West Chester University women’s basketball team has now won eight straight games, including a 78-65 victory at Bloombsurg on Wednesday, Feb. 3.
West Chester was able to jump out to a double-digit halftime lead thanks to good shooting from beyond the arc and forcing 15 first-half turnovers by Bloomsburg.
Jasmen Clark was a spark plug for the Golden Rams in the first two quarters. She had 12 points on 4-7 shooting from beyond the arc.
In a game where Brittany Sicinski struggled with her shot for the Golden Rams, her teammates were able to rally around her and lift the team to victory.
They forced 27 turnovers, which led to 25 West Chester points.
Kendall Benovy and Dallas Ely led the Rams with 15 points apiece. Benovy added nine rebounds, while Ely had five helpers. Madison Torresin had 14 big points off the bench for the Golden Rams on 6-9 shooting.
Next woman up is a motto the team plays by. If someone is struggling, someone else will find a way to help the team.
West Chester only trailed in the early moments of the game. Once they captured the lead, they never relinquished it. While Bloomsburg did mount a small comeback in the fourth quarter, West Chester locked in and didn’t let the Huskies get closer than three points before going on a 22-12 run to end the game.
When Sicinski was asked about the great streak they are on, she said, “I would say we are playing our best basketball we’ve played so far. We are sharing the ball really well, and I think our defense is continuing to improve.”
Although Sicinksi struggled shooting the ball in the game, she continues to be a vocal leader on the floor and she has embraced that role.
“I think we thrive when we’re getting steals and transition points and it usually starts with me because I’m the top of a lot of our presses,” said Sicinski.
This team knows each other so well, and it continues to be a storyline. Their chemistry together on the court and their experience that they have built over the past three years continue to make this team a huge contender.
Compared to the beginning of the season when the expectations were so high and the pressure was even higher, they are now playing looser and having more fun playing the game. They are able to relax, breathe, play their game and know that they can play with the best of the best.
Not having lost a game in over a month, the Golden Rams will look to keep it going when they travel to East Stroudsburg on Wednesday, Feb. 10.
East Stroudsbug is right in the thick of things in the PSAC and will be looking to exact revenge on the Golden Rams after West Chester downed them inside Hollinger Field house a little over a month ago.
Ryan Calpin is a fourth-year student majoring in communication studies with a minor in journalism. He can be reached at RC784188@wcupa.edu.