WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Wednesday night's game between Millersville and West Chester had it all. Two longtime rivals and red-hot teams tied in the standings with first place in the PSAC East on the line. There were sixteen ties and eight lead changes as the teams seesawed for 50 minutes. There were clutch shots to extend the game twice. There were career performances with Millersville's Matt Dade scored 33 points against his former team, and his counterpart Eli Barrett went for 21 points and 17 boards. In the end, it was West Chester winning 96-91 in double overtime, using free throws and offensive rebounding to pull away in the final minute. 

West Chester's win combined with Shippensburg's loss at Shepherd moved the Golden Rams into a tie for first place in the PSAC East while Millersville slipped a game back in third. The down-to-the-wire finish is nothing new for the Rams, who had won their previous two games on last-second shots. It was Millersville that hit the shots to force extra time Wednesday--first, Mekhi Hendricks' two free throws in regulation, and then Jahme Ested's runner that forced the second OT. But in the final five minutes, West Chester scored six of its final eight points at the free throw line, and the PSAC's best offensive rebounding team got two back-breaking offensive boards that stretched offensive possessions and resulted in crucial points for the Rams. 

West Chester won the battle on the glass 48-41, but it was the 17 offensive rebounds that led to 21 second-chance points that proved most costly. It was 77-77 at the end of regulation, and Millersville had not allowed that many points in 40 minutes since Jan. 14. 

"The rebounding hurt us," said Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel. "Our defense wasn't up to our standards either. Our energy was there, but we weren't as focused. There were too many scouting report mistakes, especially early. We couldn't put together a run, get a stop and get a rebound, to put pressure on them. In the first OT, we went up four, and that's where you have to get a stop. We gave up a wide-open shot. Later, we turned it over on a five-on-four, and then they get an and-one. Just too many plays like that."

Millersville rallied from 15 points down after West Chester made its first seven shots of the game, opening with a 20-5 lead. It was Dade that carried the load early for the Marauders, scoring 16 first-half points. The former Golden Ram pushed his Marauders into the lead for the first time (69-68) with just over five minutes remaining in regulation. Millersville trailed by two with under a minute remaining, and Hendricks made both free throws. The Marauders then got a stop and called timeout with four seconds remaining. With Millersville inbounding on the sideline, West Chester took Dade away with a quick double team, and Millersville settled for a contested three that missed. 

Millersville had its opportunity to put the game away in the first overtime after Keith Mency's three extended its lead to 83-79. But West Chester received some clutch OT performances from some unlikely heroes. Dame Wall, who hadn't played a game since Jan. 14, scored seven of his team's eight points in the first overtime, including a three that halted Millersville's run. He then made two free throws to put his team in the lead, and an offensive rebound by Wall with 19 seconds left, led to a free throw and two-point lead for the Rams. In the second overtime, it was Michael McLain that gave the Rams a surprising boost. He had not played more than 11 minutes in a game all season, but his 3-pointer on the first possession of the final session put Millersville in chase mode the rest of the way. McLain, a 1.9-points-per-game scorer, finished with a career-high nine points. 

The game swung West Chester's way on a turnover with 1:37 remaining. With a Golden Ram injured in the backcourt, Millersville had numbers but lost the ball in the lane. West Chester's Elijah Allen was the beneficiary of a two-on-one, and he finished in transition, getting fouled in the process. His three-point play put the Rams in front 94-91, and Millersville missed shots on its next two possessions. 

"There were some guys for West Chester that stepped up and made threes," said Stitzel. "We missed some free throws and had some shots that didn't go in late. They were open shots that could have landed and extended leads. But what a great experience for our young players. It's an opportunity to grow and let the failure drive us. There's another big game coming soon."

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• In addition to his 33 points, Dade grabbed nine rebounds. Justin Nwosu scored 15 points and grabbed nine boards while also blocking two shots. Ested scored six of his 10 in the overtime sessions. Four Marauders played at least 40 minutes with Hendricks logging 47. 
• Millersville did not make its first 3-pointer until 8:37 remaining in regulation. Millersville finished 5-of-25 from three while West Chester made 9-of-25. 
• West Chester snapped Millersville's four-game winning streak in the series. Millersville has won at Hollinger Fieldhouse just once since 2013 and is now 5-27 in the building since 1991. 

THE POSTSEASON PICTURE
• Millersville is now tied with East Stroudsburg for third place in the East. ESU owns the head-to-head tiebreaker, so if the standings go unchanged through Saturday, the Marauders would be the No. 4 seed and host a playoff game Monday night. 
• Wednesday's loss was also a blow to Millersville's hopes of an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and a big boost to West Chester's. The Marauders were pegged No. 9 in the first NCAA Atlantic Regional rankings released Wednesday afternoon. West Chester was positioned seventh. 

UP NEXT
• Millersville celebrates Senior Day on Saturday, Feb. 25 with a 3 p.m. tip in Pucillo Gymnasium.