PSAC WEST

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

ESU giving Kutztown a paddle

[Golden89]

Re: PSAC WEST

Gannon clinches PSAC tourney spot. Will be 5 seed unless SRU beats GU and Seton Hill upsets IUP.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

IUP 87 Edinboro 59

Gannon 64 Clarion 36

Bloomsburg 89 Mansfield 81

Lock Haven 84 Cheyney 71

Cal 89 Seton Hill 76

UPJ 71 Mercyhurst 58

Shippensburg 91 West Chester 86

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Cal hammering Seton Hill

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

UPJ blowing out Mercyhurst

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Bring him on! He won't have Dante Lombardi to try and bully next year.

LOL. Staunch was very tame last month at the KCAC. Granted, they got blown out of the building. Edinboro could be pretty good next year. Basically this team is back and the return of Coleman. The West as a whole should be pretty strong next season.

[IUPalum]

Re: PSAC WEST

You don't sound nearly as excited as I thought you would.

Bring him on! He won't have Dante Lombardi to try and bully next year.

[Fightingscot82]

Re: PSAC WEST

Interesting tidbit from the Edinboro game preview:

Trey Staunch has a year of basketball eligibility remaining and intends to return next season.

You don't sound nearly as excited as I thought you would.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Interesting tidbit from the Edinboro game preview:

Trey Staunch has a year of basketball eligibility remaining and intends to return next season.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Big night on tap. There's a gigantic Atlantic Region game (two, actually) as well as several key games for teams on the bubble of the PSAC Tournament.


Gannon at Clarion -- The Golden Eagles enter this game on a bit of a roll. Not so much in the win column, but they've been playing pretty well as of late. Consider the upset win against UPJ, a 1-point loss to Slippery Rock, giving IUP all it could handle for 30 minutes and, most recently, an OT loss at Edinboro. Clarion's season is over but it is playing its best of the season right now -- and could certainly be a spoiler this week in both games. Gannon is the deeper team and should win this game. The Golden Knights have to overcome the 3,000 lines painted all over Clarion's makeshift court as well as the people on treadmills at both ends. Clarion's starting five is pretty decent -- in particular the top 2-3 guys -- but there isn't much after that point. Look for John Reilly to continue his 2018-19 pattern of mass-substituting players every 14 seconds for all 40 minutes and eventually Gannon will tire out the Golden Eagles. Gannon wins a tight one in the range of 62-56. GU -6

Mansfield at Bloomsburg -- Somebody has to win, right? Mansfield just lost to Shippensburg in OT. Perhaps that momentum travels with them to Bloomsburg. Mansfield -3

Mercyhurst at UPJ -- Perhaps the toughest game to pick on the board, this one should be a thriller. In Erie, one would likely pick the Lakers every time. In Johnstown, however, not so much. The Mountains Cats are now 11-1 in Johnstown, and, going back to the end of last year, have won 14 of 15 at home. Keep in mind UPJ, while 11-1 at home, is 2-9 on the road. For the Lakers to win this game, they have to stifle the deep shot. UPJ can burn the nets up there. Their offense, full of pick-n-rolls, etc., is also a good match-up against a zone defense. The one weakness Mercyhurst must exploit is UPJ's short bench. The Lakers are way deeper. Once the Mountain Cats get in foul trouble they enter a real dangerous place as their bench has a significant drop-off in talent. That said, UPJ just about won in Erie in the first meeting. If they almost won in the MAC, they can win in the Sports Center. Take the mild upset tonight. UPJ's house of horrors claims its latest victim. Mountain Cats with a shootout. UPJ -4

California at Seton Hill -- The Vulcans, somehow, aren't dead yet. In fact, the schedule this week is winnable. After tonight's visit to Greensburg, Cal ends its season at Clarion this weekend. If, and, it's a big if, Cal can win tonight ... who knows. They could possibly sneak in to the conference tournament. Winning tonight, however, won't be easy. As UPJ found out last week, the McKenna Center can be a snakepit. The Griffins shoot the lights out in there and should have no trouble busting up that Vulcan zone. Keep an eye on the zebra crew. Neither team has a bench. Foul trouble, either way, will play a huge factor in the outcome. Tough game to call but take the home team. Seton Hill just has better players (and is slightly deeper). Griffins in a tight one. Seton Hill -7

IUP at Edinboro -- If there's a definition of a 'trap game' ... this is it. Consider IUP has looked dreadful in its past two games against two dreadful opponents. Consider Edinboro is on a bit of a roll and finally (mostly) healthy. Consider, for Edinboro, this is a win or go home game. Consider IUP ran up the score on Edinboro last month -- to the tune of a 49-point smackdown -- in a game in which an IUP starter played 36 minutes. So, yeah, you could say Edinboro will be up for this game. Just a guess, but it will likely be the largest crowd of the season in McComb Field House. Those are all the factors going for the Fighting Scots. There's also the other reality. IUP is really good. And, they got kind of embarrassed down at California. Sure, they won, but they looked bad. You never want to wrestle the bear after it wakes up. Two of IUP's stars, Armoni Foster and Malik Miller, are from the area. So, IUP should have some support there. One thing almost guaranteed, this won't be another 49-point pasting. Look for a very spirited effort by Edinboro -- perhaps, even, a close game in to the final 10 minutes. IUP is just too deep and Edinboro's defense is too suspect. Crimson Hawks win an exciting game -- in the final 10 minutes. IUP -9

Lock Haven at Cheyney -- It's like getting the old band back together. The Bald Eagles, however, have moved out of the basement. Lock Haven leaves town with a win -- and, likely, a cold shower. LH -14

Kutztown at East Stroudsburg -- Kutztown has fallen off the radar a bit as of late. That said, don't take the Golden Bears for granted. Catch them on the wrong night and it could be a big problem. That said, they've been the definition of sporadic this season. If there's one team that could make a surprise, late run, it would probably be them. That said, they have their hands full tonight. ESU is rolling -- fresh of a hammer drop in West Chester. These two know each other very well and that should keep the Golden Bears in the game tonight. The Warriors, however, are just too deep. Kutztown doesn't have the bench to play in that 40-minute circus. ESU pulls away in the last 10 minutes and wins its 8th straight. Warriors -9

West Chester at Shippensburg -- Certainly the game of night in the PSAC -- and perhaps the Region. This one has huge implications on not only the upcoming conference tournament but also the NCAA seedings. West Chester is fresh off a tail-whipping and Shippensburg needed OT to beat lowly Mansfield. The Red Raiders, my guess, were looking ahead. WCU, after 14 straight wins, was due for a dud -- and, it sure came. The loser of this game will likely be playing Monday night. The winner likely gets a bye. Shippensburg has shown it rises up in big games (and, vanishes in others). With the home crowd tonight, the Red Raiders should have the edge. Keep in mind WCU is good at taking away the deep shot, and that is Ship's livelihood. In front of what should be a huge, pro-Ship crowd ... Damien Blair spoils the moment. West Chester leaves town with a win. Rams -3


Non-PSAC ...

Notre Dame at West Liberty -- The other marquee game of the night, ND is fighting for its NCAA life. Fresh off a stunning loss to UVa-Wise, the Falcons now find themselves in a real tough spot. Can they win on the Hilltop? Not likely. It will be close, but WL pulls it out. Hilltoppers -11

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

If wouldn't the winner of (3) Mercyhurst and (6) six-place team face (2) Slippery Rock in the quarterfinals?

Yep. I keep forgetting SRU is ahead of Mercyhurst. There's that weird little nugget that SRU swept Mercyhurst this year -- once with Till and once without. Hard to believe.

If it ended today, Round 1 would have Gannon at Mercyhurst and Seton Hill at UPJ in Round 1.

The main drama this week is for the Seton Hill and Gannon positioning.

Cal could go 2-0 this week (SH & Clarion). Keep that in mind. Not sure how all the tie-breakers would work out.

Boro has IUP and Mercyhurst so you'd think they go 0-2.

[Golden89]

Re: PSAC WEST

It was a little more action than I was expecting. I thought Mercyhurst was really going to lay it on there in the first half. Gannon gave a good fight.

GU needs to get in the bracket with SRU and avoid Mercyhurst.

If wouldn't the winner of (3) Mercyhurst and (6) six-place team face (2) Slippery Rock in the quarterfinals?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

What did you think of the Gannon / Mercy experience?

It was a little more action than I was expecting. I thought Mercyhurst was really going to lay it on there in the first half. Gannon gave a good fight.

GU needs to get in the bracket with SRU and avoid Mercyhurst.

[Golden89]

Re: PSAC WEST

My first GU vs Mercy game ... Gannon hasn't scored in an hour

What did you think of the Gannon / Mercy experience?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

WEST

IUP (17-2, 24-2) - Two wins -- and two awful performances
Slippery Rock (16-4, 19-8) - Second half of West season hasn't been friendly
Mercyhurst (14-5, 19-5) - King's of the City
Pitt-Johnstown (10-10, 15-12) -- There's no place like home, Toto.
Seton Hill (7-12, 9-16) - One player short this season
Gannon (7-12, 9-17) - Not a fun year in the 'Mill
Edinboro (6-13, 9-15) - Scots playing well past couple weeks
California (5-14, 7-18) - Soon Danny will have the crowd not leave after the women's game
Clarion (3-16, 5-19) - Two strong players and Mason Mraz return next year. Need bigs. Real bigs. Not goons.


EAST

West Chester (16-3, 20-6) - They were due for a loss
East Stroudsburg (15-3, 18-6) - Peaking at the right time of year
Shippensburg (14-4, 20-6) - Fite must have learned how to play lesser teams from Lombardi
Millersville (11-8, 16-11) - Ugly loss yesterday
Kutztown (8-10, 14-12) - Box of chocolates as Forest says
Lock Haven (8-11, 11-13) - Becoming a tough out
Bloomsburg (2-16, 6-18) - It's almost over
Mansfield (1-18, 4-23) - See Bloomsburg