From the E-town College Website:
12/16/2008
Men's basketball topped by Scranton, 83-68
Click here for the box score
SCRANTON, Pa. --- The University of Scranton placed six players in double figures and connected on 12 three-pointers in an 83-68 victory over Elizabethtown College in non-conference men's basketball action at the Long Center on Tuesday night.
Ryan FitzPatrick went 5-for-6 from three-point range and scored a team-high 17 points for the Royals (6-3 overall), while Zach Ashworth added 15 points as all five starters reached double figures in the victory for Scranton.
Joe Flanagan (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) led the Blue Jays (5-5 overall) with 21 points while Keith Fogel (Mifllinburg, PA/Mifflinburg) added 16 points for Elizabethtown, which shot 40.3 percent (27-for-67) from the field as a team and connected on just 9-of-18 from the foul line.
The Blue Jays held their only lead of the game at 7-6, but the Royals went on a 12-2 run to take an 18-9 advantage with 12:27 left in the first half. Scranton led 41-33 at halftime as Luke Hawk scored 10 points to lead the Royals, while Flanagan paced the Blue Jays with 15 points in the opening half.
In the second half, Scranton hit four three-pointers in the opening four minutes to take a 55-40 lead, but the Blue Jays climbed back to within eight at 55-47 with 14:36 to go. However, Scranton regained a double-figure lead and built their advantage to as many as 18 points midway through the half.
Eli Londo went 5-for-5 from the field and finished with 11 points and seven rebounds off the bench for Scranton, while Paul Biagioli and brothers Luke and Paul Hawk all tallied 10 points. As a team, Scranton finished 23-for-27 from the foul line inclluding 16-for-17 in the second half.
Mike Church (Peach Bottom, PA/Solanco) also finished in double figures for Elizabethtown with 10 points to go with a team-high seven rebounds and three blocked shots, while Phil Schaffer (Marmora, NJ/Ocean City) dished out seven assists.
From the Scranton Times-Tribune:
Balanced attack powers Scranton past Elizabethtown
With six players scoring in double figures, the University of Scranton held off Elizabethtown College, 83-68, in a non-conference men’s basketball game at the Long Center on Tuesday.
Senior guard Ryan FitzPatrick led the Royals (6-3) with 17 points and sophomore guard Zach Ashworth scored 15. North Pocono graduate Eli Londo finished with 11 points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench.
The Royals opened up a double-digit lead early in the second half as Ashworth scored five points and FitzPatrick and Paul Hawk buried 3-pointers each to spark a 14-7 run to extend a 41-33 halftime lead to 55-40 with 16:21 remaining.
Abington Heights graduate Paul Biagioli finished 10 points for Scranton, as did sophomore guard Luke Hawk and senior forward Paul Hawk.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tuesday Night Basketball in Scranton
Good luck to the Blue Jays tonight as they head to Scranton to take on the University of Scranton Royals.
For those traveling to the game, please travel safely as The National Weather Service is calling for a Wintry mix.
For those not braving the conditions, you can listen to the game live online. The game will be broadcast by WUSR 99.5 FM Royal Radio.
Go Blue Jays!
For those traveling to the game, please travel safely as The National Weather Service is calling for a Wintry mix.
For those not braving the conditions, you can listen to the game live online. The game will be broadcast by WUSR 99.5 FM Royal Radio.
Go Blue Jays!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Blue Jays Fall at DeSales 71-65
Following are the stories of Saturday's game as gathered from around the Web.
First from the E-town College Website:
DeSales remains unbeaten with 71-65 win in men's hoops action
ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE MEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, December 13, 2008
DeSales 71, Elizabethtown 65
Click here for the box score
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. --- Darnell Braswell scored a game-high 22 points and Brian Hunter added 20 as DeSales University remained undefeated with a 71-65 victory over Elizabethtown College in non-conference men's basketball action on Saturday afternoon at Billera Hall.
Ed Lapinski chipped in with nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Bulldogs (8-0 overall), who led from start to finish by as many as 17 points before the Blue Jays (5-4 overall) used a late rally to trim to deficit to four points.
Keith Fogel (Mifllinburg, PA/Mifflinburg) sank a career-high four three-pointers and finished with 20 points for Elizabethtown, while Mike Church (Peach Bottom, PA/Solanco) notched his second consecutive double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, but the Blue Jays shot just 39 percent (23-for-59) from the field and committed 21 turnovers in defeat.
Braswell went 8-for-16 from the field and 6-for-9 from the foul line for DeSales, while Hunter connected on four three-pointers on the afternoon as the Bulldogs hit 54.8 percent (17-for-31) from the field in the first half to take a 42-30 lead at intermission.
The Bulldogs held their largest lead of the day at 51-34 following a steal and layup by Braswell with 15:26 to play, but the Blue Jays chipped away behind Fogel and Church, who combined for 21 of Elizabethtown's 35 points in the second half.
The Blue Jays pulled within six points on several occasions, and managed to move to within 69-65 on a three-pointer by Chris Jones (Airville, PA/Kennard-Dale) with eight seconds to go, but Braswell hit two foul shots with three seconds left to close the scoring.
In addition to his 20 points, Fogel also finished with a career-high seven steals for Elizabethtown, while Joe Flanagan (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) reached double figures for the ninth time in as many games with 11 points. Off the bench, Kyle McConnell (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Crest) came up with six points and four assists in 15 minutes of action.
From the DeSales Website:
Bullldogs Stay Unbeaten with 71-65 Win over Elizabethtown
BOX SCORE
Center Valley, PA (December 13, 2008) – For the first time in school history the DeSales University men’s basketball team will open its Christmas presents without having lost a basketball game as the Bulldogs will enter the Christmas break with a perfect 8-0 record after a 71-65 win over Elizabethtown College on Saturday afternoon in Billera Hall.
The Bulldogs are 8-0 for the first time in school history and will take three weeks off before putting their unblemished record on the line on Saturday, January 3rd. DSU shot 47.3 percent from the field for the game, including a 54.8 percent effort in the opening half, handing the Blue Jays their fourth loss of the season as they fall to 5-4 overall. E-Town shot just 39.0 percent for the game as both teams were sloppy with the ball combining for 41 turnovers, 21 for Elizabethtown and 20 for DeSales.
DSU never trailed in the game taking a 3-0 lead on a three-point play from junior Darnell Braswell (Allentown, PA/William Allen) to start the game and held the lead throughout in the win. Leading by just two points, 23-21, at the 8:05 mark of the opening half, the Bulldogs used an 8-0 run to build a 10-point lead as sophomore Brian Hunter (Allentown, PA/Emmaus) and Braswell combined for all eight points, five by Hunter including one three-pointer.
The lead grew as high as 14 points, 42-28, before a lay-up from Joe Flanagan to end the half provided the 42-30 halftime score as each team entered the locker room.
DeSales started out hot in the second half, pushing its lead up to 17-points, 51-34, before the Blue Jays began to chip away. The Bulldogs were held scoreless over the next six and a half minutes as EC cut the lead down to six points, before a three-point play from Hunter snapped the scoring drought and pushed the lead up to nine points, 54-45, with 8:58 to go.
Elizabethtown continued to chip away cutting the lead to six several times and got within five, 62-57, at the 2:24 mark before a lay-up from Braswell quickly pushed the game back to a three possession contest and the Bulldogs hit 6-of-8 charity tosses over the final 43 seconds to ice the game and provide the final margin.
Once again the backcourt combination of Braswell and Hunter combined for a large portion of DSU’s scoring with 42 of the 71 points. Braswell led the way with 22, while Hunter added 20. Senior Ed Lapinski (Red Hill, PA/Upper Perkiomen) had nine points and pulled down a game-high 12 boards, senior Matt Zwetolitz (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) added seven points, and junior Jim Malatesta (Warminster, PA/Archbishop Wood) totaled eight points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals in the win.
The Bulldogs will get a chance to rest their legs for three weeks before returning to action on Saturday, January 3rd when they host John Jay College in the opening game of the Casa Mia Holiday Tournament beginning at 2:00 pm.
From the Lancaster Sunday News:
Undefeated DeSales holds off Elizabethtown, 71-65
Sunday News
By STAFF
Darnell Braswell scored a game-high 22 points and Brian Hunter added 20 as DeSales University remained undefeated with a 71-65 victory over Elizabethtown College in a non-conference men's basketball game Saturday in Center Valley.
Ed Lapinski chipped in with nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Bulldogs (8-0), who led by as many as 17 before the Blue Jays (5-4) used a late rally to trim to deficit to four points.
Keith Fogel sank a career-high four three-pointers and finished with 20 points for Elizabethtown. Mike Church (Solanco) had his second consecutive double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, but the Blue Jays shot just 39 percent (23-for-59) from the field and committed 21 turnovers.
Braswell went 8-for-16 from the field and 6-for-9 from the foul line for DeSales. Hunter connected on four three-pointers as the Bulldogs hit 54.8 percent (17-for-31) from the field in the first half to take a 42-30 lead at intermission.
The Bulldogs held their largest lead of the day at 51-34 following a steal and layup by Braswell with 15:26 to play, but the Blue Jays chipped away behind Fogel and Church, who combined for 21 of Elizabethtown's 35 points in the second half.
The Blue Jays pulled within six points on several occasions, and managed to move to within 69-65 on a three-pointer by Chris Jones with eight seconds to go, but Braswell hit two foul shots with three seconds left to close the scoring.
Fogel also finished with a career-high seven steals. Joe Flanagan (Lancaster Mennonite) reached double figures for the ninth time in as many games with 11 points. Off the bench, Kyle McConnell (Cedar Crest) came up had six points and four assists in 15 minutes.
Finally, from the Allentown Morning Call:
Burke's big second half sinks Messiah
Braswell, Hunter lead Bulldog men to win over E'town.
By Mandy Housenick Of The Morning Call
December 14, 2008
DeSales women's basketball players, coaches and fans are used to seeing LeighAnn Burke stand out. The senior guard entered Saturday's game averaging nearly 20 points per contest.
So you can imagine their surprise when she had just seven at halftime on 3-of-10 shooting.
The Philadelphia native more than made up for it in the second half.
Burke poured in 25 in the final two quarters for a game-high 32, which propelled No. 18 DeSales to a come-from-behind victory over No. 6 Messiah 70-64 at Billera Hall.
''When she's unhappy with what she's done, she's going to do something about it,'' DeSales coach Fred Richter said.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the DeSales men's team continued its torrid start by beating Elizabethtown 71-65. Allen graduate Darnell Braswell led all scorers with 22 points. Teammate Brian Hunter, an Emmaus alum, added 20 for the Bulldogs, whose 8-0 start is the best in program history.
Except for scoring the first basket of the game, the women didn't own the lead until the 12:26 mark of the second half. The Bulldogs trailed by as many as 10 three times in the first half, including at intermission. During that first 20 minutes, Burke shot just 30 percent from the field. As a team, DeSales didn't make a steal and committed 12 turnovers to Messiah's five.
''I was getting open and I was getting my shots,'' Burke said. ''But I knew I needed to start to hit some jump shots.''
The Bulldogs' defense turned it into high gear in the second half. The Bulldogs made two steals in the first two minutes (they finished with six), both of which led to baskets and finally tied the game at 42 on Burke's baseline jumper with 15:01 left. She scored five of her team's next seven points, including a trey from the corner on an inbounds play that gave the Bulldogs the lead for good.
"Sometimes that's a shot I don't get because people know the play,'' Burke said.
DeSales' lead over Messiah, which lost in the Division III national championship a season ago, grew to 10 when Megan Bedard scored with 1:43 left to make it 67-57.
The DeSales men had to make some last-minute adjustments when they found out that starting guard Rob Schubach, a Southern Lehigh graduate, had pink eye.
The Bulldogs, though, hardly missed a beat. They owned the lead for the entire game, which included a 17-point advantage 4:30 into the second half.
Braswell's athleticism helped him shoot 50 percent from the field. And Hunter's jump shot was on Saturday. The sophomore, who came into the game averaging 12.3 per game, had 14 at halftime. He wound up hitting six of 10 from the floor, including four of six from 3-point range.
''I'm a pretty confident player and coach [Scott Coval] has a lot of confidence in me,'' Hunter said. ''So when I'm open, I don't really think twice about putting up a shot.''
First from the E-town College Website:
DeSales remains unbeaten with 71-65 win in men's hoops action
ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE MEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, December 13, 2008
DeSales 71, Elizabethtown 65
Click here for the box score
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. --- Darnell Braswell scored a game-high 22 points and Brian Hunter added 20 as DeSales University remained undefeated with a 71-65 victory over Elizabethtown College in non-conference men's basketball action on Saturday afternoon at Billera Hall.
Ed Lapinski chipped in with nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Bulldogs (8-0 overall), who led from start to finish by as many as 17 points before the Blue Jays (5-4 overall) used a late rally to trim to deficit to four points.
Keith Fogel (Mifllinburg, PA/Mifflinburg) sank a career-high four three-pointers and finished with 20 points for Elizabethtown, while Mike Church (Peach Bottom, PA/Solanco) notched his second consecutive double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, but the Blue Jays shot just 39 percent (23-for-59) from the field and committed 21 turnovers in defeat.
Braswell went 8-for-16 from the field and 6-for-9 from the foul line for DeSales, while Hunter connected on four three-pointers on the afternoon as the Bulldogs hit 54.8 percent (17-for-31) from the field in the first half to take a 42-30 lead at intermission.
The Bulldogs held their largest lead of the day at 51-34 following a steal and layup by Braswell with 15:26 to play, but the Blue Jays chipped away behind Fogel and Church, who combined for 21 of Elizabethtown's 35 points in the second half.
The Blue Jays pulled within six points on several occasions, and managed to move to within 69-65 on a three-pointer by Chris Jones (Airville, PA/Kennard-Dale) with eight seconds to go, but Braswell hit two foul shots with three seconds left to close the scoring.
In addition to his 20 points, Fogel also finished with a career-high seven steals for Elizabethtown, while Joe Flanagan (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) reached double figures for the ninth time in as many games with 11 points. Off the bench, Kyle McConnell (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Crest) came up with six points and four assists in 15 minutes of action.
From the DeSales Website:
Bullldogs Stay Unbeaten with 71-65 Win over Elizabethtown
BOX SCORE
Center Valley, PA (December 13, 2008) – For the first time in school history the DeSales University men’s basketball team will open its Christmas presents without having lost a basketball game as the Bulldogs will enter the Christmas break with a perfect 8-0 record after a 71-65 win over Elizabethtown College on Saturday afternoon in Billera Hall.
The Bulldogs are 8-0 for the first time in school history and will take three weeks off before putting their unblemished record on the line on Saturday, January 3rd. DSU shot 47.3 percent from the field for the game, including a 54.8 percent effort in the opening half, handing the Blue Jays their fourth loss of the season as they fall to 5-4 overall. E-Town shot just 39.0 percent for the game as both teams were sloppy with the ball combining for 41 turnovers, 21 for Elizabethtown and 20 for DeSales.
DSU never trailed in the game taking a 3-0 lead on a three-point play from junior Darnell Braswell (Allentown, PA/William Allen) to start the game and held the lead throughout in the win. Leading by just two points, 23-21, at the 8:05 mark of the opening half, the Bulldogs used an 8-0 run to build a 10-point lead as sophomore Brian Hunter (Allentown, PA/Emmaus) and Braswell combined for all eight points, five by Hunter including one three-pointer.
The lead grew as high as 14 points, 42-28, before a lay-up from Joe Flanagan to end the half provided the 42-30 halftime score as each team entered the locker room.
DeSales started out hot in the second half, pushing its lead up to 17-points, 51-34, before the Blue Jays began to chip away. The Bulldogs were held scoreless over the next six and a half minutes as EC cut the lead down to six points, before a three-point play from Hunter snapped the scoring drought and pushed the lead up to nine points, 54-45, with 8:58 to go.
Elizabethtown continued to chip away cutting the lead to six several times and got within five, 62-57, at the 2:24 mark before a lay-up from Braswell quickly pushed the game back to a three possession contest and the Bulldogs hit 6-of-8 charity tosses over the final 43 seconds to ice the game and provide the final margin.
Once again the backcourt combination of Braswell and Hunter combined for a large portion of DSU’s scoring with 42 of the 71 points. Braswell led the way with 22, while Hunter added 20. Senior Ed Lapinski (Red Hill, PA/Upper Perkiomen) had nine points and pulled down a game-high 12 boards, senior Matt Zwetolitz (Whitehall, PA/Whitehall) added seven points, and junior Jim Malatesta (Warminster, PA/Archbishop Wood) totaled eight points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals in the win.
The Bulldogs will get a chance to rest their legs for three weeks before returning to action on Saturday, January 3rd when they host John Jay College in the opening game of the Casa Mia Holiday Tournament beginning at 2:00 pm.
From the Lancaster Sunday News:
Undefeated DeSales holds off Elizabethtown, 71-65
Sunday News
By STAFF
Darnell Braswell scored a game-high 22 points and Brian Hunter added 20 as DeSales University remained undefeated with a 71-65 victory over Elizabethtown College in a non-conference men's basketball game Saturday in Center Valley.
Ed Lapinski chipped in with nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Bulldogs (8-0), who led by as many as 17 before the Blue Jays (5-4) used a late rally to trim to deficit to four points.
Keith Fogel sank a career-high four three-pointers and finished with 20 points for Elizabethtown. Mike Church (Solanco) had his second consecutive double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, but the Blue Jays shot just 39 percent (23-for-59) from the field and committed 21 turnovers.
Braswell went 8-for-16 from the field and 6-for-9 from the foul line for DeSales. Hunter connected on four three-pointers as the Bulldogs hit 54.8 percent (17-for-31) from the field in the first half to take a 42-30 lead at intermission.
The Bulldogs held their largest lead of the day at 51-34 following a steal and layup by Braswell with 15:26 to play, but the Blue Jays chipped away behind Fogel and Church, who combined for 21 of Elizabethtown's 35 points in the second half.
The Blue Jays pulled within six points on several occasions, and managed to move to within 69-65 on a three-pointer by Chris Jones with eight seconds to go, but Braswell hit two foul shots with three seconds left to close the scoring.
Fogel also finished with a career-high seven steals. Joe Flanagan (Lancaster Mennonite) reached double figures for the ninth time in as many games with 11 points. Off the bench, Kyle McConnell (Cedar Crest) came up had six points and four assists in 15 minutes.
Finally, from the Allentown Morning Call:
Burke's big second half sinks Messiah
Braswell, Hunter lead Bulldog men to win over E'town.
By Mandy Housenick Of The Morning Call
December 14, 2008
DeSales women's basketball players, coaches and fans are used to seeing LeighAnn Burke stand out. The senior guard entered Saturday's game averaging nearly 20 points per contest.
So you can imagine their surprise when she had just seven at halftime on 3-of-10 shooting.
The Philadelphia native more than made up for it in the second half.
Burke poured in 25 in the final two quarters for a game-high 32, which propelled No. 18 DeSales to a come-from-behind victory over No. 6 Messiah 70-64 at Billera Hall.
''When she's unhappy with what she's done, she's going to do something about it,'' DeSales coach Fred Richter said.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the DeSales men's team continued its torrid start by beating Elizabethtown 71-65. Allen graduate Darnell Braswell led all scorers with 22 points. Teammate Brian Hunter, an Emmaus alum, added 20 for the Bulldogs, whose 8-0 start is the best in program history.
Except for scoring the first basket of the game, the women didn't own the lead until the 12:26 mark of the second half. The Bulldogs trailed by as many as 10 three times in the first half, including at intermission. During that first 20 minutes, Burke shot just 30 percent from the field. As a team, DeSales didn't make a steal and committed 12 turnovers to Messiah's five.
''I was getting open and I was getting my shots,'' Burke said. ''But I knew I needed to start to hit some jump shots.''
The Bulldogs' defense turned it into high gear in the second half. The Bulldogs made two steals in the first two minutes (they finished with six), both of which led to baskets and finally tied the game at 42 on Burke's baseline jumper with 15:01 left. She scored five of her team's next seven points, including a trey from the corner on an inbounds play that gave the Bulldogs the lead for good.
"Sometimes that's a shot I don't get because people know the play,'' Burke said.
DeSales' lead over Messiah, which lost in the Division III national championship a season ago, grew to 10 when Megan Bedard scored with 1:43 left to make it 67-57.
The DeSales men had to make some last-minute adjustments when they found out that starting guard Rob Schubach, a Southern Lehigh graduate, had pink eye.
The Bulldogs, though, hardly missed a beat. They owned the lead for the entire game, which included a 17-point advantage 4:30 into the second half.
Braswell's athleticism helped him shoot 50 percent from the field. And Hunter's jump shot was on Saturday. The sophomore, who came into the game averaging 12.3 per game, had 14 at halftime. He wound up hitting six of 10 from the floor, including four of six from 3-point range.
''I'm a pretty confident player and coach [Scott Coval] has a lot of confidence in me,'' Hunter said. ''So when I'm open, I don't really think twice about putting up a shot.''
Sunday, December 7, 2008
More Coverage of Saturday Night's Game
From The Lancaster Sunday News:
E-town men lose to Gwynedd-Mercy
Sunday News
By STAFF
Dave Smith scored a game-high 21 points and teammate Lemeire Talley added 20 as Gwynedd-Mercy College defeated Elizabethtown College 86-75 in a non-conference men's basketball action at Thompson Gymnasium on Saturday night.
Tim McCauley added 18 points and six assists as the Griffins (4-1) converted 22 Blue Jay turnovers into 36 points and led by as many as 21 points midway through the second half.
Mike Church (Solanco) led the Blue Jays (5-3) with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Joe Flanagan (Lancaster Mennonite) contributed 14 points and six rebounds, but Elizabethtown saw its 13-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents come to an end, dating to Nov. 26, 2006.
Smith, who scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half, hit his first five shots from the field in the first four minutes of play as the Griffins took an early lead, but the Blue Jays came back to take a 21-17 lead on a three-point play by Church with 10:33 left in the first half.
Gwynedd-Mercy swung momentum just before halftime, closing with a 15-2 run over the final five minutes to go into the locker room with a 40-30 lead. McCauley hit a pair of three-pointers during the run, including one with 0.7 seconds left to close the half.
The Griffins built on their lead in the second half, taking their largest lead at 76-55 on two free throws by McCauley with 8:07 to play. The Blue Jays scored the next 10 points to pull within 76-65 with 5:55 to go, but could get no closer than nine points in the final seconds.
Josh Houseal (Hempfield) finished with eight points for the Blue Jays, while Keith Fogel, Chris Jones and Chris Hill tallied seven points apiece.
Gwynedd-Mercy finished at 47.8 percent (33-for-69) from the field and sank 14-of-17 attempts from the foul line. The Griffins came up with 17 of their 39 rebounds on the offensive glass, converting them into 23 points.
Haven Wroten led Gwynedd-Mercy and shared the game-high in rebounds with Church at 11, while Jon Hogga had nine points and seven boards in 26 minutes off the Griffin bench.
From the Gwynedd-Mercy Website:
Gwynedd-Mercy 86, Elizabethtown 75
Smith, Talley spearhead road win
ELIZABETHTOWN, PA. – Senior Dave Smith (Cape May Court House, N.J./Middle Twp.) scored a game-high 21 points and junior Lemeire Talley (Blackwood, N.J./Highland) added 20 to help lead Gwynedd-Mercy to an 86-75 non-league win at Elizabethtown Saturday night.
The Griffins (4-1) led 40-30 at the break, thanks to a key 15-2 run to close the period capped by Tim McCauley’s (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) three-pointer right before the buzzer. The senior was the other GM player in double figures, netting 18 on the evening.
In the second half, Gwynedd shot almost 54%, compared to the Blue Jay’s 47% output. The Griffins would lead by as much as 21 midway through the stanza before a late push from Elizabethtown got it to 10 with just over a minute and later nine with 22 ticks in the game.
It was the third game in a row GM outrebounded their opponent (39-34). Another key stat on the night was turnovers, as Gwynedd scored 36 points off of 22 Blue Jay mistakes.
McCauley added six assists. Senior Haven Wroten (Philadelphia, Pa./Prep Charter) grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds.
Mike Church led E-Town (5-3) with 18 points and 11 boards. Joe Flanagan added 14.
Gwynedd travels to Widener on Monday for another non-conference matchup starting at 7 p.m.
E-town men lose to Gwynedd-Mercy
Sunday News
By STAFF
Dave Smith scored a game-high 21 points and teammate Lemeire Talley added 20 as Gwynedd-Mercy College defeated Elizabethtown College 86-75 in a non-conference men's basketball action at Thompson Gymnasium on Saturday night.
Tim McCauley added 18 points and six assists as the Griffins (4-1) converted 22 Blue Jay turnovers into 36 points and led by as many as 21 points midway through the second half.
Mike Church (Solanco) led the Blue Jays (5-3) with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Joe Flanagan (Lancaster Mennonite) contributed 14 points and six rebounds, but Elizabethtown saw its 13-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents come to an end, dating to Nov. 26, 2006.
Smith, who scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half, hit his first five shots from the field in the first four minutes of play as the Griffins took an early lead, but the Blue Jays came back to take a 21-17 lead on a three-point play by Church with 10:33 left in the first half.
Gwynedd-Mercy swung momentum just before halftime, closing with a 15-2 run over the final five minutes to go into the locker room with a 40-30 lead. McCauley hit a pair of three-pointers during the run, including one with 0.7 seconds left to close the half.
The Griffins built on their lead in the second half, taking their largest lead at 76-55 on two free throws by McCauley with 8:07 to play. The Blue Jays scored the next 10 points to pull within 76-65 with 5:55 to go, but could get no closer than nine points in the final seconds.
Josh Houseal (Hempfield) finished with eight points for the Blue Jays, while Keith Fogel, Chris Jones and Chris Hill tallied seven points apiece.
Gwynedd-Mercy finished at 47.8 percent (33-for-69) from the field and sank 14-of-17 attempts from the foul line. The Griffins came up with 17 of their 39 rebounds on the offensive glass, converting them into 23 points.
Haven Wroten led Gwynedd-Mercy and shared the game-high in rebounds with Church at 11, while Jon Hogga had nine points and seven boards in 26 minutes off the Griffin bench.
From the Gwynedd-Mercy Website:
Gwynedd-Mercy 86, Elizabethtown 75
Smith, Talley spearhead road win
ELIZABETHTOWN, PA. – Senior Dave Smith (Cape May Court House, N.J./Middle Twp.) scored a game-high 21 points and junior Lemeire Talley (Blackwood, N.J./Highland) added 20 to help lead Gwynedd-Mercy to an 86-75 non-league win at Elizabethtown Saturday night.
The Griffins (4-1) led 40-30 at the break, thanks to a key 15-2 run to close the period capped by Tim McCauley’s (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) three-pointer right before the buzzer. The senior was the other GM player in double figures, netting 18 on the evening.
In the second half, Gwynedd shot almost 54%, compared to the Blue Jay’s 47% output. The Griffins would lead by as much as 21 midway through the stanza before a late push from Elizabethtown got it to 10 with just over a minute and later nine with 22 ticks in the game.
It was the third game in a row GM outrebounded their opponent (39-34). Another key stat on the night was turnovers, as Gwynedd scored 36 points off of 22 Blue Jay mistakes.
McCauley added six assists. Senior Haven Wroten (Philadelphia, Pa./Prep Charter) grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds.
Mike Church led E-Town (5-3) with 18 points and 11 boards. Joe Flanagan added 14.
Gwynedd travels to Widener on Monday for another non-conference matchup starting at 7 p.m.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Blue Jays outscored by Gwynedd-Mercy, 86-75
From the E-town College Website:
12/6/2008
Men's basketball outscored by Gwynedd-Mercy, 86-75
ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE MEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Gwynedd-Mercy 86, Elizabethtown 75
Click here for the box score
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Dave Smith scored a game-high 21 points and teammate Lemeire Talley added 20 as Gwynedd-Mercy College defeated Elizabethtown College 86-75 in non-conference men's basketball action at Thompson Gymnasium on Saturday night.
Tim McCauley added 18 points and six assists as the Griffins (4-1 overall) converted 22 Blue Jay turnovers into 36 points and led by as many as 21 points midway through the second half.
Mike Church (Peach Bottom, PA/Solanco) led the Blue Jays (5-3 overall) with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Joe Flanagan (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) contributed 14 points and six rebounds, but Elizabethtown saw its 13-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents come to an end.
Smith, who scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half, hit his first five shots from the field in the first four minutes of play as the Griffins took an early lead, but the Blue Jays came back to take a 21-17 lead on a three-point play by Church with 10:33 left in the first half.
Gwynedd-Mercy swung momentum just before halftime, closing with a 15-2 run over the final five minutes to go into the locker room with a 40-30 lead. McCauley hit a pair of three-pointers during the run, including one with 0.7 seconds left to close the half.
The Griffins built on their lead in the second half, taking their largest lead at 76-55 on two free throws by McCauley with 8:07 to play. The Blue Jays scored the next 10 points to pull within 76-65 with 5:55 to go, but could get no closer than nine points in the final seconds.
Josh Houseal (Landisville, PA/Hempfield) finished with eight points for the Blue Jays, while Keith Fogel (Mifllinburg, PA/Mifflinburg), Chris Jones (Airville, PA/Kennard-Dale) and Chris Hill (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) tallied seven points apiece.
Gwynedd-Mercy finished at 47.8 percent (33-for-69) from the field and sank 14-of-17 attempts from the foul line. The Griffins came up with 17 of their 39 rebounds on the offensive glass, converting them into 23 points.
Haven Wroten led Gwynedd-Mercy and shared the game high in rebounds with Church at 11, while Jon Hogga had nine points and seven boards in 26 minutes off the Griffin bench.
12/6/2008
Men's basketball outscored by Gwynedd-Mercy, 86-75
ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE MEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Gwynedd-Mercy 86, Elizabethtown 75
Click here for the box score
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Dave Smith scored a game-high 21 points and teammate Lemeire Talley added 20 as Gwynedd-Mercy College defeated Elizabethtown College 86-75 in non-conference men's basketball action at Thompson Gymnasium on Saturday night.
Tim McCauley added 18 points and six assists as the Griffins (4-1 overall) converted 22 Blue Jay turnovers into 36 points and led by as many as 21 points midway through the second half.
Mike Church (Peach Bottom, PA/Solanco) led the Blue Jays (5-3 overall) with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Joe Flanagan (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) contributed 14 points and six rebounds, but Elizabethtown saw its 13-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents come to an end.
Smith, who scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half, hit his first five shots from the field in the first four minutes of play as the Griffins took an early lead, but the Blue Jays came back to take a 21-17 lead on a three-point play by Church with 10:33 left in the first half.
Gwynedd-Mercy swung momentum just before halftime, closing with a 15-2 run over the final five minutes to go into the locker room with a 40-30 lead. McCauley hit a pair of three-pointers during the run, including one with 0.7 seconds left to close the half.
The Griffins built on their lead in the second half, taking their largest lead at 76-55 on two free throws by McCauley with 8:07 to play. The Blue Jays scored the next 10 points to pull within 76-65 with 5:55 to go, but could get no closer than nine points in the final seconds.
Josh Houseal (Landisville, PA/Hempfield) finished with eight points for the Blue Jays, while Keith Fogel (Mifllinburg, PA/Mifflinburg), Chris Jones (Airville, PA/Kennard-Dale) and Chris Hill (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) tallied seven points apiece.
Gwynedd-Mercy finished at 47.8 percent (33-for-69) from the field and sank 14-of-17 attempts from the foul line. The Griffins came up with 17 of their 39 rebounds on the offensive glass, converting them into 23 points.
Haven Wroten led Gwynedd-Mercy and shared the game high in rebounds with Church at 11, while Jon Hogga had nine points and seven boards in 26 minutes off the Griffin bench.
Saturday Night Live (hoops!)
The Blue Jays return home to entertain Gwynedd-Mercy tonight at 7 pm. You can take a peak at the game program before heading out to the game. If you can't make it to the game, be sure to catch the Live Stats on your home computer.
Go Blue Jays!
Go Blue Jays!
Thursday, December 4, 2008
More Millersville Game Coverage
From the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal:
Elizabethtown men knock off Millersville
By JOEL SCHREINER, Sports Writer
Maybe, just maybe, the Blue Jays are a better team than the one coaches picked to finish sixth in the Commonwealth Conference.
On the other hand, it might be the complete opposite scenario for the Marauders, who were picked to finish second in the PSAC East.
Elizabethtown opened some more eyes Wednesday night when it continued its solid start with a 70-65 win over cross-county rival Millersville at Pucillo Gym.
"It's huge," said Blue Jay junior Mike Church, a Solanco grad who scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds. "The last two times we came down here, we got blown out and didn't play the way we wanted to play."
Marauder coach Fred Thompson, meanwhile, has lost 107 games in 10-plus seasons at Millersville, but called the latest one of the worst.
"We've lost some tough games, but nothing comes close to the emotions I'm going through right now," said Thompson. "It's frustrating. Our guys don't get it. I don't think they understand that they just lost to a Division III team."
That's the same D-3 team that has now beaten them two years in a row and three of the last four, which is a coup for the Jays and coach Bob Schlosser.
"It was a matter of trying to convince our guys that coming over here, that this was a winnable game," explained Schlosser. "We wanted to come down here and make a statement and I think we did."
Keith Fogel led the Jays (5-2) with a game-high 18 points. Joe Flanagan (Lancaster Mennonite) added 11, and Chris Fairbanks (Warwick) chipped in 10. Fogel and Flanagan each hit a pair of 3-pointers in the opening half when E-town established it was not going to be intimidated.
Flanagan drained back-to-back treys to put the Jays up 22-16.
"I started out slow, but my teammates found me at the right time," the sophomore guard said. "It's a great team win. We worked hard as a team."
Elizabethtown led 29-26 at the half, thanks in part to Millersville's 11 turnovers and 0-for-6 shooting beyond the arc.
"The offense was horrendous," Thompson said. "Our guys didn't execute at all. I don't know what they were running out there."
The Marauders went on an 8-0 run to open the second half and grabbed their largest lead of the night, 34-29, with 18:22 to play. But the Blue Jays fought back and regained the lead (39-37) for good on Chris Hill's bucket with 13:10 left.
That, according to Schlosser, was the key to the game.
"They came and jammed it down our throats the first couple of possessions of the second half and took the lead pretty quickly," he said. "But we pushed right back. That was one stretch that we went back on our heels for three minutes, but I thought we came right back at them."
Reggie Bates and Makal Stibbins did their best to keep the Marauders in it. Stibbins scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Bates had 16 points, but hit only 5 of 15 shots.
"We play aggressive defense and I think that frustrated them," Flanagan said of MU's 17 turnovers and 3-for-18 night shooting 3-pointers. "Bates is a great player, but I think we got him to force some shots."
Leading 45-43 with 10:07 left, the Jays reeled off eight straight points, opening up a 10-point cushion. Millersville cut the lead to 64-61, but failed to get any closer and Thompson says he knows why.
"We didn't do anything offensively," he said. "We have a lot of work to do. It's back to the drawing board with this team."
As for the Jays?
"I know we're getting better and that's all I know," Schlosser said. "Where's that going to put us in the next two months? I don't know, but we're getting better."
From the Millersville Website:
Marauders' Rally Falls Short Against Elizabethtown
Box Score
Millersville, Pa. — The Millersville men's basketball team fought an uphill battle all night, but never got to the summit, as its comeback bid fell short in a 70-65 loss to Elizabethtown on Wednesday night at Pucillo Gymnasium.
Points were tough to come by in the first half, as the two schools hooked up on the hardwood for the 93rd time. Neither team capitalized on opportunities in the early going. Millersville (3-3) got early buckets from Reggie Bates and Jason Blake, to take an 8-4 lead just over five minutes into the game, but the Blue Jays (5-2) answered with a jumper from Phil Schaffer to knot the game at eight with 13:45 remaining in the first half. From there, neither team could find the basket in the next 2:43, until the visitors took their first lead of the night on a free throw by Mike Church. A lay-up by Cullen Murray-Kemp put the Marauders back in front 10-9, but the black and gold only got a basket from Rob Coney over the next 3:50.
Elizabethtown's Keith Fogel knocked down a three to give the Blue Jays their largest lead of the first half at 27-20, but the Marauders answered with five consecutive points from Bates to trim the Elizabethtown lead to two with 45 seconds remaining in the first half. The Blue Jays increased the lead slightly and took a 29-26 advantage to the locker room.
The Marauders were not going to lay down against their longest standing non-conference rival. Millersville used contributions from Makal Stibbins, Bates, and Blake to spur an 8-0 run to start the second half and took a 34-29 lead in the process. Elizabethtown answered the Marauders' run with a 6-0 run of its own to take a 35-34 lead with 15:43 to go.
A trey from Murray-Kemp put the home team back in front, but it was the last lead Millersville saw. The Blue Jays used strong ball movement and strong perimeter shooting to run their lead to double figures at 53-43 with 8:26 to play.
The Marauders comeback effort started with a Palmer McDurfee three that cut the deficit to seven, before back-to-back Stibbins' lay-ups cut the lead to three. Millersville would get no closer than three the rest of the way, however, as Elizabethtown converted on its opportunities at the charity stripe down the stretch.
Keith Fogel led the Blue Jays with a game-high 18 points, while Joe Flanagan pitched in with 11. The Maruaders were led by Bates, who put up 16 points before fouling out. Stibbins was once again a strong presence for the Marauders, recording a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards. It was the senior's fourth double-double in six games this season.
Millersville returns to the court Saturday afternoon when it hosts West Virginia State at 2 p.m. in Pucillo Gymnasium. The Marauders will be looking to snap a two-game skid and avenge last Saturday's 86-70 loss at the hands of the Yellow Jackets.
Elizabethtown men knock off Millersville
By JOEL SCHREINER, Sports Writer
Maybe, just maybe, the Blue Jays are a better team than the one coaches picked to finish sixth in the Commonwealth Conference.
On the other hand, it might be the complete opposite scenario for the Marauders, who were picked to finish second in the PSAC East.
Elizabethtown opened some more eyes Wednesday night when it continued its solid start with a 70-65 win over cross-county rival Millersville at Pucillo Gym.
"It's huge," said Blue Jay junior Mike Church, a Solanco grad who scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds. "The last two times we came down here, we got blown out and didn't play the way we wanted to play."
Marauder coach Fred Thompson, meanwhile, has lost 107 games in 10-plus seasons at Millersville, but called the latest one of the worst.
"We've lost some tough games, but nothing comes close to the emotions I'm going through right now," said Thompson. "It's frustrating. Our guys don't get it. I don't think they understand that they just lost to a Division III team."
That's the same D-3 team that has now beaten them two years in a row and three of the last four, which is a coup for the Jays and coach Bob Schlosser.
"It was a matter of trying to convince our guys that coming over here, that this was a winnable game," explained Schlosser. "We wanted to come down here and make a statement and I think we did."
Keith Fogel led the Jays (5-2) with a game-high 18 points. Joe Flanagan (Lancaster Mennonite) added 11, and Chris Fairbanks (Warwick) chipped in 10. Fogel and Flanagan each hit a pair of 3-pointers in the opening half when E-town established it was not going to be intimidated.
Flanagan drained back-to-back treys to put the Jays up 22-16.
"I started out slow, but my teammates found me at the right time," the sophomore guard said. "It's a great team win. We worked hard as a team."
Elizabethtown led 29-26 at the half, thanks in part to Millersville's 11 turnovers and 0-for-6 shooting beyond the arc.
"The offense was horrendous," Thompson said. "Our guys didn't execute at all. I don't know what they were running out there."
The Marauders went on an 8-0 run to open the second half and grabbed their largest lead of the night, 34-29, with 18:22 to play. But the Blue Jays fought back and regained the lead (39-37) for good on Chris Hill's bucket with 13:10 left.
That, according to Schlosser, was the key to the game.
"They came and jammed it down our throats the first couple of possessions of the second half and took the lead pretty quickly," he said. "But we pushed right back. That was one stretch that we went back on our heels for three minutes, but I thought we came right back at them."
Reggie Bates and Makal Stibbins did their best to keep the Marauders in it. Stibbins scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Bates had 16 points, but hit only 5 of 15 shots.
"We play aggressive defense and I think that frustrated them," Flanagan said of MU's 17 turnovers and 3-for-18 night shooting 3-pointers. "Bates is a great player, but I think we got him to force some shots."
Leading 45-43 with 10:07 left, the Jays reeled off eight straight points, opening up a 10-point cushion. Millersville cut the lead to 64-61, but failed to get any closer and Thompson says he knows why.
"We didn't do anything offensively," he said. "We have a lot of work to do. It's back to the drawing board with this team."
As for the Jays?
"I know we're getting better and that's all I know," Schlosser said. "Where's that going to put us in the next two months? I don't know, but we're getting better."
From the Millersville Website:
Marauders' Rally Falls Short Against Elizabethtown
Box Score
Millersville, Pa. — The Millersville men's basketball team fought an uphill battle all night, but never got to the summit, as its comeback bid fell short in a 70-65 loss to Elizabethtown on Wednesday night at Pucillo Gymnasium.
Points were tough to come by in the first half, as the two schools hooked up on the hardwood for the 93rd time. Neither team capitalized on opportunities in the early going. Millersville (3-3) got early buckets from Reggie Bates and Jason Blake, to take an 8-4 lead just over five minutes into the game, but the Blue Jays (5-2) answered with a jumper from Phil Schaffer to knot the game at eight with 13:45 remaining in the first half. From there, neither team could find the basket in the next 2:43, until the visitors took their first lead of the night on a free throw by Mike Church. A lay-up by Cullen Murray-Kemp put the Marauders back in front 10-9, but the black and gold only got a basket from Rob Coney over the next 3:50.
Elizabethtown's Keith Fogel knocked down a three to give the Blue Jays their largest lead of the first half at 27-20, but the Marauders answered with five consecutive points from Bates to trim the Elizabethtown lead to two with 45 seconds remaining in the first half. The Blue Jays increased the lead slightly and took a 29-26 advantage to the locker room.
The Marauders were not going to lay down against their longest standing non-conference rival. Millersville used contributions from Makal Stibbins, Bates, and Blake to spur an 8-0 run to start the second half and took a 34-29 lead in the process. Elizabethtown answered the Marauders' run with a 6-0 run of its own to take a 35-34 lead with 15:43 to go.
A trey from Murray-Kemp put the home team back in front, but it was the last lead Millersville saw. The Blue Jays used strong ball movement and strong perimeter shooting to run their lead to double figures at 53-43 with 8:26 to play.
The Marauders comeback effort started with a Palmer McDurfee three that cut the deficit to seven, before back-to-back Stibbins' lay-ups cut the lead to three. Millersville would get no closer than three the rest of the way, however, as Elizabethtown converted on its opportunities at the charity stripe down the stretch.
Keith Fogel led the Blue Jays with a game-high 18 points, while Joe Flanagan pitched in with 11. The Maruaders were led by Bates, who put up 16 points before fouling out. Stibbins was once again a strong presence for the Marauders, recording a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards. It was the senior's fourth double-double in six games this season.
Millersville returns to the court Saturday afternoon when it hosts West Virginia State at 2 p.m. in Pucillo Gymnasium. The Marauders will be looking to snap a two-game skid and avenge last Saturday's 86-70 loss at the hands of the Yellow Jackets.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Blue Jays hold off Millersville, 70-65
From the E-town College Website:
12/3/2008
Men's basketball holds off Millersville, 70-65
ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE MEN'S BASKETBALL
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Elizabethtown 70, Millersville 65
Click here for the box score
MILLERSVILLE, Pa --- Keith Fogel (Mifllinburg, PA/Mifflinburg) scored a game-high 18 points as Elizabethtown College knocked off Division II Millersville University 70-65 in non-conference men's basketball action on Wednesday night at Pucillo Gymnasium.
Fogel sank a career-high three three-pointers for the Blue Jays (5-2 overall), who led most of the night and defeated their local rivals for the second straight year.
Joe Flanagan (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) added 11 points for the Blue Jays while Chris Fairbanks (Lititz, PA/Warwick) finished with 10 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes off the Blue Jay bench.
Reggie Bates led the Marauders (3-3 overall) with 16 points while Makal Stibbins had 15 points and 10 rebounds, but Millersville shot just 3-for-18 from three-point range and 12-for-20 from the foul line as a team.
The Blue Jays led by as many as seven points in the first half, and carried a 29-26 lead to intermission behind 10 points from Fogel and eight by Flanagan.
Millersville scored the first eight points of the second half to take its largest lead of the night at 34-29 with 18:23 to go, but the Blue Jays rallied back and took the lead for good at 39-37 on a basket by Chris Hill (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) with 13:14 to go.
Leading 45-43 with 10:08 to play,the Blue Jays went on an 8-0 run to take a 53-43 lead with 8:26 to go on a pair of free throws by Kyle McConnell (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Crest).
Elizabethtown still held a 10-point advantage at 62-52 with 4:29 left, but the Marauders rallied to within 67-64 on a tip-in by Zac Bauermaster with 26.1 seconds left. However, Mike Church (Peach Bottom, PA/Solanco) hit two big free throws with 20.8 seconds left to push the Blue Jays ahead by five, and Josh Houseal (Landisville, PA/Hempfield) salted the game away on a free throw with 7.2 seconds to go.
Houseal scored seven points and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds for the Blue Jays, while Church added nine points, seven rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes. As a team, the Blue Jays went 24-for-33 (72.7 percent) from the free-throw line including 17-for-22 in the second half.
McConnell also reached a career high for Elizabethtown by scoring nine points in 17 minutes off the bench. The Blue Jay non-starters outscored the Marauder reserves by a 23-13 margin.
12/3/2008
Men's basketball holds off Millersville, 70-65
ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE MEN'S BASKETBALL
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Elizabethtown 70, Millersville 65
Click here for the box score
MILLERSVILLE, Pa --- Keith Fogel (Mifllinburg, PA/Mifflinburg) scored a game-high 18 points as Elizabethtown College knocked off Division II Millersville University 70-65 in non-conference men's basketball action on Wednesday night at Pucillo Gymnasium.
Fogel sank a career-high three three-pointers for the Blue Jays (5-2 overall), who led most of the night and defeated their local rivals for the second straight year.
Joe Flanagan (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) added 11 points for the Blue Jays while Chris Fairbanks (Lititz, PA/Warwick) finished with 10 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes off the Blue Jay bench.
Reggie Bates led the Marauders (3-3 overall) with 16 points while Makal Stibbins had 15 points and 10 rebounds, but Millersville shot just 3-for-18 from three-point range and 12-for-20 from the foul line as a team.
The Blue Jays led by as many as seven points in the first half, and carried a 29-26 lead to intermission behind 10 points from Fogel and eight by Flanagan.
Millersville scored the first eight points of the second half to take its largest lead of the night at 34-29 with 18:23 to go, but the Blue Jays rallied back and took the lead for good at 39-37 on a basket by Chris Hill (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty) with 13:14 to go.
Leading 45-43 with 10:08 to play,the Blue Jays went on an 8-0 run to take a 53-43 lead with 8:26 to go on a pair of free throws by Kyle McConnell (Lebanon, PA/Cedar Crest).
Elizabethtown still held a 10-point advantage at 62-52 with 4:29 left, but the Marauders rallied to within 67-64 on a tip-in by Zac Bauermaster with 26.1 seconds left. However, Mike Church (Peach Bottom, PA/Solanco) hit two big free throws with 20.8 seconds left to push the Blue Jays ahead by five, and Josh Houseal (Landisville, PA/Hempfield) salted the game away on a free throw with 7.2 seconds to go.
Houseal scored seven points and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds for the Blue Jays, while Church added nine points, seven rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes. As a team, the Blue Jays went 24-for-33 (72.7 percent) from the free-throw line including 17-for-22 in the second half.
McConnell also reached a career high for Elizabethtown by scoring nine points in 17 minutes off the bench. The Blue Jay non-starters outscored the Marauder reserves by a 23-13 margin.
Blue Jays Travel to D2 Millersville Tonight
From the Millersville Website:
Men's Basketball Returns Home; Faces Elizabethtown and W.Va. State
12/2/2008 1:52:35 PM
Complete Game Notes
GAME QUICK FACTS
Elizabethtown (4-2) at Millersville (3-2)
Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008 - 7:30 p.m.
Pucillo Gymnasium, Millersville, Pa.
West Virginia State at Millersville
Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008 -2 p.m.
Pucillo Gymnasium, Millersville, Pa.
COVERAGE
Audio: MSBN
Live Stats
TICKETS
Adults: $6.00
Students: $3.00
Millersville Students: Free with I.D.
ABOUT THE GAME
• Millersville returns to Pucillo Gymnasium after a difficult stretch of non-conference road games. The Marauders are 3-2 overall and are looking to bounce back from an 86-70 loss at West Virginia State. The Marauders have an opportunity to avenge a pair of losses this week. Elizabethtown, which topped Millersville 77-72 last season, invades Millersville on Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff. On Saturday, just one week removed from its last meeting, Millersville and West Virginia State square off at 2 p.m.
• Millersville is looking to correct its recent offensive struggles. The team has shot 67-of-171 (.392) from the field in its last three games and is just 16-of-59 (.213) from 3-point range over the same stretch. Against West Virginia State, the Marauders managed to hit 2-of-18 threes, marking the fewest made 3-pointers since making 1-of-12 in a 64-61 win over Edinboro in the NCAA East Regional last season.
• Elizabethtown enters the game with a 4-2 record and is riding a two-game winning streak that includes an overtime victory against Marymount and an 82-75 win over Neumann. The Blue Jays are 0-2 in games played away from home this season.
• West Virginia State comes into the week with a 3-1 record and travels to Davis & Elkins for a WVIAC contest on Wednesday before heading to Millersville on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets’ lone loss this season was in overtime and they have won two in a row since. While Fred Thompson is 11-8 all-time against teams from the WVIAC, he has yet to defeat West Virginia State (0-4).
• Both of this week’s contests will be broadcast live on the Marauders Sports Broadcasting Network (MSBN). Fans can access the broadcast on www.millersvilleathletics.com. Live stats will also be available via www.millersvilleathletics.com.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• Elizabethtown has topped the 80-point mark in each of its last two games, but all four of its wins have been by single digits. The Blue Jays are outscoring their opponents by a narrow 70.5-68.7 margin. Despite holding opponents to under 70 points per game, Elizabethtown’s foes are shooting an impressive .508 percent from the field. The Blue Jays, however, have offset that by forcing 147 turnovers (24.5 per game).
• Pacing the Blue Jays on offense is Joe Flanagan’s 16.2 points per game. Flanagan is a marksman from deep, hitting 14-of-34 3-point attempts. Mike Church is the team’s top all-around threat, averaging 15.8 points and 6.0 rebounds.
• Head Coach Bob Schlosser is in his 19th year and boasts a 283-188 career record. He has taken guided Elizabethtown to three NCAA Division III appearances since 2001-02.
• West Virginia State is hitting its stride on offense, cranking out 87 and 86 points in its last two outings. Ted Scott has led the team in scoring in three of the four games and is averaging 25.5 points per game. He is shooting 52.9 percent from the field as well. Ricky Jackson, a transfer from Mountain State, has emerged as the Yellow Jackets’ No. 2 option. He is scoring 15.7 points per game and grabbing 8.7 rebounds per game.
• The program has won at least 19 games in five of the last six years and is 117-41 during that six-year run.
• Bryan Poore is in his ninth season at West Virginia State and he boasts a 152-91 record at the school and a 164-105 mark as a collegiate coach. Prior to West Virginia State, he was an assistant for three seasons at Marshall and five years at the University of Charleston. Poore is a 1988 graduate of West Virginia State.
THE SERIES
• Millersville and Elizabethtown are old rivals, having met 92 times. Millersville has faced Elizabethtown more times than any other non-PSAC opponent. The series began in 1928-29 with Elizabethtown winning a 27-22 contest. The Marauders, however, hold the all-time series lead at 68-24. The programs met every year from 1948-1999 before taking a five year hiatus in the series. Since resuming the series in 2004-05, Millersville and Elizabethtown have split the four games with two wins apiece. While Elizabethtown earned a 77-72 victory last year, the previous three games were all decided by double figures.
• The Nov. 29 meeting was the first between the Millersville and West Virginia State since 2005-06. West Virginia State holds a 5-0 record against Millersville all-time and is 4-0 against Fred Thompson’s clubs. Three of the five games, however, have been decided by four points or fewer. The first meeting came in 1997-98 with W.Va. State winning 82-78. The clubs met twice in 2005-06 with West Virginia State winning the season opener 77-76 and then topping the Marauders 76-72 in January.
SEEING DOUBLE
• After playing 62 games without a double-double, Makal Stibbins has totaled three in his first five games of 2007-08. He has matched a career-high with 11 rebounds three times. He also set a career in points with 17 against Penn State Abington.
• Both Stibbins and Reggie Bates recorded double-doubles in the season opening victory over Penn State Abington. Stibbins’ 17 points and 10 boards were both career highs and gave him his first career double-double. Bates had 11 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double.
• Millersville saw double-double efforts 15 times in 2007-08 including six in the final five games of the season. Dating back to last season, Millersville has 10 double-doubles in the last 10 games including four in the first five games of this season.BLOCK PARTY
• Millersville has blocked at least two shots in every game in each game this season and have had a player block two or more three times.
• Makal Stibbins blocked a career high six shots in the season opener against Penn State Abington. His previous best was four, which he recorded on four different occasions. His six blocks were the most by a Marauder since George Bailey swatted seven against Southern Connecticut State on Nov. 20, 1999.
• As a team, the Marauders swatted seven shots. Millersville blocked seven shots twice and eight one time in 2007-08.
THE LAST TIME OUT
• Homestanding West Virginia State scored the first seven points of the game and the Millersville men’s basketball team could never recover, falling 86-70 to the Yellow Jackets Saturday afternoon.
• Senior Reggie Bates scored a season high 26 points and Jason Blake tallied a career-high 19, but the Marauders struggled to generate offense, shooting just 34 percent on the game and 2-of-18 from 3-point range. W.Va. State’s stifling full-court press had a hand in forcing 17 Millersville turnovers as well.
• The Yellow Jackets were led by Ted Scott, who led the nation in scoring in 2006-07. He finished with 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting. He received plenty of support, though, as four other Yellow Jackets scored in double figures.
• The potent W.Va. State offense clicked early as itraced to a 7-0 lead before the Marauders cracked the scoring column over three minutes into the game. W.Va. State’s Wade Pidcock led the early charge, hitting three 3-pointers in the first six minutes to give the Yellow Jackets a 10 point lead.
• Despite shooting just 9-of-29 from the field in the first frame, the Marauders stayed close thanks to 10 points from both Bates and Blake. Millersville trailed by 11 at the half but slashed the lead to just five points with 15:16 left in the game after six-straight points by Bates.
• But four seconds after Bates’ shot made the score 48-43, Will Collins scored on a fast break lay-up, sparking an 11-3 W.Va. State run over the next three minutes that put the Marauders out of reach.
• Makal Stibbins managed four points, but finished with his third double-digit rebound effort in four games, as he pulled down a game-high 11.
MARAUDER MILESTONES
• Millersville’s men’s basketball program began in 1899 and since then, it has compiled 1,296 wins, leaving it just four victories shy of 1,300 all-time wins. Entering the 2008-09 season, Millersville is 11th among all Division II teams in all-time victories and 25th by winning percentage.
• He has only played in a Millersville uniform for two seasons, but Reggie Bates has rapidly climbed up the all-time scoring list. His career average of 16.1 points per game and 1,097 total points places him 31st all-time ahead of Daron Pressley ’04. He passed Lyman Reifsnyder ’42 and Joe Labatch ‘56 in the first game of the season. Bates’ scored 615 points a year ago and with a repeat effort, he would finish with 1,641 points and 10th all-time just ahead of Lance Gelnett ’92, who was inducted into the Millersville University Athletic Hall of Fame this year. Bates is also on pace to be the top-scoring three-year player in school history.
• Only two coaches in Millersville men’s basketball history have reached the 200-win plateau and Fred Thompson is only 14 wins shy of joining John Kochan (285-96) and Richard DeHart (321-298). Thompson could be the second-fastest coach in school history to achieve the milestone. It took Kochan into his ninth season to win his 200th game. DeHart won his 200th game with his third victory in his 15th year.
SUPER SCORER
• Reggie Bates produced one of the best single seasons in school history last year and is looking to become the third-straight Marauder to earn PSAC East Athlete of the Year honors if he can duplicate his junior season efforts.
• Bates erupted for a season-high 26 points against W.Va. State and has not been held under 10 points in the last seven games he has played dating back to last season. The senior guard is averaging 19.9 points per game over that span. The last time Bates failed to record double digits in scoring was on March 7, 2008, against Edinboro, when he scored eight.
• Bates scored 12.8 points per game as a sophomore in 2006-07, but 2007-08 was truly his breakthrough season. Bates led the team in scoring with 19.2 points per game and produced the sixth-best single season point total in school history with 615. Bates scored in double figures in all but five games and scored at least six points in every game. He also produced 15 20-point games—two of which came in the NCAA East Regional—and four 30-point outings. Bates was responsible for four of the team’s five 30-point games during the year. His 36 point performance against Slippery Rock on Dec. 2 was the top scoring performance of the season for Millersville and the second-best performance in the PSAC.
• In the second round of the NCAA East Regional, Bates scored 32 points to become the 35th player in school history to total 1,000 points. It took him only 64 games to reach that milestone.
• Bates finished the season ranked second in the PSAC in scoring average and first in field goals made and total points scored. His points per game average was 34th in Division II as well.
ADVANTAGE PUCILLO
• Since Fred Thompson took over the program in 1998-99, the Marauders are incredible 111-34 at home in Pucillo Gymnasium. The Marauders have posted a 28-4 home mark in the last three seasons (including 2008-09). The team has won no fewer than eight home games each season. The Marauders recorded eight of their 10 wins at home in 2005-06 and nine of their 12 wins came at home in 1999-00.
• Maybe even more impressive is the 44-16 PSAC East record during that stretch. Millersville is 9-1 against PSAC East teams in Pucillo in the last two seasons.
NEW FACES
• The Marauders return only one starter (Reggie Bates) from last season and lost 62 percent of its scoring and rebounding.
• Thompson filled the roster with five freshmen and five transfers. Four of the transfers gained experience in the junior college ranks and T.J. Lundy, who sat out last season because of the NCAA’s two-time transfer rule played at St. Francis (Pa.) and Division II Tampa before coming to Millersville.
• The incoming class is also heavy at the guard position. Seven of the incoming players play guard and five are listed at 6-foot or shorter.
• A pair of newcomers, Jason Blake and Palmer McDurfee are slated to be in the starting lineup for the opener. Blake, a 6-2 point guard, played two seasons at the Community College of Philadelphia. McDurfee, a 5-9 shooting guard, was the leading scorer for the Community College of Beaver County a year ago.
• The freshmen accumulated plenty of high school accolades. Mike Seibert was a third team all-state player at Columbia. Cullen Murray-Kemp was the Bayside Conference Player of the Year in 2007-08, and Brandon Widener, who graduated from Penn Manor in 2006-07, was an All-Lancaster-Lebanon First Team pick.
EARLY EXPECTATIONS
• After posting a 22-10 overall record and an 8-4 mark in the PSAC East a year ago, the Marauders were pegged to finish second by the coaches in the PSAC Preseason Poll.
• The favorite in the Eastern Division was defending champion Kutztown. The Golden Bears posted a 19-9 overall mark and a 10-2 mark in the division last year and return all five starters including Preason All-PSAC East picks David Ben and Stephen Dennis. East Stroudsburg finished fourth in the East last year but was picked third in this year’s preseason rankings. The Warriors are led by preseason selection Chris Bach. Cheyney, which shared the PSAC East crown with Kutztown, was picked fourth. The Wolves have a new head coach Dominique Stephens but return preseason pick Tyrone Smith.
• Mansfield, picked fifth, was followed by Shippensburg, which is making the shift to the Eastern Division after the PSAC expansion. West Chester and preseason selection Kenneth St. George were voted seventh, and Bloomsburg was pegged eighth.
• For Millersville, Reggie Bates was named Preseason All-PSAC East for the second-consecutive season. MARCH MADNESS
• Extending the season into March is becoming commonplace at Millersville, and in 2007-08, the Marauders earned their 20th bid to the PSAC Tournament since 1984 and the seventh under the direction of Fred Thompson. Millersville has also won at least one game in the tournament in each of their last four appearances.
• Despite falling in the PSAC Tournament semifinals to Edinboro, the Marauders entered the NCAA Division II Tournament as the No. 7 seed in the East Region and promptly knocked off Edinboro and Pitt-Johnstown to make their second-straight appearance and third since 2003 in the East Region title game. Top seeded California (Pa.) halted Millersville’s quest for an Elite Eight appearance by a 64-52 score.
• Among PSAC programs, Millersville has four NCAA Tournament bids since 2003. Only California (Pa.) has more with five.
• Thompson is looking to take his team to an eighth PSAC Tournament and a fifth NCAA Tournament. In Millersville history, Thompson is second only to John Kochan (1983-96) in overall PSAC appearances, but needs only one more tournament win to vault Kochan for the most PSAC tournament victories as a Millersville coach. If Millersville appears in the NCAA Tournament this year, it will be the third time in school history that Millersville has earned three-straight berths.
Men's Basketball Returns Home; Faces Elizabethtown and W.Va. State
12/2/2008 1:52:35 PM
Complete Game Notes
GAME QUICK FACTS
Elizabethtown (4-2) at Millersville (3-2)
Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008 - 7:30 p.m.
Pucillo Gymnasium, Millersville, Pa.
West Virginia State at Millersville
Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008 -2 p.m.
Pucillo Gymnasium, Millersville, Pa.
COVERAGE
Audio: MSBN
Live Stats
TICKETS
Adults: $6.00
Students: $3.00
Millersville Students: Free with I.D.
ABOUT THE GAME
• Millersville returns to Pucillo Gymnasium after a difficult stretch of non-conference road games. The Marauders are 3-2 overall and are looking to bounce back from an 86-70 loss at West Virginia State. The Marauders have an opportunity to avenge a pair of losses this week. Elizabethtown, which topped Millersville 77-72 last season, invades Millersville on Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff. On Saturday, just one week removed from its last meeting, Millersville and West Virginia State square off at 2 p.m.
• Millersville is looking to correct its recent offensive struggles. The team has shot 67-of-171 (.392) from the field in its last three games and is just 16-of-59 (.213) from 3-point range over the same stretch. Against West Virginia State, the Marauders managed to hit 2-of-18 threes, marking the fewest made 3-pointers since making 1-of-12 in a 64-61 win over Edinboro in the NCAA East Regional last season.
• Elizabethtown enters the game with a 4-2 record and is riding a two-game winning streak that includes an overtime victory against Marymount and an 82-75 win over Neumann. The Blue Jays are 0-2 in games played away from home this season.
• West Virginia State comes into the week with a 3-1 record and travels to Davis & Elkins for a WVIAC contest on Wednesday before heading to Millersville on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets’ lone loss this season was in overtime and they have won two in a row since. While Fred Thompson is 11-8 all-time against teams from the WVIAC, he has yet to defeat West Virginia State (0-4).
• Both of this week’s contests will be broadcast live on the Marauders Sports Broadcasting Network (MSBN). Fans can access the broadcast on www.millersvilleathletics.com. Live stats will also be available via www.millersvilleathletics.com.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
• Elizabethtown has topped the 80-point mark in each of its last two games, but all four of its wins have been by single digits. The Blue Jays are outscoring their opponents by a narrow 70.5-68.7 margin. Despite holding opponents to under 70 points per game, Elizabethtown’s foes are shooting an impressive .508 percent from the field. The Blue Jays, however, have offset that by forcing 147 turnovers (24.5 per game).
• Pacing the Blue Jays on offense is Joe Flanagan’s 16.2 points per game. Flanagan is a marksman from deep, hitting 14-of-34 3-point attempts. Mike Church is the team’s top all-around threat, averaging 15.8 points and 6.0 rebounds.
• Head Coach Bob Schlosser is in his 19th year and boasts a 283-188 career record. He has taken guided Elizabethtown to three NCAA Division III appearances since 2001-02.
• West Virginia State is hitting its stride on offense, cranking out 87 and 86 points in its last two outings. Ted Scott has led the team in scoring in three of the four games and is averaging 25.5 points per game. He is shooting 52.9 percent from the field as well. Ricky Jackson, a transfer from Mountain State, has emerged as the Yellow Jackets’ No. 2 option. He is scoring 15.7 points per game and grabbing 8.7 rebounds per game.
• The program has won at least 19 games in five of the last six years and is 117-41 during that six-year run.
• Bryan Poore is in his ninth season at West Virginia State and he boasts a 152-91 record at the school and a 164-105 mark as a collegiate coach. Prior to West Virginia State, he was an assistant for three seasons at Marshall and five years at the University of Charleston. Poore is a 1988 graduate of West Virginia State.
THE SERIES
• Millersville and Elizabethtown are old rivals, having met 92 times. Millersville has faced Elizabethtown more times than any other non-PSAC opponent. The series began in 1928-29 with Elizabethtown winning a 27-22 contest. The Marauders, however, hold the all-time series lead at 68-24. The programs met every year from 1948-1999 before taking a five year hiatus in the series. Since resuming the series in 2004-05, Millersville and Elizabethtown have split the four games with two wins apiece. While Elizabethtown earned a 77-72 victory last year, the previous three games were all decided by double figures.
• The Nov. 29 meeting was the first between the Millersville and West Virginia State since 2005-06. West Virginia State holds a 5-0 record against Millersville all-time and is 4-0 against Fred Thompson’s clubs. Three of the five games, however, have been decided by four points or fewer. The first meeting came in 1997-98 with W.Va. State winning 82-78. The clubs met twice in 2005-06 with West Virginia State winning the season opener 77-76 and then topping the Marauders 76-72 in January.
SEEING DOUBLE
• After playing 62 games without a double-double, Makal Stibbins has totaled three in his first five games of 2007-08. He has matched a career-high with 11 rebounds three times. He also set a career in points with 17 against Penn State Abington.
• Both Stibbins and Reggie Bates recorded double-doubles in the season opening victory over Penn State Abington. Stibbins’ 17 points and 10 boards were both career highs and gave him his first career double-double. Bates had 11 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double.
• Millersville saw double-double efforts 15 times in 2007-08 including six in the final five games of the season. Dating back to last season, Millersville has 10 double-doubles in the last 10 games including four in the first five games of this season.BLOCK PARTY
• Millersville has blocked at least two shots in every game in each game this season and have had a player block two or more three times.
• Makal Stibbins blocked a career high six shots in the season opener against Penn State Abington. His previous best was four, which he recorded on four different occasions. His six blocks were the most by a Marauder since George Bailey swatted seven against Southern Connecticut State on Nov. 20, 1999.
• As a team, the Marauders swatted seven shots. Millersville blocked seven shots twice and eight one time in 2007-08.
THE LAST TIME OUT
• Homestanding West Virginia State scored the first seven points of the game and the Millersville men’s basketball team could never recover, falling 86-70 to the Yellow Jackets Saturday afternoon.
• Senior Reggie Bates scored a season high 26 points and Jason Blake tallied a career-high 19, but the Marauders struggled to generate offense, shooting just 34 percent on the game and 2-of-18 from 3-point range. W.Va. State’s stifling full-court press had a hand in forcing 17 Millersville turnovers as well.
• The Yellow Jackets were led by Ted Scott, who led the nation in scoring in 2006-07. He finished with 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting. He received plenty of support, though, as four other Yellow Jackets scored in double figures.
• The potent W.Va. State offense clicked early as itraced to a 7-0 lead before the Marauders cracked the scoring column over three minutes into the game. W.Va. State’s Wade Pidcock led the early charge, hitting three 3-pointers in the first six minutes to give the Yellow Jackets a 10 point lead.
• Despite shooting just 9-of-29 from the field in the first frame, the Marauders stayed close thanks to 10 points from both Bates and Blake. Millersville trailed by 11 at the half but slashed the lead to just five points with 15:16 left in the game after six-straight points by Bates.
• But four seconds after Bates’ shot made the score 48-43, Will Collins scored on a fast break lay-up, sparking an 11-3 W.Va. State run over the next three minutes that put the Marauders out of reach.
• Makal Stibbins managed four points, but finished with his third double-digit rebound effort in four games, as he pulled down a game-high 11.
MARAUDER MILESTONES
• Millersville’s men’s basketball program began in 1899 and since then, it has compiled 1,296 wins, leaving it just four victories shy of 1,300 all-time wins. Entering the 2008-09 season, Millersville is 11th among all Division II teams in all-time victories and 25th by winning percentage.
• He has only played in a Millersville uniform for two seasons, but Reggie Bates has rapidly climbed up the all-time scoring list. His career average of 16.1 points per game and 1,097 total points places him 31st all-time ahead of Daron Pressley ’04. He passed Lyman Reifsnyder ’42 and Joe Labatch ‘56 in the first game of the season. Bates’ scored 615 points a year ago and with a repeat effort, he would finish with 1,641 points and 10th all-time just ahead of Lance Gelnett ’92, who was inducted into the Millersville University Athletic Hall of Fame this year. Bates is also on pace to be the top-scoring three-year player in school history.
• Only two coaches in Millersville men’s basketball history have reached the 200-win plateau and Fred Thompson is only 14 wins shy of joining John Kochan (285-96) and Richard DeHart (321-298). Thompson could be the second-fastest coach in school history to achieve the milestone. It took Kochan into his ninth season to win his 200th game. DeHart won his 200th game with his third victory in his 15th year.
SUPER SCORER
• Reggie Bates produced one of the best single seasons in school history last year and is looking to become the third-straight Marauder to earn PSAC East Athlete of the Year honors if he can duplicate his junior season efforts.
• Bates erupted for a season-high 26 points against W.Va. State and has not been held under 10 points in the last seven games he has played dating back to last season. The senior guard is averaging 19.9 points per game over that span. The last time Bates failed to record double digits in scoring was on March 7, 2008, against Edinboro, when he scored eight.
• Bates scored 12.8 points per game as a sophomore in 2006-07, but 2007-08 was truly his breakthrough season. Bates led the team in scoring with 19.2 points per game and produced the sixth-best single season point total in school history with 615. Bates scored in double figures in all but five games and scored at least six points in every game. He also produced 15 20-point games—two of which came in the NCAA East Regional—and four 30-point outings. Bates was responsible for four of the team’s five 30-point games during the year. His 36 point performance against Slippery Rock on Dec. 2 was the top scoring performance of the season for Millersville and the second-best performance in the PSAC.
• In the second round of the NCAA East Regional, Bates scored 32 points to become the 35th player in school history to total 1,000 points. It took him only 64 games to reach that milestone.
• Bates finished the season ranked second in the PSAC in scoring average and first in field goals made and total points scored. His points per game average was 34th in Division II as well.
ADVANTAGE PUCILLO
• Since Fred Thompson took over the program in 1998-99, the Marauders are incredible 111-34 at home in Pucillo Gymnasium. The Marauders have posted a 28-4 home mark in the last three seasons (including 2008-09). The team has won no fewer than eight home games each season. The Marauders recorded eight of their 10 wins at home in 2005-06 and nine of their 12 wins came at home in 1999-00.
• Maybe even more impressive is the 44-16 PSAC East record during that stretch. Millersville is 9-1 against PSAC East teams in Pucillo in the last two seasons.
NEW FACES
• The Marauders return only one starter (Reggie Bates) from last season and lost 62 percent of its scoring and rebounding.
• Thompson filled the roster with five freshmen and five transfers. Four of the transfers gained experience in the junior college ranks and T.J. Lundy, who sat out last season because of the NCAA’s two-time transfer rule played at St. Francis (Pa.) and Division II Tampa before coming to Millersville.
• The incoming class is also heavy at the guard position. Seven of the incoming players play guard and five are listed at 6-foot or shorter.
• A pair of newcomers, Jason Blake and Palmer McDurfee are slated to be in the starting lineup for the opener. Blake, a 6-2 point guard, played two seasons at the Community College of Philadelphia. McDurfee, a 5-9 shooting guard, was the leading scorer for the Community College of Beaver County a year ago.
• The freshmen accumulated plenty of high school accolades. Mike Seibert was a third team all-state player at Columbia. Cullen Murray-Kemp was the Bayside Conference Player of the Year in 2007-08, and Brandon Widener, who graduated from Penn Manor in 2006-07, was an All-Lancaster-Lebanon First Team pick.
EARLY EXPECTATIONS
• After posting a 22-10 overall record and an 8-4 mark in the PSAC East a year ago, the Marauders were pegged to finish second by the coaches in the PSAC Preseason Poll.
• The favorite in the Eastern Division was defending champion Kutztown. The Golden Bears posted a 19-9 overall mark and a 10-2 mark in the division last year and return all five starters including Preason All-PSAC East picks David Ben and Stephen Dennis. East Stroudsburg finished fourth in the East last year but was picked third in this year’s preseason rankings. The Warriors are led by preseason selection Chris Bach. Cheyney, which shared the PSAC East crown with Kutztown, was picked fourth. The Wolves have a new head coach Dominique Stephens but return preseason pick Tyrone Smith.
• Mansfield, picked fifth, was followed by Shippensburg, which is making the shift to the Eastern Division after the PSAC expansion. West Chester and preseason selection Kenneth St. George were voted seventh, and Bloomsburg was pegged eighth.
• For Millersville, Reggie Bates was named Preseason All-PSAC East for the second-consecutive season. MARCH MADNESS
• Extending the season into March is becoming commonplace at Millersville, and in 2007-08, the Marauders earned their 20th bid to the PSAC Tournament since 1984 and the seventh under the direction of Fred Thompson. Millersville has also won at least one game in the tournament in each of their last four appearances.
• Despite falling in the PSAC Tournament semifinals to Edinboro, the Marauders entered the NCAA Division II Tournament as the No. 7 seed in the East Region and promptly knocked off Edinboro and Pitt-Johnstown to make their second-straight appearance and third since 2003 in the East Region title game. Top seeded California (Pa.) halted Millersville’s quest for an Elite Eight appearance by a 64-52 score.
• Among PSAC programs, Millersville has four NCAA Tournament bids since 2003. Only California (Pa.) has more with five.
• Thompson is looking to take his team to an eighth PSAC Tournament and a fifth NCAA Tournament. In Millersville history, Thompson is second only to John Kochan (1983-96) in overall PSAC appearances, but needs only one more tournament win to vault Kochan for the most PSAC tournament victories as a Millersville coach. If Millersville appears in the NCAA Tournament this year, it will be the third time in school history that Millersville has earned three-straight berths.
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