MILLERSVILLE, Pa.- The West Chester University men's basketball team (20-6, 14-5) finds itself in a familiar position entering the final week of the regular season, fully in control of its own destiny with a chance to capture the PSAC East Regular Season crown for the second season in a row. The PSAC East Preseason favorite Golden Rams will begin their quest for their second outright Eastern Division crown in as many years on Wednesday night when they visit one of the two other teams also vying for this title in Millersville (19-8, 14-6). Opening tip in this latest clash between two of the PSAC's oldest rivals is set for 7:30 p.m. inside Pucillo Gymnasium on the campus of Millersville University.
West Chester at Millersville
Game Details: February 25 I 7:30 P.M.
Location: Pucillo Gymnasium (Millersville, Pa.)
Series: 107-107
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Last Time Out
West Chester enters play following an 89-67 victory over Lock Haven in Hollinger on Saturday evening. West Chester led by six (36-30) at the half on 45.5 % shooting from the field and four makes from three-point range before blowing the game open in the second half on 19-of-34 (55.9 %) shooting from the field, outscoring its guests 53-37 to cruise to a 22-point victory. Led by 23 points from
Gabe Moss (Pottstown, Pa./The Hill School) along with 18 from
Jaysean Williams (Bloomfield, Ct./The Patrick School) and 17 more from
Anthony McCall (Philadelphia, Pa./ANC), West Chester shot 50.7 % (34-of-67) from the field, including a 7-for-19 (36.8 %) effort from three-point range, while also going 14-for-21 (66.7 %) at the line. West Chester also finished with a 49-26 rebounding advantage, which helped the team end the game with a 20-0 lead in second-chance points.
Flock Talk
West Chester enters play on Wednesday averaging 86.0 points per game, which is 26
th in Division II and third in the PSAC, and 48.6% shooting from the field, which is also 29
th and third, respectively. West Chester shoots 34.3 % from three-point range and 70.0 % from the line, while also holding a 40.0-29.8 (+10.2) lead in rebounding, along with a +2.8 lead in turnover margin. West Chester holds its opponents to 73.2 points on 45.1 % shooting from the field and 31.3 % from three-point range. West Chester ranks fourth in Division II offensive rebounding, averaging 15.5 per game, while ranking 21
st in rebounding overall, and third in rebounding margin. Gannon leads the PSAC in rebounding, averaging 43.2 overall and a Division II-best 17.8 offensive rebounds per game.
Individually,
Ruben Rodriguez Jr. (Reading, Pa./Reading) is first on the team in scoring, averaging 15.0 points per game, and is also first in rebounding (6.5/g), assists (4.4/g), and steals (1.9/g). McCall remains second in scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, while Moss is third in scoring and rebounding, averaging 12.9 points and 4.3 rebounds.
Dylan Blair (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) is second in assists, averaging 4.0 per game.
It Comes Down To This Week
West Chester, East Stroudsburg, and Millersville are all battling for the top two spots in the PSAC Tournament, and with those spots come the bye to the PSAC Quarterfinals and PSAC Quarterfinal hosting rights. If West Chester can go 1-1 this week, the team will be assured a top-two seed in the Tournament, while a 2-0 week would hand West Chester its second PSAC East Regular Season title in a row. West Chester can win the East with a 1-1 week; however, the Golden Rams would need Kutztown to pull an upset over East Stroudsburg in their midweek clash on Wednesday night. In the worst-case scenario, a 0-2 week, West Chester would fall out of the top two spots in the PSAC East standings and enter the PSAC Tournament as the third seed by virtue of a regular-season sweep of Shepherd. In this scenario, West Chester would host a First Round matchup at Hollinger Field House on March 2, followed by the PSAC Quarterfinals on March 4.
In 2026, the PSAC Quarterfinals will now be the best first Crossover between the PSAC East and West, whereas previously the Crossover occurred in the Semifinal Round. The winner of the 3/6 game in each Division will face the two-seed in the opposite Division, while the 4/5 winner would take on the 1 seed ahead of the Semifinals at the home of the highest remaining seed. In 2026, the PSAC West will have hosting rights provided that a PSAC West team remains after the Quarterfinals conclude.
We Are Honored
Moss earned PSAC East Athlete of the Week honors this week after averaging 20.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, including a 17-point/11-rebound double-double at Shepherd last week. Moss scored 23 on Saturday against Lock Haven, finishing one point shy of matching his career high of 24, which he set against Millersville in 33 minutes of action on February 2.
Superlative Central
West Chester outscores opponents in the paint (1,116-818), in second-chance points (444-245), in points off turnovers (553-411), and in points off the bench (766-612).
Sharp Shooters
West Chester is 11-2 on the year when shooting north of 50% from the field, and has done so three times in the last five games. This effort has helped West Chester climb to 29
th in Division II and third in the PSAC in field goal percentage at 48.6 % on the season.
Regional Respect
West Chester appeared in the first NCAA Atlantic Regional Rankings of the season last Wednesday afternoon. These initial rankings listed the 10 teams under consideration in alphabetical order ahead of the first formal/numbered rankings of the season this Wednesday afternoon.
Helping Out
West Chester averages 29.5 points per game off the bench, which is third in the PSAC and 33
rd in Division II, following its 29-point effort led by Williams' 18 on Saturday afternoon. West Chester also ranks third in the PSAC and 17
th in Division II in assists per game, averaging 17.5 helpers per game.
It's a Habit
West Chester hit the 20-win plateau on Saturday afternoon for the second year in a row and the third time in the last four seasons, with the lone exception being a 19-11 record in 2023-24. West Chester has now won 20 games or more nine times under head coach
Damien Blair, with his first 20-win season coming in 2012-13 when the team went 20-8 and appeared in the PSAC Semifinals.
Series History
One of the oldest and most played rivalries in PSAC men's basketball will finish writing its latest chapter on Wednesday night when West Chester visits Millersville for the Marauders regular-season finale in a game with major PSAC Tournament implications. West Chester dropped two of three to Millersville last year and the first game of the season series this year to fall to 107-107 in the all-time series dating back to the first meeting in 1903, which West Chester won 30-10.
Scouting Millersville
Millersville enters play on Wednesday at 19-8 overall and 14-6 in league play following an 84-54 victory over Bloomsburg on Saturday afternoon inside Nelson Field House. Millersville led by nearly 30 (52-23) at the half and used this advantage to coast to a 30-point win over the Huskies. In his first game back in the lineup after a two-game absence, Saraj Ali scored 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting, along with 15 from Day Waters and 18 off the bench by EJ Matthews-Spratley. The Marauders shot 44.8 % (26-of-58) from the field, including a 32.0 % (8-for-25) effort from three-point land, while also going 24-for-31 (77.4 %) at the free throw line in the wire-to-wire victory.
For the season, Millersville enters play averaging 81.3 points per game on 47.6 % shooting from the field and 32.0 % shooting from three-point territory, while also shooting 76.1 % at the free throw line. The Marauders limit opponents to just 71.4 points per game on 42.1% shooting from the field and 31.2% from the three-point line, ranking among the league leaders in scoring defense. Millersville also holds a 35.1-34.0 (+1.1) lead in rebounding and a +2.7 advantage in turnover margin. Individually, Waters is first on the team in scoring, averaging 19.5 points per game, followed by Ali and his 16.5 points per game. Cesar Tchilombo, who earned PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week honors alongside Moss, is first on the team in rebounding, averaging 8.6 per game, while Ali is second, averaging 5.2 per game. Dante Weise is first on the team in assists, averaging 3.2, followed by Aamir Hurst, who averages 2.2 assists along with 11.4 points and a team-best 1.7 steals per game.
Up Next
West Chester will wrap up its regular season on Saturday afternoon against East Stroudsburg, beginning at 3 p.m. Fans are encouraged to arrive early as Senior Day Ceremonies will be held before the beginning of the game.
