WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Today, the West Chester University men's basketball team (17-10, 14-7) welcomes Bloomsburg (5-22, 3-18) to Hollinger Field House for the final home game of the 2023-24 regular season against the Huskies on what will also be Senior Day, presented by Barnaby's Restaurant and Pub beginning at 3 p.m.

This is the final regular-season game of the year for both sides but the first of two straight and two games in three days for the West Chester University men's basketball team as the Golden Rams will host Shepherd on Monday night in a PSAC Tournament First Round game beginning at 7 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to arrive early as West Chester will celebrate its senior class along with its sixth-man basketball band and cheerleading senior class prior to opening tip on Saturday afternoon.

SERIES INFORMATION

West Chester holds a 75-69 lead in the series against Bloomsburg after winning each of the last six meetings against the Huskies, including an 81-68 victory over the Huskies at the end of January. In this victory, West Chester trailed 34-33 at the half but outscored its hosts 48-34 in the second half, led by 22 points from Elijah Allen and 21 from Joshua Walker to extend the winning streak against the Huskies. West Chester shot 44.3 % (31-of-70) from the field and 36.8 % (7-of-19) from three-point range in the victory.
 
FLOCK TALK

On Wednesday night, West Chester found itself down by as many as 19 with five minutes to play in the first half and, despite cutting the deficit to just one with under two-and-a-half minutes to play, could not come all the way back in an 83-78 loss. After trailing by as many as 15 near the midway point of the second half, Robert Smith (Philadelphia, Pa./Bishop McDevitt), who led all scorers with 20 points on 7-of-18 shooting, cut the deficit to 76-75 with 2:21 to play in regulation. West Chester continued its comeback bid, trailing by just three with 10 seconds to play and the ball, but the Golden Rams committed a costly turnover on an inbounds play and sent Millersville back to the line in the five-point loss. West Chester shot 47.1 % from the field in the second half to shoot 44.8 % (30-of-67) from the field in the loss. 
 
Averaging 81.9 points per game on 46.0 % shooting from the field and 35.0 % from beyond the arc, West Chester remains one of the top offensive units in the PSAC, led by Elijah Allen (Dover, Del./Dover), who is first on the team in scoring, averaging 17.6 points per game. Jordan Kellier (Kingston, Jamaica/Redemption Christian) is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging just under 14 points per game, and ranks fourth in Division II in rebounding, averaging 10.9 per game, while also ranking second in DII in double-doubles with 16 on the year. On the defensive end, West Chester holds opponents to an average of 78.0 points per game on 45.0 % shooting from the field and 33.0 % from three-point range while also holding a 39.9-32.6 advantage in rebounding.
 
The PSAC Tournament once again kicks off on Monday night for West Chester as the Golden Rams welcome Shepherd to Hollinger for the First Round of the PSAC Tournament for the second time in three years. The opening tip is set for 7 p.m. in Hollinger on Monday night. Fans must purchase their tickets online and can do so via this link. Following Monday night's game, West Chester will travel to the top seed's home for the PSAC Quarterfinals on Wednesday night. The top seed in the PSAC East has yet to be determined; Millersville holds the lead for first place in the PSAC East, with East Stroudsburg and Lock Haven close behind as the three continue to fight for the top spot in the East.
 
SCOUTING BLOOMSBURG

Bloomsburg enters with a record of 5-22 after losing each of its last five games, including a 94-71 setback vs Lock Haven on Wednesday night. Bloomsburg found itself down 12 to the Bald Eagles at the half and was on the wrong end of a 50-39 second-half effort, which allowed the high-flying Bald Eagles to escape with a 23-point victory. Bloomsburg shot 41.5 % from the field and 36.4 % from three-point range in the setback while also ending the game with a 46-41 deficit in rebounding and a 15-9 deficit in the turnover battle. Matt Bengel led the Huskies in scoring and rebounding, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds in the loss.
 
For the year, Bengel is second on the team in scoring (12.5/g) and rebounding (3.5/g), trailing Jake Nelson in both categories as he averages 14.2 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game. As a team, Bloomsburg averages 73.5 points per game on 46.0 % shooting from the field and 35.1 % from three-point range while also shooting 68.0 % from the line. Defensively, the Huskies average 88.7 points per game on 48.7 % shooting from the field and 34.6 % from three-point territory while also being outrebounded by a 39.4-32.7 rebound per game margin.
 
Up Next:

 West Chester remains home on Monday night to host Shepherd in a PSAC First Round game beginning at 7 p.m. Regardless of the result, Monday night will be the year's final home game for the fourth-seeded Golden Rams.