After an impressive span of games over winter break, the Lady Rams basketball team continued their great play with a win over East Stroudsburg University on Saturday afternoon at Hollinger Field House. Led by their solid defense and sharp shooting, the Rams continued on what has been an impressive season.
Sophomore Dallas Ely led all scorers with 26 points, while sophomore captain Brittany Sicinski did it all, scoring 20 points while adding four rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and two steals. All players contributed in the 83-68 win, improving WCU to 12-6 and 7-1 in the conference. The Rams stand on top of their conference as they continue to show up big in all of their PSAC contests.
As a team, the Rams shot 50 percent from the three-point line, where they have somewhat struggled all season. This proved to be a deciding factor in the dominant performance put on display by West Chester. The Rams sat in the driver’s seat for most of the game, never giving up their lead. At halftime, WCU held a 10-point lead at a score of 41-31. West Chester kept their distance and continued their strong play, never faltering or showing any signs of tiredness, ultimately resulting in the win.
With the win, WCU maintains dominant control over PSAC East. Next on their schedule is yet another PSAC East opponent, Cheyney University, which they will be playing on Wednesday evening. The Lady Rams dominated Cheyney in their last meeting with a blow out win, 93-44.
West Chester’s overall play this season has been phenomenal. The team is averaging 81.7 points per game while shooting 43 percent from the field. They are controlling the rebounding margin against opponents as well as turnover margin, forcing 23.2 turnovers per game. Another great statistic that the Rams hold includes their steals per game, sitting just under 13. Their excellent defense has certainly been a big factor in many of their wins this season. Ely leads the team in scoring, averaging just under an impressive 20 points per game with Sicinski not far behind at 16 points. The two sophomore stars have certainly emerged as leaders and the two go-to players for this team.
Sicinski continues her success off of her impressive freshman season, but Ely has certainly come in to her own this year. Sophomore Jasmen Clark has also continued her great play at point guard for the Rams. Overall, the team play of the Lady Rams has certainly been the deciding factor, shown through their so-far successful season.
When asked about some of the key points to the impressive play by the Rams, Clark stated, “The key points are pushing the ball and getting looks inside to our bigger players. Also forcing turnovers from the other team with our crazy defenses.” Clark proves a strong point, West Chester, as previously stated, is causing havoc for opposing teams on the defensive side of the ball. Turnovers, steals, and blocks are consistently giving the Rams an advantage in games, all stemming from their hard work defensively.
The young Rams team has taken the PSAC East by storm, which was not exactly expected. Preseason ranked as 4th in the PSAC East, the Lady Rams have dominated in important games and came up clutch when necessary. When asked about their PSAC East control and if it was expected, Clark explained, “Not in the very beginning, but as time went on, we could see ourselves as a threat to other PSAC teams. We are a young team and we know that were not as experienced as older teams, but we work extremely well with one another.” Their hard work has certainly paid off, “ We have worked very hard to be on top in this conference and we will continue to battle with the other teams to stay on top.”
After Saturday’s win, it is clear the Rams show no signs of giving up. With their next game being a conference game as well, West Chester will look to improve on their record and control of the PSAC East. It will certainly be exciting to look forward in hopes that the hardworking Lady Rams will continue their success. Through strong team play, hard work, and confidence, all things the team prides themselves on, the young Rams will continue to battle and succeed in more of their goals they have set for themselves during this “Cinderella” season.
AJ Arcaini is a second-year student majoring in communication studies with a minor in journalism. He can be reached at AA 788494@wcupa.edu