WEST CHESTER, Pa.- After falling to Seton Hill on Saturday to drop to 2-3 in league play, the West Chester University women's basketball team (6-5, 2-3) will look to open PSAC East play with a victory over Mansfield (2-10, 0-5) on the road on Wednesday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m.
West Chester at Mansfield
Game Details: Wednesday, January 7 I 1 P.M.
Location: Marion Decker Gymnasium
Coverage Links: Live Stats I
Video
Series: 70-11 (4-1)
WCU Links: NEWS I
ROSTER I
SCHEDULE I
STATS
Mansfield Links: NEWS I
ROSTER I
SCHEDULE I
STATS
Last Time Out
West Chester heads into its PSAC East opener after falling to No. 9 Indiana (Pa.) and Seton Hill last weekend in its first games of 2026. Against the ninth-ranked Crimson Hawks, West Chester got off to a slow start, shooting just 18.2 % (2-of-11) from the field and could never recover in an 85-50 loss to the top-10 Crimson Hawks.
Lena Stein (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) led WCU in scoring with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, along with eight rebounds in the loss. West Chester shot 57.1 % (8-of-14) in the second quarter but failed to duplicate this effort in the third or fourth quarters, shooting just 34.0 % (18-of-53) from the field and 2-for-11 (18.2 %) from beyond the arc for its lowest field goal percentage against a Division II opponent this season.
On Saturday at Seton Hill, West Chester shot 40.3 % (27-of-67) and saw four players score in double figures off the bench as the Golden Rams gave the Griffins all they wanted for much of the afternoon in an 82-67 setback.
Ava Mazur (Linwood, N.J./Mainland) led West Chester in scoring with 15 points and nine assists, while
Alivia Mauz (Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown) poured in 14 of her own on 5-of-9 shooting in 30 minutes of action.
Flock Talk
West Chester enters play on Wednesday averaging 66.0 points per game on 42.3 % shooting from the field and 25.0 % shooting from beyond the arc, while also shooting 72.1 % at the free throw line. West Chester also holds a 40.3-39.3 rebounding advantage, while trailing in turnovers 17.5-16.5 and averaging 16.5 points per game off turnovers. The Golden Rams' opponents average just 63.6 points per game on 36.5% shooting from the field and 23.7% from beyond the arc, which remains among the best defensive efforts in Division II.
Individually,
Macie McCracken (North Wildwood, N.J./Wildwood) remains the leading scorer, averaging 11.6 points per game after scoring in double figures in each of the last five games of 2025 and six of seven, including 10 at Seton Hill on Saturday. Stein and
Marianna Papazoglou (North Wildwood, N.J./Wildwood Catholic) are second and third, averaging 9.1 and 8.5 points per game, respectively. Stein is first on the team in rebounding, averaging 5.1 rebounds per game, while Mazur is first in assists, averaging 3.2 per game.
The Painters
After outscoring opponents in the paint in 24-of-30 games last season, West Chester is right back to its old tricks this season, outscoring opponents 370-298 in the paint through its first 10 Division II games of the season.
A Helping Hand
West Chester ranks 12
th in Division II and first in the PSAC in assists per game, averaging 17.3 per contest, while the Golden Rams bench is also first in the PSAC and eighth in DII in scoring, averaging 33.2 points per game, including 51 in the loss to Seton Hill on Saturday.
Youth Movement
West Chester is starting three freshmen in 2025 as Stein,
Jordin Tate (Wilmington, Del./Caravel), and Kimi Sayson (Oceanport, N.J./Shore Regional) all begin their careers as starters for Wooden's Golden Rams. Fellow freshmen McCracken,
Alivia Mauz (Williamstown, N.J./Williamstown), and Amelia McMichael (Butler, Pa./Butler) are some of the first players off the bench for Wooden this year as well. West Chester has scored 726 (66.0) points on the season, and the Golden Rams' rookie class has accounted for 54.9 % (399) of the team's scoring, averaging 36.3 points per game through their first 11 collegiate games.
How About No
West Chester ranks 65th in field goal percentage defense, as the Golden Rams' opponents shoot just 36.5% from the field, including a 23.7% average from beyond the arc, which is 14th best. West Chester also ranks 35th in defensive rebounds per game, averaging 28.5 per contest.
West Chester leads the PSAC in field goal percentage defense and is fourth in the PSAC in both defensive rebounding and opponents' field goal percentage.
Road Warriors
West Chester will play its third straight away from home on Wednesday, looking to improve to 3-3 on the road after falling to IUP and Seton Hill away from home last weekend to open 2026, as West Chester also fell to 7-4 in its first game of the New Year under Division II foes under head coach
Kiera Wooden.
Opening East Play
Under head coach
Kiera Wooden, West Chester is 6-4 in PSAC East openers, including a win over Shepherd on the road last January for its first East opening victory since January 2023, when the team defeated Mansfield in Hollinger.
Series History
West Chester is 70-11 against Mansfield dating back to 1983. West Chester is 6-2 in its last eight games against Mansfield, including a split last season, which saw the Golden Rams fall to Mansfield by a 77-72 final in Mansfield last January before posting a 67-61 win over the Mounties at home in February.
Scouting Mansfield
Mansfield enters play on Wednesday in the midst of a five-game losing streak in search of its first win since a 94-43 victory over Bryant & Stratton on December 3, which halted a four-game skid. The Mounties opened 2026 over the weekend with a 70-52 loss at Edinboro after finding themselves down 25-7 at the end of the first quarter. Katie Sheeler led Mansfield in scoring in this one with 17 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the field, including three makes from beyond the arc, with five assists as the lone Mountie in double figures.
As a team, Mansfield enters play averaging 59.5 points per game on 33.2 % shooting from the field and 22.0 % from beyond the arc, while also shooting 70.9 % at the line. The Mounties trail in rebounding by a 43.4-38.8 margin, while also trailing 23.5-17.8 in turnovers, allowing an average of 24.8 points per game off turnovers. Mansfield's opponents enter play averaging 80.4 points per game on 44.4 % shooting from the field, including a 30.4 % effort from beyond the arc.
Individually, Sheeler leads the team in scoring, averaging 18.7 points per game, while Tyarah Woody is first in rebounding, averaging 5.6 rebounds per game. Amiyah Nguyen is first on the team in assists, averaging 2.4 assists per game.
Up Next
West Chester will return home on January 10 to take on Shippensburg on Alumni Day beginning at 2 p.m. before hosting Kutztown on January 13 at 5:30 p.m. for the final game of its two-game homestand.
