PSAC WEST

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Tricky night for you gambling degenerates. All (12) PSAC Tournament spots are clinched, which means (6) teams have to play out the week with no hope of getting to next week. Those are the trickiest teams to bet on or against. Some mail it in and go through the motions. Others keep fighting. Regardless, there is a decent lineup tonight. Gambling problem: call 1-800-Gambler.



Edinboro at Slippery Rock - For those not paying attention, SRU is red hot. The Rock is 6-2 in its past 8 games -- the only losses coming at California and at Gannon (both close games). Edinboro's season is essentially over. The Scots will be left out of the conference tournament. However, it's not likely they'll pack it in under a first-year, energetic head coach. Slippery Rock's Morrow Magic continued over the weekend. The Rock is now 11-1 at home -- and 3-11 on the road. There's no question SRU is the clear favorite tonight. Question is, however, by how many points? The first game was pretty close. Edinboro was unable to close the gap in the final minutes, and, eventually lost, 81-74. For the Scots to hang around in Round 2, they need somebody to score along with Bernie Blunt. All off-season Slippery Rock was viewed as a wild card - a team with a ton of potential. It took a while, but this team has arrived. SRU has a big one at Mercyhurst looming Saturday. But, they better not be looking ahead. Edinboro is a feisty bunch. Rock -9.5

IUP at California - For a brief stretch back on Jan. 29, it appeared IUP was going to pull a fairly big upset against the Vulcans. IUP was rolling. Cal was stumbling. The KCAC was going bonkers. And, then, the worst technical foul of the season came. Jaylen Stewart retaliated against a Cal player, and then allegedly swore at an official. A growing IUP lead quickly vanished -- and, pretty much, so did IUP's season. IUP played exceptionally well that night for about 35 minutes -- or, as well as this particular version of IUP is capable of playing. The Crimson Hawks flustered the Vulcans by playing at a very slow pace. The other killer, of course, was it was the first game all year IUP had to deal with foul trouble. Joe Lomabardi had no choice but to insert his seldom-used bench lawn ornaments. The rest is history. Most think that was IUP's shot. The Vulcans, no surprise, are vastly better, deeper, faster and stronger. IUP is on a two-game skid, fresh off an embarrassing beatdown at Slippery Rock. So, the question is what kind of effort will we see from Redshirt Joe and company tonight inside Angelo's Dome? Will it matter? There's not one thing that points in IUP's favor tonight. A two-man team can't beat a 9-man team. Somebody not named Porterfield or Clarke has to help IUP tonight. Vulcans run it up. Cal -19.5

Mercyhurst at Clarion - The Golden Eagles were so close this year. When you look back at their results, Clarion lost so many single digit games. Youth played a big part. The Golden Eagles' rotation is almost exclusively freshmen and sophomores. If they can hold this group together, better days are coming. That's a promise. The guests in Tippin tonight are -- by their standards - having an incredibly bad season. Mercyhurst makes the short trip with a 13-15 overall record. The Lakers, in fact, looked totally disinterested this past Saturday while getting hammered at California. Mercyhurst did clinch a spot in the tournament -- either the 5 or 6 seed. The Lakers are an odd bunch. They have the talent to get hot (as we've seen this year). Something, however, tells me the congregation isn't listening to the preacher. Here's your upset special of the night. Clarion gets a big win. Golden Eagles -1.5

Seton Hill at Pitt-Johnstown - Much like Slippery Rock, Seton Hill is catching fire at the perfect time. Both will be very dangerous teams next week. UPJ, on the other hand, has suffered through its most painful season in decades. Most knew it was coming. The Mountain Cats are incredibly young, lack depth and have little size. Next year should be better. Tonight, however, will not be. One team is gearing up. The other can't wait for about 5 p.m. Saturday. Griffins drop the hammer. Seton Hill -10.5

West Chester at Millersville - This is the game of the night in the PSAC. The Marauders currently sit atop the East, but, make no mistake, a very dangerous team is on the way to town. Millersville is fresh off a highly-emotional win against East Stroudsburg. Could we see a bit of a hangover tonight? The visiting Rams are playing at a high level of late. WCU is a team certainly capable of making a run next week. In fact, these two could play again next Wednesday. Millersville is NCAA-bound, but West Chester is a problematic match-up. The Rams can match the Marauders' size at both the forward and guard positions. West Chester can play up-tempo, slow or its preferred playground style. The problem is the Rams don't seem to show up every night. Millersville won the first meeting, 89-86. Expect a similar outcome tonight. The Marauders likely get the win, but, don't be shocked if WCU pulls it out. The 'Ville -3.5

Lock Haven at Bloomsburg - The Bald Eagles can afford no slip-ups if they want an invite to the big dance. Lock Haven currently sits on the deep NCAA bubble. Bloomsburg had its moments this year (not many) but injuries have sent an already shaky team in to a total tailspin. That said, the Huskies have a way of keeping most games close. Their 'junk' defenses cause some confusion, and, on certain nights, they can get pretty hot from outside. So long at Lock Haven isn't looking ahead to Millersville on Saturday, this should be a run-away. Bald Eagles -14.5

East Stroudsburg at Kutztown - This won't be a pretty game to watch. The Warriors are surely a fired up team fresh off a loss at Millersville. Kutztown's biggest concern in the coming days will be if its freshmen enter the transfer portal next week. This has UGLY written all over it. ESU won the first game by 29 points. Sounds about right here. Warriors -25.5

Shepherd at Shippensburg - The Raiders have had a tough stretch. Perhaps a rival visiting will break their funk. The Rams hammered Shippensburg in the first meeting -- winning by 20 points. Shepherd is also playing pretty well, and is certainly capable of pulling an upset next week. All of that said, this is a very tricky game to bet. The host Raiders do play well in stretches -- usually about a half. One never knows what to expect from the Rams. Take the team with something to look forward to ... Rams -5.5

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I think Clarion will hesitate to do anything with Pitts. Obviously they're struggling but they also had trouble filling the women's job, so I doubt they'd want to take the chance that happens with the men's job.

It would be a tremendous mistake to let him go. I've seen so many teams over the past 30 years take this exact path. Trust me, that will be a very strong team next year. He has a slew of talented freshmen and sophomores. They are so close.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

The final Saturday of the regular season has arrived. Six of our teams will call it quits by 5 p.m. tomorrow ... with many of their players becoming early enrollees in the transfer portal shortly there after. The rest will live to play next week. But, there's still business to handle. Final seeds need determined. So, this should be an interesting day -- with some pretty good matchups. Happy gambling, you degenerates.


Kutztown at Shepherd - The biggest question for the Golden Bears is how many players will still be Golden Bears on Monday. Kutztown has some freshmen with potential. Will they stick around after this very painful season? Shepherd knows it is off to West Chester Monday night. Will the sporadic Rams be focused in this essentially meaningless regular season finale? Likely. Shepherd is playing pretty well of late, and will certainly be a team capable of pulling an upset 48 hours later. Shepherd is (usually) pretty good at home. Rams -7.5

MIllersville at Lock Haven - MASSIVE game for both teams. This is without question the biggest March basketball game played in Lock Haven in probably 40 years ... maybe ever. PSAC seeding aside, the Bald Eagles are still loosely in the NCAA mix. This would be a huge resume builder as the Marauders are pretty much assured a dance invitation. A Lock Haven win would also give the Bald Eagles a night off come Monday. It's not going to be easy, however. Millersville is red hot - winners of 9 straight. One thing to watch is the Marauders are coming off back-to-back very physical, tough games (wins over East Stroudsburg and West Chester). It's hard for teams to dial it up three straight -- especially in what should be a hostile enviornment. Millersville won the first meeting, 91-87. Expect a similar margin tomorrow. Only this time it goes the other way. Lock Haven -2.5

Clarion at IUP - Golden Eagles' head coach Damian Pitts has found a crack in IUP. Clarion has lost the past two meetings in the series by a combined 13 points. This time last year the Golden Eagles had IUP dead in the water -- down 18 with 9 minutes to play. IUP put on a furious rally and won by 7 points. Fast forward to last month and Clarion had a shot to tie the game with 30 seconds to play. They missed. Point is, the Golden Eagles have become a problem for Joe Lombardi. Clarion star power forward Jayson Harris didn't play in the first game. He will play tomorrow. The Golden Eagles will have a tremendous size advantage, and, frankly, better overall athletes. Where they struggle -- and it has haunted them all year -- is putting a full 40 minutes together. IUP has lost three straight, although the Crimson Hawks did put up quite a battle Wednesday at California. This has been a terrible year for IUP. Will it get worse tomorrow? It may. They better be ready. Clarion isn't going to lay down. This is the 'don't be shocked' game of the day. IUP -1.5

Slippery Rock at Mercyhurst - There's a lot at play in this one. Either Mercyhurst or Seton Hill is going to the KCAC on Monday night. The other is going to Morrow Fieldhouse. It's possible these two could play again 48 hours later. The first meeting this year was a classic 1990s PSAC 'shootout' -- with SRU winning, 49-46. Much has changed since that Jan. 31 affair. SRU is one of the hottest teams in the Region. Mercyhurst has stumbled to a 14-15 record. But, these Lakers are far from a gimme game. Mercyhurst is still playing tough defense, and, at times, can score the basketball effectively. Expect another grinder tomorrow. Take the hot hand, but, barely. A lot of 'hot' teams have crumbled in the claustrophobic MAC. Rock -1.5

Bloomsburg at West Chester - Will this be the swan song for Bloomsburg head coach Chris Bess? A painful 5-22 season will finally end tomorrow for the Huskies. West Chester gave Millersville all it could handle Wednesday night. The Rams unfortunately had a few too many 'Ram' moments of reverting to streetball down the stretch. West Chester knows Shepherd is coming to town Monday. If there was ever a 'look ahead' game, this is it. It's probably safe to assume the Rams will be a bit sluggish in the first half. But, by the end, the score shouldn't be close. One is gearing up. The other is turning in uniforms. WCU -13.5

Mansfield at East Stroudsburg - It's possible Mansfield, locked as the No. 6 seed, could just stay the weekend and play at ESU again on Monday. If Lock Haven beats Millersville, that indeed will be the case. Lock Haven has a tie-breaker over the Warriors via a season sweep and would get the bye. Like Clarion, the Mounties are much better than their 8-18 record. Mansfield has lost a ton of close, single digit games this year -- including an 80-79 loss to East Stroudsburg. The Mounties, like Clarion, have consistency issues. They can play really well for 32 minutes, but, it's those other 8 minutes that have cost them so many wins. The Warriors are notoriously tough at home. While they have had some struggles against other top teams, ESU should take care of business in this one. Expect a decent game, but the Warriors will eventually pull away. East Stroudsburg -10.5

Gannon at Seton Hill - Speaking of trap games ... The McKenna Center has an infamous reputation for late-season, strange upsets. The host Griffins are no longer an off night. They are playing extremely well down the stretch -- and almost beat Gannon in Erie a month ago. Seton Hill is a very young team, and it took time for the many new players to learn the zone and offense. The Griffins have a nice combination of size and speed, and enough upperclassmen guards to handle some pressure. And, speaking of pressure, Gannon has some tomorrow. The Knights are the front-runner (at the moment) to host the Regional. They cannot afford a slip-up. This will be the first time many of Gannon's players have played in the McKenna Center -- certainly one of the oddest, most-cramped gyms in the league. The Knights are clearly a road favorite - and, had a week to prepare. But, buyer beware. We've seen this movie before. GU -9.5

California at Edinboro - The Vulcans didn't look great against IUP. But, they were good enough. Edinboro is fresh off getting thumped in Greensburg -- and didn't look too enthusiastic. This is another classic case of one team looking ahead -- and one getting ready to have a season-ending kegger. Don't expect a work of art. Cal is going to want to put the Scots away quickly and then likely rest some guys. These games are tricky. Sometimes a team like Edinboro gets pretty amped up for the finale. Other times they go through the motions and get stomped. Lean toward a little of both. Vulcans -14.5

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Conference Tournament Monday has arrived. It's always a tricky night in the gambling world. Some real strange things have happened on this night in years' past. We've seen some ice-cold teams get suddenly reborn. We've seen some home favorites crumble. Everything changes with pressure -- and, 7 of the 8 teams tonight are on the NCAA plank. A loss and they are done. Every team right now is 0-0.


Mansfield at East Stroudsburg - These two had so much fun 48 hours ago they are going to play again. East Stroudsburg may be the best No. 3 seed in East Tournament history, and likely wasn't expecting to play tonight. The Warriors swept the season series -- including a 23-point spanking two days ago. Don't get too far ahead of yourselves, however. Mansfield lost to ESU by a single point in the first meeting. Saturday, the difference was at the three-point and foul lines. The Mounties hit just 32% on 25 attempts from deep. The Warriors, conversely, were on fire -- draining nearly 50% of their 21 attempts. ESU also made more FTs (21) than Mansfield attempted (18). Things got a little chippy Saturday. Playing again so quickly will likely lead to some more fireworks tonight. Make no mistake, Koehler Fieldhouse is one of the toughest venues around when the students are engaged -- and they will be tonight. Expect a little closer score than Round 2, but ESU should still win fairly easily. Warriors -12.5

Shepherd at West Chester - If a lot of people actually gambled on PSAC basketball, no two programs would send more of them to Gamblers' Annoynomous than this duo. Both -- at times -- are very dangerous. Both -- at times -- are pretty average. In fact, both -- at times -- can play pretty ugly. The season series went to West Chester. The first game was a 10-point win, but, the second round was much closer. WCU won in OT by 4 points. This could be the perfect example of the old cliche about it being hard to beat a team three times in one season. It's hard not to take West Chester tonight in Hollinger Fieldhouse. But, buyer beware. Shepherd has been oh-so-close to pulling off a big win many times this year. No time like the present. WCU -3.5

Mercyhurst at IUP - For the past decade, when these two rivals have met on this stage, the stakes have been much higher. Twice recently, in fact, these two have played in the final game, with IUP winning both. For this year, anyway, times have changed. Both have struggled through painful (by their standards) seasons. March is all about momentum. Mercyhurst has it. IUP does not. The Lakers are fresh off a thrashing of previously red hot Slippery Rock. IUP has lost four straight, although it was pretty close to going 3-1 in that stretch. The Crimson Hawks haven't thrown in the towel, but are just very limited. IUP beat up Mercyhurst pretty good in the first meeting this year inside the KCAC. The Lakers then got revenge in a 2 OT thriller in the MAC. One thing is certain tonight: this will be a typical IUP vs. Mercyhurst bloodbath. Two stubborn coaches. Neither will change a thing. They are who they are, and they also know what the other will do. It's a forgone conclusion Lakers' stars Jeff Planutis and Aidan Reichert will both have big games. IUP hasn't stopped them in four years. The Hawks won't tonight, either. The question is, can IUP stop the rest of the Mercyhurst team. IUP did in the first game. Not so much in the second. Buckle up, boys and girls. These two don't care about Round 1 or the Regional Final. This will be, as always, a street fight. And, remember, March is about momentum. Lakers -3.5

Seton Hill at Slippery Rock - Interesting season series between these two. The Griffins won in Greensburg by 7 points. The Rock then won in Morrow in blowout fashion. SRU has been a tricky team to figure out all year. The record, however, doesn't lie. Slippery Rock has been incredible at home (12-1) -- and awful away from Morrow (3-12). The latest example was 48 hours ago when a then-sizzling Rock team got blasted at Mercyhurst, 69-51. Seton Hill is actually the opposite. The Griffins went just .500 in the McKenna Center but posted an 8-6 record on the road. Seton Hill has to be ready for a very tough atmosphere tonight, along with a team that's obviously very confident in its own building. Extremely tough game to pick. Seton Hill is coming off a hard-fought loss to Gannon. Will their legs be a bit wobbly after running around for 40 minutes against the Knights just two days ago? Can they handle the heckling tonight? SRU looked utterly terrible this past weekend, but they are tough in Morrow. Rock -3.5



Bonus prop bets:

IUP has been incredibly awful in the first 6 minutes of nearly every game this season. Tonight, at the 14:00 minute mark of the first half, IUP will have over or under 7.5 points

Combined technical fouls tonight, Mansfield at ESU, over or under 2.5

West Chester will score over or under 78.5 points

SRU's Ike Herster will score, over or under, 14.5 points

[Ship69]

Love the prop bets.

[Scrub]

Love the prop bets.

(Once I saw that he was doing prop bets, I knew there'd be one about Technical fouls LOL)

[IUPbigINDIANS]

(Once I saw that he was doing prop bets, I knew there'd be one about Technical fouls LOL)

That wasn't ESU specific. But, those two did have two on Saturday. And, we know Lakeem can go off the rails.

Playing the same team 48 hours later ... bound to be some chippy play.

[WarriorVoice]

Conference Tournament Monday has arrived. It's always a tricky night in the gambling world. Some real strange things have happened on this night in years' past. We've seen some ice-cold teams get suddenly reborn. We've seen some home favorites crumble. Everything changes with pressure -- and, 7 of the 8 teams tonight are on the NCAA plank. A loss and they are done. Every team right now is 0-0.


Mansfield at East Stroudsburg - These two had so much fun 48 hours ago they are going to play again. East Stroudsburg may be the best No. 3 seed in East Tournament history, and likely wasn't expecting to play tonight. The Warriors swept the season series -- including a 23-point spanking two days ago. Don't get too far ahead of yourselves, however. Mansfield lost to ESU by a single point in the first meeting. Saturday, the difference was at the three-point and foul lines. The Mounties hit just 32% on 25 attempts from deep. The Warriors, conversely, were on fire -- draining nearly 50% of their 21 attempts. ESU also made more FTs (21) than Mansfield attempted (18). Things got a little chippy Saturday. Playing again so quickly will likely lead to some more fireworks tonight. Make no mistake, Koehler Fieldhouse is one of the toughest venues around when the students are engaged -- and they will be tonight. Expect a little closer score than Round 2, but ESU should still win fairly easily. Warriors -12.5

Shepherd at West Chester - If a lot of people actually gambled on PSAC basketball, no two programs would send more of them to Gamblers' Annoynomous than this duo. Both -- at times -- are very dangerous. Both -- at times -- are pretty average. In fact, both -- at times -- can play pretty ugly. The season series went to West Chester. The first game was a 10-point win, but, the second round was much closer. WCU won in OT by 4 points. This could be the perfect example of the old cliche about it being hard to beat a team three times in one season. It's hard not to take West Chester tonight in Hollinger Fieldhouse. But, buyer beware. Shepherd has been oh-so-close to pulling off a big win many times this year. No time like the present. WCU -3.5

Mercyhurst at IUP - For the past decade, when these two rivals have met on this stage, the stakes have been much higher. Twice recently, in fact, these two have played in the final game, with IUP winning both. For this year, anyway, times have changed. Both have struggled through painful (by their standards) seasons. March is all about momentum. Mercyhurst has it. IUP does not. The Lakers are fresh off a thrashing of previously red hot Slippery Rock. IUP has lost four straight, although it was pretty close to going 3-1 in that stretch. The Crimson Hawks haven't thrown in the towel, but are just very limited. IUP beat up Mercyhurst pretty good in the first meeting this year inside the KCAC. The Lakers then got revenge in a 2 OT thriller in the MAC. One thing is certain tonight: this will be a typical IUP vs. Mercyhurst bloodbath. Two stubborn coaches. Neither will change a thing. They are who they are, and they also know what the other will do. It's a forgone conclusion Lakers' stars Jeff Planutis and Aidan Reichert will both have big games. IUP hasn't stopped them in four years. The Hawks won't tonight, either. The question is, can IUP stop the rest of the Mercyhurst team. IUP did in the first game. Not so much in the second. Buckle up, boys and girls. These two don't care about Round 1 or the Regional Final. This will be, as always, a street fight. And, remember, March is about momentum. Lakers -3.5

Seton Hill at Slippery Rock - Interesting season series between these two. The Griffins won in Greensburg by 7 points. The Rock then won in Morrow in blowout fashion. SRU has been a tricky team to figure out all year. The record, however, doesn't lie. Slippery Rock has been incredible at home (12-1) -- and awful away from Morrow (3-12). The latest example was 48 hours ago when a then-sizzling Rock team got blasted at Mercyhurst, 69-51. Seton Hill is actually the opposite. The Griffins went just .500 in the McKenna Center but posted an 8-6 record on the road. Seton Hill has to be ready for a very tough atmosphere tonight, along with a team that's obviously very confident in its own building. Extremely tough game to pick. Seton Hill is coming off a hard-fought loss to Gannon. Will their legs be a bit wobbly after running around for 40 minutes against the Knights just two days ago? Can they handle the heckling tonight? SRU looked utterly terrible this past weekend, but they are tough in Morrow. Rock -3.5



Bonus prop bets:

IUP has been incredibly awful in the first 6 minutes of nearly every game this season. Tonight, at the 14:00 minute mark of the first half, IUP will have over or under 7.5 points

Combined technical fouls tonight, Mansfield at ESU, over or under 2.5

West Chester will score over or under 78.5 points

SRU's Ike Herster will score, over or under, 14.5 points

Nobody had ESU winning by 42, not even me; and there was only one technical, on a flop by Mansfield...

[IUP24]

I was a riverboat gambler with West Chester last night. Let’s ride, baby.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I was a riverboat gambler with West Chester last night. Let’s ride, baby.

Typically the service gets a cut.

[IUP24]

Typically the service gets a cut.

Give us some good lines tomorrow and we’ll talk.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Tournament Monday came and went with no real surprises -- although some would consider IUP hammering Mercyhurst to be a bit of a shocker given how the Crimson Hawks had played the past several weeks. All told, the home teams went 4-0. IUP was getting points and won outright. SRU won but didn't cover. West Chester and East Stroudsburg covered their numbers easily.

Things get turned up a notch tonight. Be careful, you degenerates.



Slippery Rock at California - Interesting series this year. The Rock crushed California in Morrow Fieldhouse. The Vulcans then won a somewhat close game in Angelo's Dome. SRU barely escaped Seton Hill on Monday, winning on a last-second shot, 71-69. Don't believe in Morrow Magic? Slippery Rock went 12-15 at the FT line. Seton Hill? The Griffins went 2-2 -- the entire game. That was the difference. Rest assured, that foul discrepency won't happen again in the Mon Valley. SRU is one of the few teams that can physically match-up with California. The Rock has very big, athletic guards, and several post players that are quick enough to stay with Cal's three hybrid post players. One thing to keep in mind is - for whatever reason - Ian Grady has been a pest to Danny Sancomb over the years. In fact, Sancomb is just 6-5 against Slippery Rock. The Rock isn't going to be intimidated by the Vulcans. But, can they slow the game down just enough to make Cal uncomfortable? Straight up, the Vulcans are the heavy favorite. But, watch the points. This may be pretty close. California -6.5

East Stroudsburg at Millersville - This is a statement game for the Warriors -- and, come seeding day, they need a statement win on the resume. East Stroudsburg has a shiny 25-4 record, but, the Warriors are just 1-4 against teams currently regionally ranked. A loss tonight (likely) wouldn't knock ESU out of the NCAAs, but would certainly result in a low seed (possibly the 7 hole). These two split the season series - each won at home. It's insane they are playing in Round 2. This will have the vibe and atmosphere of the final. One thing to watch is how ESU handles the craziness of Pucillo Gymnasium. It was rocking two weeks ago when the Marauders took down the Warriors. It will be even more amped tonight. Very tough game to pick. Both teams are big, fast, confident and don't like to be pushed around. If ESU can ignore the crowd (which won't be easy) it should have a good shot. That said, the safe money is on the home team. The Marauders are 15-1 in Pucillo. Millersville -1.5

West Chester at Lock Haven - The Bald Eagles are a near perfect 11-1 in Thomas Fieldhouse this year -- the lone loss coming way back on Dec. 2 to IUP. Lock Haven enters tonight at 20-7 -- clearly on the NCAA bubble. Needless to say, this is a must-win game if they want to see next week. It won't be easy, however. The Bald Eagles swept the season series -- by a combined (4) points. It's extremely hard to beat a good team three times in the same season. West Chester comes to town with a 19-10 record, which is a couple buckets away from being much, much better. The Rams are a dangerous team, especially on certain nights. This is an extremely rare Round 2 home game for Lock Haven. Hell, it's an extremely rare Round 2 anything for Lock Haven. West Chester is going to have to overcome a very loud and hostile crowd tonight -- one that is literally on top of the floor in the very cramped confines of Thomas. If the Rams keep their cool, an upset is in the air. WCU has played in many big games in the past. This isn't Damien Blair's first rodeo. Pressure changes everything, and Lock Haven has all the pressure. It was said all year (by many) the Rams would be a nightmare in the tournament. Pack the bags. The Rams are heading West this weekend. WCU -3.5

IUP at Gannon - Joe Lombardi's team was on the edge of the plank Monday afternoon. IUP entered its game against a fairly-hot Mercyhurst in the midst of a four-game losing streak -- including a shocking home loss to Clarion. So, naturally, the Crimson Hawks somehow played their best game of the year - blasting the Lakers. That could be, however, where the feel-good story ends in Indiana. Fact is, IUP's remaining roster is a pretty strong half-court team. Mercyhurst - this version at least - is almost tailor-made for Lombardi's island of misfit toys. Tonight is a whole different animal. While the Lakers wanted to win in the high 40s, Gannon wants to win in the 110s. IUP has struggled all season against heavy pressure -- largely due to having no depth at guard. Gannon swept the season series -- crushing IUP in Erie but then barely escaping Indiana with a 2-point win. Much like West Chester, IUP is highly inconsitent. However, the Crimson Hawks can be pretty good on a given night. Joe's playing with house money. The pressure is all on Gannon. Nobody expects IUP to win tonight. A motivated, carefree underdog can be a scary thing. Knights -11.5



BONUS

California at IUP (women's) - Certainly the game of the night on the ladies' side. IUP beat up the Vulcans pretty good in the KCAC. The Crimson Hawks then blitzed California in the first half at Angelo's Dome -- going up by 15 at the break. The Vulcans then went crazy in the second half, ultimately holding off a late IUP rally and winning by a point. The rubber match -- on a much bigger stage -- should be quite entertaining. The question, of course, is did IUP simply take its foot off the gas two weeks ago, or, did California find a glitch? Get the popcorn ready. When these two get together it's always quite a show. IUP -2.5

[IUPbigINDIANS]

For my own (and, perhaps your) entertainment, I'll actually pick the games tonight with the spreads:


1. Taking Cal -6.5 (but it will be tight with 5 mins left)

2. ESU +1.5 ... Warriors have struggled against the better teams but they are due

3. Lock Haven +3.5 ... banking on a hostile crowd to rattle WCU


4. IUP +11.5 ... If IUP can avoid the surges they can perhaps win this game outright. If not, they'll be lost at sea on Lake Erie

Bonus:

IUP (ladies) -2.5 ... I like Carey by 7-8 points tonight at home.

[IUP24]

Tournament Monday came and went with no real surprises -- although some would consider IUP hammering Mercyhurst to be a bit of a shocker given how the Crimson Hawks had played the past several weeks. All told, the home teams went 4-0. IUP was getting points and won outright. SRU won but didn't cover. West Chester and East Stroudsburg covered their numbers easily.

Things get turned up a notch tonight. Be careful, you degenerates.



Slippery Rock at California - Interesting series this year. The Rock crushed California in Morrow Fieldhouse. The Vulcans then won a somewhat close game in Angelo's Dome. SRU barely escaped Seton Hill on Monday, winning on a last-second shot, 71-69. Don't believe in Morrow Magic? Slippery Rock went 12-15 at the FT line. Seton Hill? The Griffins went 2-2 -- the entire game. That was the difference. Rest assured, that foul discrepency won't happen again in the Mon Valley. SRU is one of the few teams that can physically match-up with California. The Rock has very big, athletic guards, and several post players that are quick enough to stay with Cal's three hybrid post players. One thing to keep in mind is - for whatever reason - Ian Grady has been a pest to Danny Sancomb over the years. In fact, Sancomb is just 6-5 against Slippery Rock. The Rock isn't going to be intimidated by the Vulcans. But, can they slow the game down just enough to make Cal uncomfortable? Straight up, the Vulcans are the heavy favorite. But, watch the points. This may be pretty close. California -6.5

East Stroudsburg at Millersville - This is a statement game for the Warriors -- and, come seeding day, they need a statement win on the resume. East Stroudsburg has a shiny 25-4 record, but, the Warriors are just 1-4 against teams currently regionally ranked. A loss tonight (likely) wouldn't knock ESU out of the NCAAs, but would certainly result in a low seed (possibly the 7 hole). These two split the season series - each won at home. It's insane they are playing in Round 2. This will have the vibe and atmosphere of the final. One thing to watch is how ESU handles the craziness of Pucillo Gymnasium. It was rocking two weeks ago when the Marauders took down the Warriors. It will be even more amped tonight. Very tough game to pick. Both teams are big, fast, confident and don't like to be pushed around. If ESU can ignore the crowd (which won't be easy) it should have a good shot. That said, the safe money is on the home team. The Marauders are 15-1 in Pucillo. Millersville -1.5

West Chester at Lock Haven - The Bald Eagles are a near perfect 11-1 in Thomas Fieldhouse this year -- the lone loss coming way back on Dec. 2 to IUP. Lock Haven enters tonight at 20-7 -- clearly on the NCAA bubble. Needless to say, this is a must-win game if they want to see next week. It won't be easy, however. The Bald Eagles swept the season series -- by a combined (4) points. It's extremely hard to beat a good team three times in the same season. West Chester comes to town with a 19-10 record, which is a couple buckets away from being much, much better. The Rams are a dangerous team, especially on certain nights. This is an extremely rare Round 2 home game for Lock Haven. Hell, it's an extremely rare Round 2 anything for Lock Haven. West Chester is going to have to overcome a very loud and hostile crowd tonight -- one that is literally on top of the floor in the very cramped confines of Thomas. If the Rams keep their cool, an upset is in the air. WCU has played in many big games in the past. This isn't Damien Blair's first rodeo. Pressure changes everything, and Lock Haven has all the pressure. It was said all year (by many) the Rams would be a nightmare in the tournament. Pack the bags. The Rams are heading West this weekend. WCU -3.5

IUP at Gannon - Joe Lombardi's team was on the edge of the plank Monday afternoon. IUP entered its game against a fairly-hot Mercyhurst in the midst of a four-game losing streak -- including a shocking home loss to Clarion. So, naturally, the Crimson Hawks somehow played their best game of the year - blasting the Lakers. That could be, however, where the feel-good story ends in Indiana. Fact is, IUP's remaining roster is a pretty strong half-court team. Mercyhurst - this version at least - is almost tailor-made for Lombardi's island of misfit toys. Tonight is a whole different animal. While the Lakers wanted to win in the high 40s, Gannon wants to win in the 110s. IUP has struggled all season against heavy pressure -- largely due to having no depth at guard. Gannon swept the season series -- crushing IUP in Erie but then barely escaping Indiana with a 2-point win. Much like West Chester, IUP is highly inconsitent. However, the Crimson Hawks can be pretty good on a given night. Joe's playing with house money. The pressure is all on Gannon. Nobody expects IUP to win tonight. A motivated, carefree underdog can be a scary thing. Knights -11.5



BONUS

California at IUP (women's) - Certainly the game of the night on the ladies' side. IUP beat up the Vulcans pretty good in the KCAC. The Crimson Hawks then blitzed California in the first half at Angelo's Dome -- going up by 15 at the break. The Vulcans then went crazy in the second half, ultimately holding off a late IUP rally and winning by a point. The rubber match -- on a much bigger stage -- should be quite entertaining. The question, of course, is did IUP simply take its foot off the gas two weeks ago, or, did California find a glitch? Get the popcorn ready. When these two get together it's always quite a show. IUP -2.5

Absolute burial in the Angelo Dome.

Cal -6.5

Raise hell, praise Dale

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Absolute burial in the Angelo Dome.

Cal -6.5

Raise hell, praise Dale

Wow WTF happened to SRU and WCU? Just seeing the scores now. Yikes.