WEST CHESTER, Pa.- After getting its first one of 2026 over Mansfield on Wednesday afternoon to open PSAC East play, the West Chester University women's basketball team (7-5, 3-3) will look to run its winning streak to two in a row and improve to 4-3 in league action against Shippensburg (1-12, 0-6) on Saturday afternoon in Hollinger Field House beginning at 2 p.m. on what will also be Alumni Day for the Golden Rams.
West Chester vs Shippensburg
Game Details: January 10 I 2 P.M.
Location: Hollinger Field House (West Chester, Pa.)
Series: 37-31
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Last Time Out
West Chester (7-5, 3-3) enters play on Saturday following its first win of 2026 and first win in PSAC East play as the Golden Rams held off an upset-minded Mansfield team for a 72-66 road victory over the Mountaineers.
Marianna Papazoglou (North Wildwood, N.J/Wildwood Catholic) scored a career-high 26 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, while fellow North Wildwood native
Macie McCracken (North Wildwood, N.J./Wildwood) poured in 15 points as the Golden Rams' second unit accounted for 46 points in the comeback victory. West Chester trailed by nine midway through the third quarter (42-33; 6:45 to play in the third) before closing the quarter on a 19-9 run and outscoring its hosts 20-15 in the fourth, led by 13 late points from McCracken to avoid the road upset loss. The Golden Rams shot 44.8 % (26-of-58) from the field in the victory, including an 8-for-23 (34.8 %) effort from beyond the arc, which was the team's second-best three-point shooting performance of the 2025-26 season. West Chester also finished the game 12-for-16 (75.0 %) at the free-throw line, with 15 of those attempts and all 12 makes coming in the second half.
Flock Talk
Led by McCracken, who is averaging 11.9 points per game, West Chester enters play on Saturday averaging 66.5 points per game on 42.5 % shooting from the field and 26.0 % shooting from beyond the arc, along with a 72.4 % effort at the free-throw line. West Chester also enters the weekend with a slight 39.4-38.5 lead in rebounding, thanks in part to the efforts of
Lena Stein (Collegeville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley), who leads the team in rebounding, averaging 5.0 per game, while remaining third in scoring, averaging 8.8 points per game. Papazoglou is second in scoring and rebounding, averaging 9.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game off the bench. The Golden Rams bench has been key to their success this season, averaging 34.3 points per game, which is the best in the PSAC and eighth best in Division II.
A Helping Hand
West Chester ranks 17th in Division II and first in the PSAC in assists per game, averaging 16.8 assists per game.
Ava Mazur (Linwood, N.J./Mainland Regional) leads the team in assists, averaging 3.2 per game.
Welcome Back
Saturday will be Alumni Day for the Golden Rams as the team welcomes back players from its history to participate in an Alumni game on Saturday morning before opening tip and celebrates the program's history throughout the afternoon.
Youth Movement
West Chester's first-year players have also been a key part of the Golden Rams' 7-5 start, accounting for 53.8% (429-of-798) of the team's points so far this season, averaging 35.8 points per game.
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 406-316 in the paint through its first 11 Division II games of the season.
That's The McCracken to you…
McCracken leads the team in scoring, averaging 11.9 points per game, and has scored in double figures in seven games and seven of the last eight. The only game in this stretch that the rookie guard has not scored in double figures was at IUP on January 2, when she was limited to five points on 2-of-7 shooting. McCracken is shooting 50.6 % from the field, including a team-best 17 makes from beyond the arc.
Home Sweet Home
West Chester is 39-7 at home since January 2023 and 48-15 in Hollinger since the beginning of the 2021-22 season.
Series History
West Chester is 37-31 all-time against Shippensburg, with wins in each of the last five meetings, with season sweeps of the Raiders in each of the last two seasons. West Chester has not lost to Shippensburg since January 11, 2023, a streak that spanned 27 consecutive home games and ended in December 2024. West Chester posted a 73-59 win over Shippensburg in Hollinger last January before earning a 58-38 victory in Shippensburg over the Raiders last February to stretch its winning streak to five. After halting a four-game losing streak to the Raiders in February 2023, West Chester has won six of 10 over its PSAC East rivals.
Scouting Shippensburg
Shippensburg (1-12, 0-6) enters the weekend in the midst of an 11-game losing streak after falling to Bloomsburg by a 76-45 final on Wednesday evening in Bloomsburg. Shippensburg mustered just four points in the first quarter and found itself trailing 24-4 after the opening 10 minutes. Despite 15 points off the bench by McKenzie Thomas, this early deficit was insurmountable as the Raiders shot just 28.3 % (15-of-53) from the field and 10-for-17 (58.8 %) at the free-throw line in the 29-point loss.
Shippensburg enters play averaging just 52.7 points per game on 35.0 % shooting from the field, 22.6 % shooting from beyond the arc, and 61.8 % at the line. The Raiders also trail in rebounding (40.0-35.4) and turnovers (-6.9 turnover margin) entering play on Saturday afternoon. Melana Eyer is first on the team in scoring, averaging 11.2 points per game, while Abbie Johns is second, averaging 9.6 per game. Eyer also leads the team in assists, averaging 2.9 per game, while Makayla Foddrell is first in rebounding, averaging 6.6 rebounds per game.
Up Next
West Chester will be back in action on Tuesday evening against Kutztown beginning at 5:30 before visiting Bloomsburg on Thursday evening at 5:30. After the Golden Rams home clash against Kutztown, West Chester will not be home again until January 21 against Shepherd beginning at 5:30. Saturday is the Golden Rams last Saturday home game until January 31 when Mansfield comes to town to begin the second half of PSAC East play.
