February Sat. 1 @ Lock Haven* 3:00 P.M. Wed. 5 Shepherd* .................................................... 7:30 P.M. Sat. 8 Mansfield*! 3:00 P.M. Wed. 12 @ Shippensburg* 8:00 P.M. Wed. 19 East Stroudsburg* ...................................... 7:30 P.M. Sat. 26 @ Bloomsburg* ............................................. 3:00 P.M. Wed. 26 Millersville* ................................................. 7:30 P.M. March Sat. 1 @ Kutztown* 3:00 P.M. * = PSAC East Game # = Atlantic Region Crossover Challenge !Pink Zone & Senior Day + Alumni Game
About West Chester University
West Chester University, a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, is a public, regional, comprehensive institution committed to providing access and offering high-quality undergraduate education, select post-baccalaureate and graduate programs, and a variety of educational and cultural resources for its students, alumni and citizens of southeastern Pennsylvania.
West Chester University is committed to attracting, enrolling and graduating quality students from a wide variety of educational, cultural and economic backgrounds. This endeavor requires the University to attract and retain highly qualified faculty and staff and to provide each member of the University community with learning and leadership development opportunities. To this end, the University supports and encourages programs which benefit all people and which seek to eradicate discrimination and injustice. We treasure what we believe to be the highest principles of American society: the worth and uniqueness of each individual, the belief that success is to be earned by individual effort put forth in an environment founded on equality of opportunity, and the appreciation of the ideal of an inclusive society.
We believe that it is incumbent upon all members of our community - staff, students, faculty and administrators - to conduct themselves with civility toward one another at all times. We value the special talents and contributions of each member of our community. We further affirm the worth and dignity of each member and the shared responsibility of all to treat each other as individuals, with respect and courtesy.
As a university owned by the citizens of Pennsylvania, we value our mission to provide the best educational opportunities possible which will enable the University community to successfully address the concerns of a global society. To this end, West Chester University seeks to provide diligent advising for students and to focus on teaching students to think clearly and critically, to make logical and ethical judgments, and to communicate effectively with others.
West Chester University’s community strongly supports the principles of academic integrity and academic responsibility, viewing both as the province of every member of the campus community. We hold the highest esteem for teaching directed toward student learning and affirm that mastery of content as well as mastery of teaching skills necessary to communicate such content are paramount.
As a university owned by the citizens of Pennsylvania, we value our mission to provide the best educational opportunities possible which will enable the University community to successfully address the concerns of a global society.
West Chester University will be a national model for excellence for public regional comprehensive universities and is especially noted for:
l Undergraduate programs that actively engage students in connecting the life of the mind to the world in which they live and work.
l The responsiveness of its graduate and post-baccalaureate programs to regional needs.
l Its focus on providing lifelong-learning, technical, and applied skills essential to graduates’ success now and in the future.
l A commitment by faculty, staff, and administrators to provide access and to serve effectively the educational needs of a diverse student body.
l Its role as a leading educational and cultural resource and partner in fostering the economic, social, and cultural vitality of southeastern Pennsylvania.
ABOUT TODAY’S GAME
WEST CHESTER (0-2)
Head Coach: Damien Blair
Career Record: (280-155)
Wilmington (1-2) VS.
ALL-TIME SERIES:
WCU Leads 13-3
Streak: L2
First Meeting: 11/16/04 W, 81-57
Last Meeting: 11/19/23 L, 85-79
Head Coach: Justin Namolik
Career Record: (122-144)
OPENING TIP... After opening its season with a pair of 20-point setbacks in West Virginia to No. 17 West Liberty (114-91) and Wheeling (88-68), the West Chester University men’s basketball team returns home on Saturday evening for its home opener in search of its first win of the season. While back-to-back 20-point losses to open the season are never calming, the last time WCU went 0-2 in its opening weekend, the Golden Rams returned to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row and finished the year 22-9 after falling to IUP in the Round of 64. West Chester holds a 13-3 lead in the all-time series vs Wilmington, although the Wildcats have won each of the last two meetings and three of the previous six, including an 85-79 victory over the Golden Rams in Wilmington a year ago. West Chester had four players in double figures, led by 17 points from Delaware native Elijah Allen, but a late cold snap and a 9-for-11 free throw shooting down the stretch by Wilmington lifted the Wildcats to the six-point victory.
WCU Men’s Basketball Notes ... West Chester was back in action on Saturday afternoon, looking to rebound from a 114-91 loss at the hands of No. 17 West Liberty to open the season on Friday evening. West Chester led early, but its lead lasted only the first four minutes. Wheeling closed out the first half with a 49-23 halftime lead. Despite outscoring the Cardinals by six (45-39) in the second half, West Chester fell by an 88-68 final as the Cardinals shot a stellar 50.9 % from the field, 29.2 % from three-point range, and 79.4 % from the free throw line. Davante Dennis led West Chester in scoring with 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including a 3-for-3 effort from three-point range, while fellow Division I transfer James Johns Jr. finished with 10 points in the setback. Elijah Allen and Dennis are tied for the team lead in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game, while Dennis also leads the group in rebounding, averaging 5.5 rebounds per game. Saleem Payne, who set a new career-high for scoring with 12 at West Liberty on Friday night, leads the team in assists, averaging 3.0 per game. West Chester is first in the PSAC and third in Division II in rebounding, averaging 51.0 rebounds per game, while the Golden Rams 28.0 offensive rebounds per game is the best in Division II. Tonight’s game is the first game of a new era in West Chester basketball as the Golden Rams open Kane-DeLaney Court at Hollinger Field House. Refinished and renamed in honor of the two legendary head coaches in West Chester basketball history, Deirdre Kane and Dick DeLaney, the project was announced to the University Community last January during a doubleheader vs East Stroudsburg and was formally unveiled earlier this fall.
Wilmington Men’s Basketball Notes...Wilmington enters play on Saturday evening after falling to PSAC East member Shippensburg at home on Wednesday night by a 90-74 final. The Wildcats kept the game close through the early going, trailing by just two at the half, but a second-half surge, which saw the Raiders outscore their hosts 59-45, was enough to guide the visitors to the 16-point victory. Justin Perez drilled five threes to lead Wilmington in scoring, finishing with 21 points to help guide the Wildcats, who shot 39.7 % from the field and 32.0 % from three-point range in the setback. Wilmington committed 16 turnovers in its loss and also lost the rebounding battle 43-37. Entering play on Saturday, Perez is first on the team in scoring, averaging 16.3 points per game. Manir Waller, who transferred to Wilmington from Mansfield, is first in rebounding, averaging 7.0 rebounds per game. Waller is also third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.7 points per game, while Denim Perkins is first in assists, averaging 4.7 per game.
With a Win ... With a win, West Chester would improve to 1-2 on the season, halt a two-game losing streak against Wilmington, and improve to 10-1 in its last 11 home openers after losing its first home opener since 2012 to Fairmont State a year ago. A win this evening would also give West Chester a chance to enter PSAC Crossover play at .500 on the year if the Golden Rams can vanquish Jefferson when the Rams visit Hollinger on November 20.
West Chester tallied a 22-7 overall record in 2017-18 to qualify for the NCAA Atlantic Regional for the second time in the last three years. Entering the tournament as the sixth seed. West Chester managed to clip the favored Cardinals, 82-77, inside the Virginia State University Multi-Purpose Center to give the Golden Rams their first NCAA Tournament win in nine appearances.
During the 2015-16 campaign, Blair guided his charges to a 23-7 mark, a spot in the PSAC Championship Game and a second trip to the NCAA Tournament in the past three campaigns. He did all of that with a pair of freshmen in his backcourt running the offense. Along the way, senior forward Matt Wiseley was named NABC All-Atlantic Region while also taking home PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year honors. Malik Jackson was the PSAC East Freshman of the Year as well. West Chester cracked into the NABC national poll for the first time since 2009 and rose as high as 16th in the country. That marked the Golden Rams’ highest national ranking since 2003.
In 2013-14, West Chester cracked the 20-win plateau for the first time in a decade and the first time under Blair’s watch. The Golden Rams finished with a 20-8 record and finished second in the PSAC East with a 17-5 mark. WCU’s 17 conference wins also set a record for most in a single season in school history. The Golden Rams defeated Millersville in the PSAC Quarterfinals, before falling to eventual champion Indiana, Pa., in the semifinals. The 20 wins set a new season record in Blair’s five years at his alma mater while the team’s appearance in the conference semifinals was West Chester’s second straight.
In 2011-12, Blair guided his charges to a 19-win season and helped the Golden Rams finish third in the PSAC Eastern Division. The Golden Rams upset Bloomsburg in the first round of the conference tournament, and when East Stroudsburg upset top-seeded Kutztown, West Chester earned the right to host the conference semifinals and finals as the highest remaining seed in the East.
Blair engineered an upset win over conference favorite and nationally ranked Indiana (Pa.) in the semifinals, landing the Golden Rams in the PSAC Championship Game.
In 2009-10, Blair led the Golden Rams to a 18-9 overall record and a 5-9 conference mark during one of the most competitive league slates in quite some time. That season’s Eastern Division champion suffered five losses in conference play.
It was Blair’s mission that winter to orchestrate a return to the PSAC semifinals and with it a shot at a PSAC championship. Blair led West Chester to the PSAC postseason tournament in his first season on the sideline in 2008-09, after inheriting a squad that had not reached the playoffs the previous two campaigns.
One of the top guards in school history, Blair made a big splash in his first season as head coach at his alma mater. The Golden Rams finished 18-10 overall and 9-5 in conference play, finishing third overall in the Eastern Division and leading the Rams to the quarterfinals of the PSAC postseason tournament. A loss to cross-town rival Cheyney ended Blair’s inaugural season prematurely.
In his first two seasons on the bench, Blair mentored three first-team All-PSAC players and four all-leaguers total. Former all-league selection, Ralph Hegamin, continued his basketball career overseas in Portugal. Hegamin was also an All-ECAC pick and two-time Herb Good all-star selection under Blair’s tutelage.
Additionally, one former Golden Rams player, Kenneth St. George, was named to the PSAC academic honor roll both years with Blair while also being named a two-time recipient of the Arthur Ashe Scholar-Athlete Award.
The program’s second all-time leading scorer during his playing days, Blair became the program’s fifth head coach since 1960 and the first African-American mentor in program history in July 2008. During his collegiate playing career, Blair set seven individual scoring records on the career, season and game levels. His 2,025 career points stands second all-time at West Chester University and 12th all-time in PSAC history. The flashy guard was a two-time PSAC East player of the year (1994, 1995) and four-time all-league selection, including three first-team nods, during his illustrious playing career. Blair was inducted into the Messikomer Men’s Basketball Hall of Fame at West Chester University in 2001.
Blair received his bachelor’s of science degree in Education from WCU in May 2006 and is a certified Health & Physical Education instructor in the state of Pennsylvania. He completed his master’s in Athletic Administration from WCU in May 2007.
Blair resides in Downingtown, Pa., with his wife, Carolyn, a 1997 graduate of West Chester University and former women’s basketball player under former women’s head coach Deirdre Kane. The couple has four children: Hunter, Dylan, Autumn and Hayden. Hunter graduated from West Chester University while Dylan is a sophomore at West Chester after joining the Golden Rams from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Autumn will attend the University of Florida on a women’s lacrosse scholarship.
West Chester Golden Rams
Men’s Basketball Roster (0-2)
Wilmington Wildcats
Men’s Basketball Roster (1-2)
Fidel Mpanzo C 7-0
(Clarion)
Smyrna, Del./Smyrna (Holy Family)
(Del Tech
Jr. West Warwick, R.I./Bishop Hendricken (Adelphi)
Jr. Luanda, Angola/Combine Academy (Allegany College)
Head Coach: Dan Burke, 11th Season (Chestnut Hill ’08) Assistant Coaches: Andrew Feeley, Ron Solomone, Shai Henry, JJ Rapczynski
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Notes
2024-25 Men’s Basketball Conference Standings and Statistics as of 11/15/24
1. East Stroudsburg (7) 18-4 25-5 2. West Chester (1) 15-7 19-11 3. Millersville 18-4 24-7 4. Shepherd 10-12 13-15
5. Lock Haven (1) 18-4 21-8 6. Kutztown 3-19 4-24
7. Shippensburg 4-18 8-20
8. Mansfield 6-16 8-20
9. Bloomsburg 3-19 5-23
California (5) 19-3 28-5
Slippery Rock (3) 13-9 16-14
Gannon 20-2 32-3
Indiana (Pa.) 13-9 17-13
Seton Hill 11-11 16-13
Pitt-Johnstown 4-18 6-22
Clarion 6-16 8-20
Edinboro 6-16 7-21
Enhanced facilities. More scholarships. Lifelong impact. When you make a gift to an athletics fund through WCU Foundation, you help our student-athletes excel at the highest level of NCAA Division II— in competition, in the classroom, and in the community.
Visit www.wcufoundation.org/athletics or contact Matt Marzzacco at mmarzzacco@wcufoundation.org to support your sport.
2024-25 West Chester University Cheerleaders
From late August through early-to-mid March each school year, West Chester University’s cheerleaders are front and center at all Golden Rams football games in the fall and both men’s and women’s basketball games in the winter. Additionally, West Chester University’s cheerleaders have traveled to Orlando, Fla., and the Wide World of Sports in January to compete in the UCA Nationals. The Golden Rams Cheer Squad placed among the top five at UCA Nationals in each of the past four years, including a national championship effort last winter and a runner-up performance in 2023.
The cheerleaders work hard in the preseason learning mostly new material for the upcoming campaign, conditioning and developing a pride in the West Chester University community. Aside from preparing their 35-member team for the year ahead, the West Chester University cheerleaders also host high school clinics in order to develop cheerleading around the area.
The West Chester University cheerleaders take on many community service projects focusing mainly on breast cancer awareness, as well as doing many youth and high school cheering clinics, donating to needy schools and volunteering with the elderly within the West Chester community.
The team also makes many public appearances as representatives of WCU, highlighted each holiday season with a spot in the borough’s annual Christmas Parade.
Name Pos. Cl. Hometown / High School
Alexis Aguiar Base Gr. Delran, N.J./Delran
Jess Berry Base Fr. Warrington, Pa./CB South
Brooke Bradley Base Fr. Clarks Summit, Pa./Abington Heights
Jasmin Bullers Base So. Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley
Alexis Casale Back Jr. Springfield, Pa./Springfield
Aubrey Fink Base Fr. York, Pa./Dallastown
Alexis Grimes Flyer So. Matamoras, Pa./Delaware Valley
Emily Ham Backspot Jr. West Grove, Pa./Padua Academy
