PIKE CREEK, Del. – The Goldey-Beacom College men's basketball team, led by seventh-year head coach Chuck Hammond, will host West Chester University on Tues. night, 8 p.m. to open the 2009-10 season.

GBC, which was picked to finish second in the six-team Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division, returns 10 players from the 2008-09 team that went 14-15 overall and 8-8 in the conference. All that separated the Lightning from a berth in the CACC finals last season was three points, a 79-76 loss to Bloomfield. With the addition of four big men in Phillip Brooks (6-7, soph. forward), Lawrence Livingston (6-7, freshman forward), Terrance Parkes (6-6, junior forward) and Nick Mathewson (6-3, junior forward), the Lightning look to make another CACC playoff run in 2009-10.

The Lightning return their leading scorer and rebounder from last season in senior guard Kyle White. The Georgetown, Del. native averaged 15.7 ppg and 4.6 rpg in 2008-09. GBC also welcomes back Sam McDuffie, who was third on the team in scoring (8.4 ppg) and second in rebounding (4.4 rpg) last season.  

Seventh-year head coach Chuck Hammond has taken GBC to the CACC playoffs the last three years. He inherited a team that had gone 1-23 the season before he took over in 2003-04, and he went 18-43 over his first three years. The last three seasons, he has made the Lightning a CACC power, going 27-25, and reaching two quarterfinals and one semifinal.

Under Hammond, GBC is 3-3 in season-openers and has won the last two. The Lightning are 1-2 against West Chester in Hammond's tenure. The two teams have met in each of the last two seasons, with both schools winning on their respective home floors.

The Golden Rams (3-0) have already beaten two CACC schools (USP and Wilmington) this season. They are coming off a thrilling, 80-77 five-overtime road victory over Wilmington on Sat. The five overtimes set a new school record for WCU. Ralph Hegamin and Kehinde Roberts each poured in 25 points as the Golden Rams remained unbeaten.

Hegamin was one of two WCU players selected to the All-PSAC East Pre-Season First Team and Roberts was a second-team selection. These two players are leading the Golden Rams in scoring this season, with Hegamin averaging 23.0 ppg and Roberts 15.3 ppg.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. The game will immediately follow the GBC vs. WCU women's basketball game which starts at 6 p.m.