PSAC WEST

[WarriorVoice]

Two rare Sunday games today.

The West matchup should be a slaughter (UPJ at Gannon).

The East game could be a little more entertaining. I'd assume Ship is going to get a pretty re-focused Lock Haven.

ESU lost the East Saturday at Millersville. The cold start by the Warriors cost them in the end. Even though they tied the game late, they used so much energy getting back into the game. As the Warriors look for a 1st round bye. I'm still waiting for them to play their best game. It may have been the home win v Millersville...

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Two rare Sunday games today.

The West matchup should be a slaughter (UPJ at Gannon).

The East game could be a little more entertaining. I'd assume Ship is going to get a pretty re-focused Lock Haven.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The line is OFF in the IUP game due to the SRU active roster.


New line IUP -4.5


Update: That didn't age real well.

[IUPalum]

Hurst +7.5
ESU -3.5
Bloom +7.5
WCU -1.5
IUP +5.5
SH -7.5
Gannon -21.5
LH -9.5

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Happy gambling, you degenerates. Interesting (complicated) lineup today. Good luck.


Mercyhurst at California - The Vulcans are still in the mix to host the Regional. Mercyhurst is a much different (better) team than it was the first two months. The Lakers were able to slow the Vulcans down in the first meeting (Cal scored 77 points, well below its average), however, the problem was Mercyhurst couldn't score (just 60 points). Fresh of a spirited, close loss to Gannon, this roadtrip to Angelo's Dome is a quick-turnaround -and, likely hangover game for Gary Manchel and Company. Cal spent Wednesday night hammering a completely over-matched UPJ. Take the much-fresher Vulcans today. That said, it should be closer than the first meeting. Say a prayer for the zebra crew. They are in for a rough, rough day. Cal -7.5

East Stroudsburg at Millersville - The one glaring blemish on the Marauders' shiny 21-4 resume came at East Stroudsburg. Millersville just didn't lose that game back in January. The Marauders got blown out of the building (98-77). A week ago, Millersville needed an OT period to knock off Mansfield, but had a 'get right' game against Kutztown earlier this week. ESU has been pretty much hammering most teams not named Lock Haven. Tough game to pick. First place in the East goes to the winner (for now). Millersville will surely be fired up at home and out for revenge. This is without question the game of the day in the PSAC (and Atlantic Region). To further confuse things, Millersville blew out Gannon. Gannon blew out East Stroudsburg. Both teams are hot. The first game could have been a fluke. Maybe it wasn't. Warriors -3.5

Shepherd at Bloomsburg - The battle for the last spot in the East is so bad (or, perhaps, good?) that the Rams have lost two straight and somehow clinched the fifth spot. The Huskies have to win out to even have a shot at catching Mansfield for the final spot. Bloomsburg has dealt with a smorgasboard of bad luck and injuries this year -- yet, sometimes remains competitive. The wins have just been rare. Shepherd, despite its 10-14 record, is playing fairly well of late. The Rams are the clear favorite today. The thought of that is scary in itself. Shepherd -7.5

West Chester at Mansfield - Whatever amount you think about betting on this game ... just burn the money and save yourself the agony. The Mounties are actually red hot. A week ago they lost to Millersville in OT (on the road) and this past Wednesday knocked off Lock Haven. West Chester is fresh off a field day against Shippensburg -- and at times look like one of the best teams in the league. The negative for both teams is just when they start to look great, they tend to put up a total dud performance. Both will be scary to play in the conference tournament (assuming Mansfield makes it). Flip a coin in this one. WCU -1.5

IUP at Slippery Rock - Morrow Fieldhouse nearly sells out one game a year. That game is today. IUP isn't near its usual attraction, but that won't matter in Slippery Rock. A wounded, hated animal is on the way to town. The Rock got beat up in the KCAC and was down more than 20 points late in the game. A lot has changed, however, in the past month. IUP is sputtering - the annual effect of playing 6 guys for a full season is showing its ugly head. SRU, playing very well of late, will be out for revenge. The Crimson Hawks better be ready or they will get hammered. IUP will have to deal with a rowdy crowd, annual scoreboard malfunctions at 'interesting' times, etc. Joe Lombardi has struggled inside Morrow over the years, although he has won his past several trips. Today may add to the list of past misery. IUP could bounce back, but the gamblers typically lean with recent momentum. IUP has not been playing well. SRU -5.5

Edinboro at Seton Hill - With Mercyhurst likely to lose today, a Griffins win will move them ahead of the Lakers (by a full game). It won't be easy. Edinboro is playing pretty well. The Scots' record is deceiving the past month. They aren't an easy out. Seton Hill, however, is one of the hotter teams in the league the past three weeks. They've lost some really tight games to really good teams -- and also are fresh of their first ever win in Indiana. Expect a close game for about 30 minutes. Griffins pull away in the final 10 minutes or so. The McKenna Magic prevails. SH -7.5

Pitt-Johnstown at Gannon - Better days are ahead for the young Mountain Cats. Those days won't arrive, however, until next year. Today will be painful. There's a chance the Knights could be a little sluggish coming off their win over rival Mercyhurst. But, Gannon has waves of players. UPJ is in a battle with IUP to see who can play a full game of ironman basketball this season. Knights pull away -- big -- in the second half. Gannon -21.5

Shippensburg at Lock Haven - The Raiders have had an interesting past two games. In the first one, they put up a very spirited effort in a hard-fought loss to East Stroudsburg. The next game, at West Chester, they were blown out of the arena. How will Chris Fite's crew play today in one of the most awkward gyms in the league? With either ESU or Millersville guaranteed to lose today, this is a huge game for Lock Haven (fresh off a glaring upset loss to Mansfield). The Bald Eagles need to take care of business and avoid a let-down showing. Their NCAA hopes took a big blow this week. It can't happen again. LH -9.5

[boatcapt]

High drama at Tippin. PWUC taking Slip to OT

That would be PWCL wouldn't it? Need to differentiate it from the California Campus team (PWCA?).

[IUPbigINDIANS]

High drama at Tippin. PWUC taking Slip to OT

SRU escaped.

[Fightingscot82]

High drama at Tippin. PWUC taking Slip to OT

[boatcapt]

I believe Ariel Watson is the cat you speak of. Absolutely fantastic scorer. Not much of a defender or team player though, and that sunk his chances of contributing at WLU.

Yep...That's him. His WLU time has been largely erased (picture taken down, team stats scrubbed) which is a bit odd for WLU. Other sources show he played in 12 games averaging 6 minutes (79 minutes). Scored 78 points in his 79 minutes and shot .542 from 3! WOW...Could WLU use that shooting THIS season!! Of course, the 18-19 Toppers sported NINE .400+ three point shooters...This year we have two.

To paraphrase a statement, the ball didn't "stick" in his hands...But not in a positive way...The ball didn't stick in Watson's hands because he shot it almost every time it hit his hands!!

Never know the true story, but how bad does a .500+ three point shooter have to piss Ben off to be bounced from the team after 13 games??

[IUPbigINDIANS]

There are two good games on the docket tonight. One is in Indiana, and the other is up in Erie. The rest could be of the double digit variety. Of course, some strange things happen this time of year. And, a good point spread can spice up any game. Happy gambling, you degenerates.


Millersville at Kutztown - The Golden Bears aren't dead yet. They are in the grave, but not dead. Kutztown's big win against Bloomsburg kept a very small glimmer of hope alive. Somebody has to emerge from the bottom of the East to claim that final tournament spot. If the Golden Bears are going to make up some ground, well, it's not likely to come tonight. A very strong Millersville team, winners of 6 straight, comes to town as a heavy favorite. The first meeting was oddly close. The Marauders eventually pulled away, winning 90-74. However, it was just a 6-point game at the half. Millersville has seemed to play so-so against lesser teams. Expect the Golden Bears to again hang around for a half. But, the Marauders are too strong. Different venue. Same result. The 'Ville -16.5

Lock Haven at Mansfield - If there's a theme to the Mansfield season, it's certainly losing close games. The Mounties have lost a whopping (7) games by 4 points or less. Included in that painful list are overtime losses to Dominican and Millersville, as well as a 1-point loss to East Stroudsburg. The end result is a 7-17 record that is oh-so-close to looking much different. But, there are no asterisks. Close losses are losses regardless. As it stands, the Mounties are in the 6-hole for the conference tournament. However, their invitation is certainly pending. Mansfield is up just one game on Shippensburg, with Bloomsburg and Kutztown just two games back. Lock Haven, on the other hand, is rolling. The Bald Eagles sit in a three-way tie atop the East standings and have swept East Stroudsburg (should any tie-breakers come in to play). As for Round 2, here's a shocker: Mansfield lost a very close game to Lock Haven in the first meeting. Take the Bald Eagles to win outright, but be very careful with the spread. These Mounties are a tricky bunch. LH -9.5

Bloomsburg at East Stroudsburg - Is there a worse road trip for a 5-19 team that's likely counting down the days until the season ends? Not likely. The first game was actually close. ESU won by just 9 points. However, much is different now. For starters, Huskies' star forward Jake Nelson hasn't played in nearly a month. Bloomsburg's tournament chances, while never great, are even worse now. That said, this is an odd game to forecast. ESU let a so-so Shippensburg team (that they'd previously beaten by nearly 60 points) hang around this past weekend. Bloomsburg has a way of making games muddy and finding ways to keep them interesting. They just don't have enough horses left in the barn. The Huskies are in trouble tonight -- and their bench players better be ready ... never know when somebody may come falling (charging) down. ESU -14.5

Shippensburg at West Chester - The Rams will be horrifying to play in the PSAC Tournament. Horrifying because on a given night they can beat any team in the PSAC. On another given night, however, they can barely escape Kutztown. Their level of play swings so much from game to game it's actually quite remarkable to watch. This same team that won at California lost to Wilmington. Shippensburg is having its worst season in a decade but continues to fight. The Raiders are just one game out of the final tournament spot. West Chester won the first game by 15 points and that sounds about right tonight. The Rams pose too many problems, lineup-wise, for Shippensburg. That said, betting West Chester is basically playing a version of Roulette and betting either Good or Bad. What will tonight bring for Damien's team? WCU -8.5

Seton Hill at IUP - Speaking of potentially dangerous tournament teams, Seton HIll certainly fits the mold. The Griffins (13-11) are a tough out. Like Mansfield, they've lost a lot of close games against good teams. Seton Hill twice played California tight, and more recently narrowly lost at Gannon. The Griffins did, however, struggle with IUP in the first meeting. Joe Lombardi had a perfect plan to attack the Seton Hill zone. That was then, however, and the Griffins will counter it tonight. After Ethan Porterfield and Garvin Clarke torched Seton Hill in Greensburg, look for a total sellout on at least one of them. The rest of the IUP roster has essentially morphed in to role players of late, but somebody will need to step up in this game. The Griffins have never won in Indiana. This 'could' be the night. IUP's two stars are playing at an elite level. Can anybody else join the party? IUP -4.5

Gannon at Mercyhurst - Gary Manchel isn't ready to give up the Erie throne just yet. He's had it for a long time. But, he better win tonight. His Lakers have a shot. Mercyhurst has been playing very well of late, and the MAC is a nightmare to play inside -- especially when it's packed. It's a very claustrophobic gym when it's empty. Tonight should be the biggest crowd of the season. The Lakers' vaunted match-up zone caused Gannon fits in the first meeting, a 79-68 Gannon victory. Mercyhurst may be just 13-13, but rest assured nobody wants to play them this time of the season. The Knights have been winning but easily could have lost two of their past three games. This is without question the game of the night in the PSAC. The MAC has a long history of causing visitors headaches. Gannon is favored, but, don't be shocked. Knights -8.5

Slippery Rock at Clarion - Speaking of .500 teams on a roll ... SRU is 12-12 but has really come on of late after a disastrous November. Two potential issues for SRU tonight: (1) the Rock is 2-11 away from Morrow Fieldhouse, and, (2) IUP is coming to town Saturday. Could a trap be waiting in Tippin Gymnasium tonight? Clarion isn't a pushover - especially at home. Clarion is one of the few teams that can match-up with SRU's size. If the Rock is already gearing up for Redshirt Joe, it could be making the short ride home tonight with a loss. SRU -3.5

California at Pitt-Johnstown - According to the Massey Rankings, this is one of the best teams in the Atlantic Region versus one of the worst. On paper, this is by far the most lopsided match-up of the night. The Vulcans are drastically deeper, faster, bigger and just better. Cal lit up UPJ to the tune of 56 first half points in Round 1 - then called off the dogs. It's safe to assume something similar tonight. Vulcans -22.5

[Fightingscot82]

Old mans personal opinion there was never a problem putting butts in the seats at Hamer Hall. Dr Armenti fell for the "build it and they will come" myth. If the attendance had continued in the direction of his early days in charge it would be better but Angelo Dome is actually a D1 venue and was, as has been said often, an incredible waste of money.

Armenti truly believed he could transform Cal into a large regional university to rival IUP if not more. The irony is that the exact opposite has happened.

[CALUPA69]

Cal - Beautiful building. I've always wondered what it would look like with more than 230 people inside it (including players)


Are some of those attendance numbers figments of some SIDs' imagination? No doubt. Sadly, some (most) of them are not. They are real numbers (or, very close). California has one of the best teams in the country (arguably) and is drawing 220 people in a 6,000-seat arena. Granted, building it that big is a whole different topic, but 220 people? Does anybody in the Mon Valley know they still have a team? The Angelo Dome is my favorite road trip of the year. The atmosphere is God Awful, but, as a basketball fan, it is really cool because you can hear everything. There's no noise. Danny Sancomb unfiltered. Take earplugs for the kids.

Old mans personal opinion there was never a problem putting butts in the seats at Hamer Hall. Dr Armenti fell for the "build it and they will come" myth. If the attendance had continued in the direction of his early days in charge it would be better but Angelo Dome is actually a D1 venue and was, as has been said often, an incredible waste of money.

[Scrub]

He may not fit the mold now, but to play with WLU, he will need to learn how to play within the system. We had a cat several years ago who could flat out SCORE. Everytime he was in the floor he would score at a dizzying pace. Problem was, he didn't play within the WLU system. He spent numerous games on the bench in Ben's dog house so he could watch and learn. Yet, every time he would go into the next game, he was jacking (and making) shots. If memory serves me, he was off the team about 3/4 of the way through his first year.
his year!!

I believe Ariel Watson is the cat you speak of. Absolutely fantastic scorer. Not much of a defender or team player though, and that sunk his chances of contributing at WLU.

[boatcapt]

He can definitely launch from outside.

His defensive play is a whole different subject. He doesn't quite fit the mold there.

He had a great freshman season. Not so much this year. But, he'll be surrounded with loads more talent next season.

He may not fit the mold now, but to play with WLU, he will need to learn how to play within the system. We had a cat several years ago who could flat out SCORE. Everytime he was in the floor he would score at a dizzying pace. Problem was, he didn't play within the WLU system. He spent numerous games on the bench in Ben's dog house so he could watch and learn. Yet, every time he would go into the next game, he was jacking (and making) shots. If memory serves me, he was off the team about 3/4 of the way through his first year.

No amount of scoring is enough to makeup for not playing within the WLU Style

Shull is a gifted shooter which is what WLU desperately needs this year. Unfortunately, he ain't playing for us this year!!

[IUPbigINDIANS]

That ought to help. What with all the recent handwringing about shooting woes in the WLU program.

He can definitely launch from outside.

His defensive play is a whole different subject. He doesn't quite fit the mold there.

He had a great freshman season. Not so much this year. But, he'll be surrounded with loads more talent next season.