Ely’s 28 Propels West Chester Past Shippensburg in OT, 76-73
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Jr., G Dallas Ely (Montrose, Pa./Montrose Area) took over the game in the second half, finishing with 28 points to propel West Chester past host Shippensburg in an overtime thriller, 76-73, inside Heiges Field House Saturday afternoon. The Shippensburg Raiders came storming out of the gate, jumping out to a 16-5 lead in the first couple of minutes. West Chester (7-0, 4-0 PSAC) responded with a 13-0 run in a span of four minutes that brought the Golden Rams back into the ballgame. Providing instant offense off of the bench was red-shirt freshman Porscha Speller (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Catholic), who ignited the run with a pair of buckets. Speller finished second on the team with 17 points and three rebounds in 28 minutes of action. Shippensburg led by two at the half as both teams continued to trade buckets back and forth, resulting in several lead changes. Similar to the first half, the Raiders opened up the second frame with another big run. This time it was a 14-3 run in the first six minutes as the Golden Rams trailed by 13 points with 13:43 remaining in the contest. Ely's second half performance was one to remember, registering 17 points while connecting on five 3-pointers to allow the Golden Rams to climb back into the game. The sharpshooter shot 75 percent from downtown, hitting on 6 of her 8 attempts. In the final minute, Ely was able to drive down the lane for a bucket in order to cut Shippensburg's lead down to two. After a defensive stop resulting in a Shippensburg turnover, West Chester capitalized on its opportunity to tie the game. Jr., F Chikisha Steele-Hook (Harrisburg, Pa. /Susquehanna Twp.) made a jump shot with 25 seconds left, knotting the game for the first time since the 7:55 mark in the first half. Steele-Hook's shot sent the game into overtime, with the score gridlocked at 69-69. The Golden Rams carried their momentum into overtime led by Ely, who hit a crucial jumper to help West Chester escape with the win. Providing a huge contributing in the paint was Anna Kuntz (Camp Hill, Pa./Trinity), finishing with a double-double. Her 16 points and 12 rebounds were a significant factor in setting up her teammates. Eight of her rebounds were on the offensive glass, helping West Chester obtain 15 second-chance points compared to only seven for Shippensburg. This victory marks the second consecutive year that the Golden Rams trailed Shippensburg by double-digits in the second half on the road and won the game. West Chester trailed by 14 points with 13:01 left last season, while today reflected a 13-point comeback in the final 13:43. West Chester continues its road trip to Erie, Pa., where the Golden Rams will take on a pair of PSAC Western Division opponents, before returning home to Hollinger Field House. First the Golden Rams take on Mercyhurst on Tuesday, Dec. 16, and then turn their attention to Gannon the following day as both contests are set for 5:30 p.m. tip offs.
