Millersville, Pa. - Matt Penacale had missed his first six shots but that didn't stop West Chester head coach Damien Blair from calling the junior's number with the game on the line. A young, scrappy Millersville team scratched and clawed its way to a 73-73 tie with the No. 23rd-ranked Golden Rams, but Penacale's turnaround, fade-away jumper from the right wing crushed the Marauders' hopes of an upset and kept his team undefeated at 11-0. 

Millersville trailed by as many as 13 points but outscored West Chester 46-37 in the second half and pulled even at 73-73 after freshman James Sullivan made a steal, drew a foul and calmly sank both free throws. West Chester took possession with 23 seconds remaining and the ball never left Penacale's hands. Penacale went to work with eight seconds remaining, backed his way to the right elbow then splashed the turnaround jumper. Millersville's Marcus Adkison heaved a three-quarter court shot that hit the left side of the backboard as time expired. 

Adkison finished with 26 points, hitting 11 of 13 free throws. He scored 15 in the second half, helping to serve as the catalyst for Millersville's comeback. Caden Najdawi also sparked the Marauders, especially early in the second when he scored six of the team's first eight points of the period. He finished with 13 points and eight rebounds before fouling out. Jordan Greene added 15 points. Greene and Adkison kept a struggling Marauders' offense above water in the first half. The duo scored 23 of the Marauders' 29 first half points. 

The pace and flow of the game was marred by foul calls, which totaled 58. West Chester attempted 44 foul shots while attempting just two more field goals (46). West Chester's inability to cash in on foul shots, however, gave Millersville an opportunity to sneak within striking distance. The Golden Rams converted just 26 of 44 from the line while Millersville was slightly better at 23 for 32 but also made 18 of 21 in the second half. 

Millersville trailed 63-53 with 5:18 to play but a an 8-1 run capped by a Jamal Washington 3-pointer pulled the Marauders within three. Washington cut West Chester's lead to two at the 2:51 mark, but West Chester pushed the advantage back to 72-66 on two Jackson Hyland free throws. On Millersville's next possession, Adkison converted a three-point play. After Frank Rokins made one of two free throws for West Chester, Adkison drew a foul with 58 seconds to play and sank both, bringing Millersville to within 73-71. On the ensuing West Chester possession, Sullivan caused Jawan Collins to lose his dribble, dove on the loose ball and drew a foul, setting up the game-tying foul shots and the subsequent Penacale game-winner. 

A little more than one year ago, Millersville knocked off then-undefeated and No. 5-ranked Shippensburg in Pucillo Gymnasium. But rather than an upset, the Marauders dropped their eighth in a row to West Chester and fell to 4-9 (2-5 PSAC) on the season. Of the 10 Marauders to play minutes Wednesday, six were freshmen. 

Millersville's schedule gets no easier as it travels to Shippensburg Saturday. The Raiders (8-3) are 6-0 at home.