#3 West Chester 80, #6 Cal Pa 67 | Final Box

GLENVILLE - PSAC rivals Cal Pa and West Chester got the tournament off the ground in a Friday noon contest, with the WCU Rams advancing with a hard-fought 80-67 victory. They were able to hold off a California (PA) charge, and ride a dominant 44-point performance from Leah Johnson. 
 
West Chester came out of the gate fast, racing to a 22-7 lead after one quarter. The Vulcans began to methodically chip away at the WCU advantage in the second quarter, trimming the deficit to 37-30 by halftime. They continued the comeback well into the third quarter, and by the end of third frame, it was a one-point WCU lead at 51-50. 
 
With the game still in the balance, the Rams closed the issue by scoring the first 11 points of the fourth quarter, and staking a 62-50 lead with only 5:54 remaining. From there, WCU was able to hold off a late Vulcan comeback and pull away in the final minutes. 
 
Johnson's line also included seven rebounds and three assists. Teammate Emily McAteer produced a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds while Anna McTamney hit double figures with 10 points. As a team, the Rams shot 53.6% from the field (30-of-56).
 
Ciara Loyd led Cal with 20 points, complemented by Rajah Fink with 18 and Allycia Harris 11. 
 
West Chester improves to 23-8 with the win, and they will advance to Saturday night's semifinal matchup. California (Pa), the PSAC Tournament Champions, close their strong postseason run with a final record of 21-11.

#7 Charleston 69, #2 Gannon 65 | Final Box 

GLENVILLE - The University of Charleston pulled off the first surprise of the tournament, knocking off #2 seed Gannon 69-65. The Golden Eagles held off a strong late Knight rally to preserve the win, scoring the game's final four points.
 
Gannon opened up quickly, rushing to a 14-4 lead in the game's first four minutes. Charleston responded, cutting the margin to 21-15 by the end of the first quarter. The surge continued through the second quarter, as the Golden Eagles carried a 39-32 lead into halftime. Early in the third quarter, the UC lead had expanded to 13 points at 47-34. 
 
Gannon began to methodically pull closer down the stretch with their inside game, and tied the score at 65-65 with only two minutes remaining. Charleston was able to stem the GU momentum, and close the game with some key plays on both sides of the court.
 
Markiya McCormick led UC with 27 points, going 11-of-19 from the floor. Dakota Reeves added 10 points and Trinity Palacio a team-high six assists. Charleston shot a solid 51.9% from the field (28-of-54). 
 
Regional Player of the Year Samantha Pirosko led Gannon with 23 points, followed by freshman Bri Claxon with 17.
 
Charleston improves to 24-8, and advances to Saturday night's semifinal. Gannon closes their strong season 29-5.