from the field, which is 35
th best, including a 32.0 % effort from beyond the arc. West Chester has struggled at the free-throw line this season, shooting just 65.6 % at the line. Perennially one of the top rebounding teams in Division II, West Chester averages 41.6 rebounds per game, while its opponents corral just 32.0 per game. The team also holds a +1.8 (19.3-17.6) lead in turnovers and averages 23.1 points per game off turnovers. West Chester's opponents average 78.9 points per game on 46.4 % shooting from the field and a 32.5 % effort from three-point range.
Individually, Rodriguez Jr. leads West Chester in scoring, averaging 16.6 points per game through his first 12 games as a Golden Ram.
Anthony McCall (Philadelphia, Pa./ANC) and
Gabe Moss (Pottstown, Pa./The Hill School) are second and third in scoring, averaging 14.3 and 11.3 points per game, respectively. Rodriguez Jr. also leads the team in rebounding, averaging 6.0 rebounds per game, while
Dylan Blair (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) continues to lead in assists, averaging 4.3 helpers per game.
It's An Honor
The PSAC office recognized Rodriguez Jr. as PSAC East Athlete of the Week after averaging 27.5 points per game, including a 30-point explosion against Indiana (Pa.) in the 2026 opener last weekend.
The Second Unit
West Chester's bench enters play on Wednesday averaging 31.3 points per game, which is 40
th in Division II and third best in the PSAC after outscoring Seton Hill's bench 32-15 in a setback on Saturday afternoon.
Superlative Central
West Chester enters play on Wednesday outscoring opponents in the paint (552-402), in second-chance points (230-147), and in points off turnovers (287-244) heading into the start of PSAC East action.
Give Us Another Chance
In addition to outscoring opponents in second-chance points, West Chester ranks third in Division II in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 17.3, while their rebounding margin of +9.6 is 11
th best. West Chester is also tied for 19
th in rebounds per game, averaging 41.6.
Sticky Fingers
West Chester ranks eighth in Division II in turnovers forced per game, averaging 19.3, second best in the PSAC, trailing only Gannon, which leads Division II at 25.2 turnovers per game.
In East Openers
West Chester is 12-4 in PSAC East openers under head coach
Damien Blair, dating back to the 2008-09 season, when he first assumed control of the Golden Rams. West Chester won its East opener a year ago over Shepherd and has won six of its last seven, with the lone exception being a 74-71 loss to Lock Haven in January 2024 in Thomas Field House.
Road Warriors
Wednesday's game is the third and final road game of a three-game road trip to open 2026. West Chester opened 2026 with a road win over IUP, its first win away from home over the Crimson Hawks since 2015, before falling to Seton Hill on Saturday by a 97-83 final. This setback drops West Chester to 4-2 in games away from home this season and is the Golden Rams' first loss away from Hollinger since an 83-80 setback to Fayetteville State on opening night at Bowie State.
Series History
West Chester will look to run its winning streak against Mansfield to seven in a row on Wednesday when the Golden Rams continue their road trip with a visit to Mansfield for a 3 p.m. midweek start. West Chester swept the season series last year with an 80-78 win at Mansfield in January before an 84-76 win at home, which gave head coach
Damien Blair his 300
th career win. West Chester has not lost to Mansfield since January 2022, when the Golden Rams fell to the Mountaineers on the road by a 94-90 final.
Scouting Mansfield
Mansfield (1-10, 0-5) enters play on Wednesday riding a five-game losing streak, with their last and only win of the season coming over Bryant & Stratton on December 3 by a 102-85 final. Mansfield opened 2026 with a 92-68 loss at Edinboro after falling to Seton Hill and California on December 20 and 21 at home by 89-61 and 93-70 finals.
At Edinboro, Mansfield trailed by just seven at the break but was outpaced by a 54-37 margin in the second half despite a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double by Scott Sterling as one of four Mounties in double figures. Mansfield shot 42.6 % (26-of-61) from the field in the loss, including a 25.0 % (3-of-12) effort from beyond the arc, while also going 13-for-21 (61.9 %) from the free throw line.
For the year, Mansfield enters play averaging 72.7 points per game on 41.4 % shooting from the field, including a 26.6 % effort from beyond the arc and a 64.9 % effort at the line. The Mounties also trail 44.8-32.3 in rebounding and 13.6-11.5 in turnovers, allowing an average of 16.1 points per game off turnovers. Mansfield's opponents enter play averaging 94.3 points per game on 50.4 % shooting from the field and a 36.9 % effort from beyond the arc. Individually, Sterling leads the team in scoring, averaging 12.3 points per game, while his 4.7 rebounds per game is also the best on the team. JuJu Pagan leads the team in assists, averaging 2.2 per game, while Diarmid Stewart is first in steals, averaging 1.2 per game.
Up Next
West Chester will return home on Saturday, January 10, to take on Shippensburg on Alumni Day beginning at 4 p.m. before hosting Kutztown on Tuesday, January 13, at 7:30 p.m.
