LOCK HAVEN, Pa.- Elijah Allen (Dover, Del./Dover) scored a team-high 18 points and was one of four Golden Rams in double figures, but top-seed Lock Haven (21-7) used a big second half to earn a 100-76 victory over the fourth-seeded Golden Rams on Wednesday night.

West Chester (19-11) led for parts of the first half and was consistently within striking distance throughout the first 20 minutes, trailing by just three at the half, but Lock Haven used a big run early in the second half to stretch its lead to double digits and never looked back en route to the 24-point victory.

Allen was one of four WCU players in double figures. Joshua Walker (Upper Marlboro, Md./Riverdale Baptist) finished with 13 points, along with 12 from Robert Smith (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) and 11 from Jordan Kellier (Kingston, Jamaica/Redemption Christian).

West Chester shot 41.7 % (30-of-72) from the field in the season-ending setback while also going 7-for-26 (26.9 %) from three-point territory and 9-of-16 at the line. Lock Haven shot a stellar 56.5 % (35-of-62) from the field, including a 10-for-22 (45.5 %) from three-point territory, while also going 20-for-22 at the charity stripe.

West Chester raced out to an early 13-4 lead after a 7-0 run was capped off by a three by Nix Varano (Chalfont, Pa./La Salle College HS) with 14:06 remaining in the first half.
Lock Haven countered quickly, going on an 8-0 run of its own over the next two minutes to cut the West Chester lead to 13-12 with 12:04 to play in the first half.

West Chester and Lock Haven traded runs over the next few minutes as the Bald Eagles inched out to a 19-17 lead over the upset-minded Golden Rams midway through the first half.

Lock Haven stretched its lead to 25-21, but a Saleem Payne (Philadelphia, Pa./Phelps School) steal followed by a quick three by Elijah Allen (Dover, Del./Dover) helped West Chester cut the deficit back to one (25-24) with under five minutes to play in the first half.

The Golden Rams and Bald Eagles continued trading blows throughout the first half, but the Bald Eagles scored the final points of the half to carry a 34-31 lead into the halftime break.

Walker led West Chester in scoring with nine points as the Golden Rams shot 40.6 % (13-of-32) from the field in the first half, including a 3-of-14 effort from beyond the arc.
Lock Haven shot an even 40.0 % (12-of-30) from the field and connected on 4-of-12 (33.3 %) from three-point range in the first to take a three-point lead into the half. Justice Shoats tied with Dyllon Scott for the team lead in scoring through 20 minutes, finishing with 11 points each.

Out of the halftime break, Lock Haven quelled any thoughts of an upset, outscoring West Chester 66-45 in the second half to post a 100-76 victory over the upset-minded Golden Rams.

Shoats led all scorers in the victory, finishing with 27, while Bryson Scott added 17, along with 16 from Isaiah Stewart and 13 more from Scott. Scott registered a double-double, finishing with 11 rebounds, while Shoats picked up a double-double of his own, finishing with 10 assists, to help guide Lock Haven to its first PSAC Semifinal since 1990.
Lock Haven ended the game with a 40-33 lead in rebounding, although West Chester did end the contest with a 9-4 lead in offensive rebounding and a corresponding 14-2 lead in second-chance points. West Chester also finished the game with a 13-11 lead in turnovers, although Lock Haven ended the game with a slim 18-14 lead in points off turnovers. West Chester also finished the game with a 42-40 lead in points in the paint.

Production off the bench was a major difference-maker on Wednesday night. The Bald Eagle bench accounted for 40 of the team's 100 points, and Bryson and Dyllon Scott combined for 30 of those 40 points.

Tonight's setback brings the 2023-24 season to its conclusion for West Chester, but not until the Golden Rams reached the 19-win threshold for the second year in a row and the fifth time in the last six seasons while also making their 12^th consecutive PSAC Quarterfinal appearance. West Chester also treated fans to several tremendous moments in 2023-24, including a pair of 1,000-point scorers in Smith and Allen, along with perhaps one of the best moments in Hollinger Field House as seen in many years with the reunion of Jordan Kellier and his parents who surprised him from Jamaica on Senior Day.