Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
GROWING UP QUICKLY
Young Golden Rams notch third straight win
Don’t look now, but the West Chester women’s basketball squad is starting to come into its own.
It’s taken a while, but the youthful Golden Rams – who did not boast a single returning starter – have now won three straight following a workmanlike 69-55 triumph over PSAC foe Lock Haven on Saturday at Hollinger Field House. It marks the longest winning streak of the season.
“We knew we were going to take some lumps, partially because I made a very tough nonconference schedule with a young team,” said WCU head coach Kiera Wooden. “We were going to absorb some bruises early, but the whole point was that by the time we get into our conference slate, we wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the level of competition, or the physicality of the game.
“Now we are just starting to get comfortable, not just with each other but with the schemes that we are trying to put out there.”
West Chester has now won 13 in a row at home against the Bald Eagles (4-9, 7-10) and are all alone in second place in the division standings at 8-5 (8-9 overall), behind only Shippensburg.
“When you look at the stat sheet, there are strides we’ve
made,” Wooden pointed out.
“We out-rebounded them, we committed far fewer turnovers, and we shared the basketball. Twenty-one assists proves to me that we are getting the ball to the hot-hand at the right time.”
Junior Poscha Speller was a force at both ends of the floor. The focal point of West Chester’s three-quarter court press, the point guard swiped a game-high eight steals and led a balanced Rams attack with 14 points. In all, WCU’s defense forced 18 turnovers and turned them into 23 points.
“The press was working for us so we stuck with it,” Speller said.
“We are as good defensively as Porscha Speller makes us,” Wooden added. “The reason the press looked so good is that she was so active. Eight steals proves that. “And when we are getting turnovers, our intensity and our energy level on the defensive end increases.”
Spurred on by some early forced turnovers, West Chester went on a 10-0 run and led 40-33 at the break. In the opening 20 minutes, the Rams were plus-15 in points off turnovers, and generated 15 more shots from the field.
West Chester then scored 12 of the final 15 points of the third quarter to widen the margin to 14. The Rams cruised to the finish line thanks in part to Madison Torresin, who scored nine of her 14 points in the final period.
Tori Smick (11 boards) and Alexis Anderson scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the Rams and freshman Gabby Troisi dished out nine assists.
“We are starting to get comfortable with each other and team chemistry is coming together,” said Speller, who also notched seven rebounds and five assists.
“Everybody likes to win. It’s good that we are actually coming along. We started the season not really having a feel for each other. We were kind of a new team.
“Our coach always says, ‘trust the process.’ We started off rough, but all that really matters is how you finish.”
West Chester also finished plus-11 on the boards, which pleased Wooden.
“That was one of our struggles early on,” she explained. “So our focus point defensively is that the possession isn’t over until we come away with the rebound.”
Like many other lessons, it sure looks like the Rams have been paying attention, and are now putting the experience to work.