West Chester University’s Golden Rams faced off against Bloomsburg University’s Huskies on Saturday Jan. 17, 2004 at Hollinger Field House. WCU defeated Bloomsburg 72-59.The Golden Rams entered the game with a record of 6-7/1-0, while the Huskies had a record of 6-8/0-1. WCU gave Bloomsburg a spanking of a life time. The Rams took the lead early in the game and never looked back.
In the opening minutes of the game, WCU started off looking a little sluggish, but stayed with it. By 13:34 left in the first half, the Rams had found their rhythm and had taken the lead 10-9. Two minutes later though with only 12:14 left, the Rams had jumped ahead 16-9, leaving the Huskies looking dazed and confused.
Bloomsburg had to call a much needed time out after a steal by Guard Kiesha Mack who passed the ball to Captain Shauna Palmer, who,then beat the Huskies down the court for an easy lay up.
Palmer, Elise McCloy and Mack were just too much for the Huskies to handle. Palmer had a tremendous game; she lit up the board with a staggering 25 points. McCloy also delivered more pain to Bloomsburg by scoring 22 impressive points of her own.
Mack delivered the final nail in the Huskies’ coffin by contributing 10 points as well. Bloomsburg was its own worst enemy throughout the game. The Huskies had a series of turnovers in the first half that killed them. The Rams had turnovers as well, but when you’ve got Palmer and McCloy nailing three-pointers left and right you can afford to get a little sloppy.
With 9:20 left to go in the first half the Rams had a 26-15 lead over the Huskies. The lead would have been slightly wider, but some suspect calls on the parts of the referees left Bloomsburg with a little light at the end of the tunnel.The Huskies began to utilize that little bit of light with 4:30 left in the first half closing the gap 29-22 bringing them within seven points of the Rams.
WCU looked like they had Bloomsburg under control again extending their lead to 34-25 with 1:49 left to go in the first half. But the Huskies were like a fly that couldn’t not killed, hustling up and down the court determined to stay in the game.
Bloomsburg did just that ending the first half with only a four point WCU lead of 36-32. Palmer must have had her “Wheaties” that morning.
Palmer opened up the second half of the game with a nothing-but-net two-pointer. Followed by her stealing the ball, she passed it off to Mack who pulled up for another two-pointer. Palmer, McCloy and Mack were a triple threat.
They had some help though, especially from the Rams’ other Captain, Melinda Fife.
Fife put it on the Huskies when she put a little footwork in her game almost sending the Huskies guard Michelle Albanese falling to the ground.
With 12:36 to go in the second half, the Rams had put Bloomsburg to bed with a 51-38 lead. The second half was all Palmer and McCloy, Palmer with her fast breaks and McCloy with easy looking three-pointers were the death of the Huskies that day.
Apparently Head Coach Deidre Kane thought Bloomsburg was dead as well because with only 2:41 left in the game and a score of 67-52 she pulled all her starters out.
Perhaps she acted pre-maturely because with 1:01 left in the game, the Huskies began to show some life and threaten the Rams lead. That’s when Coach Kane put all her starters back in and finished off Bloomsburg completely with a 72-59 victory over the Huskies.
In other WCU news, Golden Rams players Mack and Carolyn Muldoon were both nominated to the All-Tournament Team.
On Wednesday Jan. 28, at 6 p.m, Cheyney University Wolves who are 4-10 will come to Rams territory and play against the Golden Rams at Hollinger Field House.
This game will defineitely prove to be an exciting one. Since West Chester is only two wins above Cheyney University in the PSAC Eastern Division, the Wolves will come out and play with alot of intensity against the Rams.
The Golden Rams are currently ranked third in the PSAC Eastern Division. The Rankings are Millersville at number one and then Mansfield, then West Chester,Cheyney, then Bloomsburg, East Stroudsburg and finally rounding out the bottom of the field is Kutztown University.