The West Chester women’s basketball team played their second game of the season on Saturday, and earned a 79-68 win over Slippery Rock at Hollinger Field House.
In the Golden Rams’ conference opener, senior guard Alison Hostetter led the way with a team-high 19 points as well as five rebounds.
Junior forward Alex Lennon added 13 points and five rebounds, while fellow junior forward Ambreelinne Ortman scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds of her own.
Freshman forward Kendall Benovy, in her first taste of PSAC action, led the team with six rebounds in addition to her six points.
West Chester shot 45% from the field to Slippery Rock’s 40%, but the key to victory for the Golden Rams may have been their ability to get to the line.
West Chester made 13 free throws from 22 attempts, while Slippery Rock only made five free throws from 12. That eight-point advantage went a long way to helping West Chester to victory.
The Golden Rams’ defense was outstanding as well. West Chester grabbed an astonishing 17 steals in comparison to the Rock’s four. West Chester also blocked two shots, while Slippery Rock didn’t block any.
The West Chester bench also contributed in large part to the victory. The Golden Rams got 28 points from the bench, while the Rock only managed seven.
Slippery Rock never led the game at any point. West Chester jumped out to a 45-36 lead at halftime, and Slippery Rock wasn’t even able to trim the margin in the second half as West Chester extended it to an eleven-point win.
Although the game was West Chester’s PSAC opener, it wasn’t the first game of the season. The season began on Tuesday, when West Chester traveled to Philadelphia University and earned a road win in a close game, 78-77.
Hostetter showed up big in that one as well, and her late-game dramatics sealed the win. She made both free throws in a 1-and-1 situation to take the lead with 1:23 remaining, and West Chester managed to hold on for the win.
Although Hostetter only tallied six points, she led the team in rebounds with 10. Ortman scored a team-high 20 points, and even went 4-for-6 from three-point range.
As a team, West Chester was outstanding from beyond the arc, draining 10 threes throughout the game. The Golden Rams managed to take 32 offensive rebounds against Philadelphia, and that may have been the key to victory. It led to a 21-6 advantage in second-chance points, which along with the three-pointers, gave West Chester just enough to top Philadelphia.
West Chester continued their PSAC schedule on Sunday with another home game against Mercyhurst. It finished too late to be included in this issue, but the score can be found on the athletic website. The team will then enjoy a small break and not return to the court until Nov. 29, when they travel once again to Philly to play against Holy Family.
Joey Samuel is a third-year student majoring in political science and Spanish. He can be reached at JS719745@wcupa.edu.