FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mounties Battle in First Half, but West Chester Pulls Away
 
MANSFIELD – Mountaineer women's basketball gave West Chester all it could handle in the first half, but the Golden Rams pulled away in the second to earn a 79-51 PSAC East victory Saturday afternoon at First Citizens Community Bank Court at Decker Gymnasium.
 
Junior Katie Fitzpatrick scored a game-high 15 points and grabbed a team-high seven boards, with six rebounds coming on the offensive glass. Fitzpatrick has topped the Mounties offensively in four of the last five games.
 
Tianna Jackson and Maria Kelleher each hit three 3-pointers on their way to 11 points apiece. Alyssa Mullins recorded a game-high four steals and grabbed six boards.
 
Mariah Powell came off the bench to lead five Rams in double-figure scoring with her 13 points. Chikish Steele-Hook and Porscha Speller recorded 12 points each while Brittany Sicinski and Anna Kuntz scored 11 points each.
 
Dallas Ely grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for West Chester (15-3, 11-3 PSAC).
 
Brielle Kelly opened the game with a jumper, but the Rams answered on the other end of the court to tie the game. On the ensuing possession, Jackson banged a 3-pointer to give Mansfield a three-point lead before Alyssa DeRichie's jumper put the Mounties up five.
 
Mansfield (1-17, 0-14 PSAC) maintained its lead over the next six minutes, holding a 13-8 advantage with 10:31 to play in the half, but seven quick points gave the Rams the lead. A DeRichie jumper and a Kelleher triple back-to-back put the Mountaineers on top again.
 
West Chester regained the lead at the six minute mark and would never look back. The Rams went into halftime leading 30-22.
 
The Mounties struggled to get much going in the second half, scoring their first bucket on a Jackson 3-pointer at the 16:20 mark. West Chester would continue to build its lead and went on to win its fourth straight.
 
Mansfield shot just 29.7% (19-64) from the floor compared to West Chester's 54.2% (32-59). The Rams held a 47-33 rebounding advantage.
 
Mansfield continues its two-game home stand on Wednesday by hosting Kutztown.