PSAC WEST

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Seton Hill blows out Cal

Gannon over Clarion

UPJ beats Mercy

IUP over Boro

Rock: Idle

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Huge night in the PSAC (East and West)


Clarion at Gannon
The Knights get a final tune-up prior to Saturday's showdown with Kevin Reynolds & Co. Clarion's painful season is almost over. Gannon has a little fun tonight. But, not too much. John Reilly will treat Clarion's visit as a Final Four meeting and have no voice by halftime. Knights -17

UPJ at Mercyhurst
The good times finally ended for UPJ this past Saturday at Morrow Field House. Slippery Rock brought the Mountain Cats back down to Earth a bit in a 26-point smackdown. UPJ had a very rare off day from the outside -- and SRU makes teams pay big when they aren't hitting shots. Both of these teams have clinched the final two spots in next week's PSAC Tournament. Both will be on the road in Round 1. The Lakers enter tonight on a two-game skid. There isn't much on the line tonight other than building some momentum. Mercyhurst lost the first meeting at Johnstown, 67-64. Sounds about right for Round 2. UPJ -3

Seton Hill at California
The Vulcans are a deceiving bunch. They are a better team than they have shown this year. Something small has been a little off (consistently motivated defensive play comes to mind). Regardless, it's too late now. The women's game is actually the main draw in the Angelo Dome tonight as both teams are regionally ranked. Seton Hill was a very disappointing team again this season. Cal is a better team -- albeit very inconsistent. That should be enough. Vulcans -4

Edinboro at IUP
Round 1 was one of the more interesting games of the season. IUP won a 'testy', 70-67, game at Edinboro on a three-pointer by Dante Lombardi with just 1.8 seconds remaining. For the amount of offensive weapons both teams have, it was an ugly game. The defenses actually took it over. Both teams shot some of their worst percentages of the season. IUP was beat up on the boards despite having a perceived big edge in the post. Both teams shot horrible from outside (EU: 6-26, IUP: 6-17). Edinboro star Keshawn Liggins got half of his 18 points at the free throw line. If anything, IUP was balanced as 5 players finished with 12 or more points. Edinboro got 29 of its 41 rebounds from its three starting guards -- pretty strange stat.

Enter Round 2 and the stakes are sky high. This is essentially a playoff game. IUP is fighting for its NCAA Tournament life. Edinboro still has a shot to jump in to third place in the West and get a friendlier seed next week. For IUP to win, it can't lose the rebounds by double digits again to a team of guards. IUP has a giant advantage in the low post and has to cash in on it. They need to play a little nasty down there. Defensively, IUP can slap floors and the such, but bottom line is they have a very tall task in front of them with Edinboro's three guards. Malik Miller's return gives the team a gigantic boost defensively. He is a big guard with lightning fast closing speed. Depending who is on the floor for IUP, their best bet is likely a combination of zone and man. IUP's post players can really spread the floor and it should cause Edinboro a lot of issues. Adding essentially their 6th starter back should also keep everybody more fresh late in the game. For Edinboro to win, it's pretty much the same formula as the first game. They have to play the odds they won't shoot 6-26 from outside again tonight. You assume Anthony Glover and Cobo Diaz get their points but limit the others from doing much damage. Survive IUP's runs. Filter out the crowd. It will be bumping in there tonight. Edinboro has to play clean. It's not easy getting calls in the KCAC.


Prediction: IUP has played in plenty of big games over the years. Edinboro has not. It will be a nail-biter because, well, every IUP game this season seems to come down to the end. Cobo is the difference tonight. If Edinboro has to collapse guards to combat him, he'll kick out to open shooters all night. If Edinboro plays him one-on-one, he'll win those match-ups. IUP plays off the crowd in what will probably be a chippy affair. Crimson Hawks -3

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

If I was making an actual 'starting five' for the West ...


PG: Dale Clancy (UPJ)
G: Keshawn Liggins (Boro)
G: Anthony Glover (IUP
F: Micah Till (SRU)
F: Cobo Diaz (IUP)

[IUPalum]

Re: PSAC WEST

PSAC West Player of the Year

Top Candidates entering the final week (in no order):



Keshawn Liggins (Edinboro) -- Leading scorer at 23.8 ppg and second in rebounding with 10.7 rpg ... has played a West-high 38.5 mpg ... 3.5 assists per game ... has spearheaded big turnaround season for the Fighting Scots

Micah Till (SRU) -- 21.3 ppg including 27 treys from the low post ... dominant rebounder -- leading entire PSAC with 12.1 boards per game ... 42 blocks ... has led Rock to a 20-7 record

Anthony Glover (IUP) -- 20.1 ppg on PSAC-leading 93 treys (shooting .463 from deep) ... .481 FG% ... 85% FT ... (4) games with 29 or more ... PSAC-leading 3.4 treys per game ... biggest games have come on big stages

Isaac Vescovi (UPJ) -- 21.1 ppg ... .566 FG% ... .905 FT% ... 36.4 mpg ... led UPJ to very strong season

Add Cobo Diaz and you have the first team All PSAC West team.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

PSAC West Player of the Year

Top Candidates entering the final week (in no order):



Keshawn Liggins (Edinboro) -- Leading scorer at 23.8 ppg and second in rebounding with 10.7 rpg ... has played a West-high 38.5 mpg ... 3.5 assists per game ... has spearheaded big turnaround season for the Fighting Scots

Micah Till (SRU) -- 21.3 ppg including 27 treys from the low post ... dominant rebounder -- leading entire PSAC with 12.1 boards per game ... 42 blocks ... has led Rock to a 20-7 record

Anthony Glover (IUP) -- 20.1 ppg on PSAC-leading 93 treys (shooting .463 from deep) ... .481 FG% ... 85% FT ... (4) games with 29 or more ... PSAC-leading 3.4 treys per game ... biggest games have come on big stages

Isaac Vescovi (UPJ) -- 21.1 ppg ... .566 FG% ... .905 FT% ... 36.4 mpg ... led UPJ to very strong season

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

UPDATED STANDINGS - PSAC WEST MEN'S BASKETBALL

IUP (16-4, 20-7) W2

Gannon (14-6, 18-8) W4

Slippery Rock (14-7, 20-7) W1

Edinboro (13-7, 16-8) W2

Pitt-Johnstown (12-9, 14-11) L1

Mercyhurst (9-11, 12-12) L2

California (6-14, 10-16) L1

Seton Hill (5-15, 9-17) W1

Clarion (0-20, 3-23) L15


Tournament field is set. Mercyhurst is locked at West No. 6 seed. UPJ at No. 5 seed. Both will play on the road in Round 1 a week from tonight.

IUP needs to beat either Edinboro or Seton Hill to clinch the West title outright.

Pending Gannon isn't upset by Clarion on Wednesday night, Saturday's Slippery Rock vs Gannon game will determine second place and the other first-round bye.

[Golden89]

Re: PSAC WEST

What's the theory as to why? Awkwardness of the place?

I've been to nearly all of those 29 games at the MAC. And I've been to Edinboro almost every year and other road games here and there. But there's no place like the MAC. The place is configured very oddly. The bleachers are right on top of the court across from the benches and way back behind the benches on a place that serves as a stage. The background on one side is the athletic offices. The ceiling is more like an airplane hangar than a basketball gymnasium. A few Gannon fans swear that the MAC court is smaller than a regulation court. I've never measured it, but I'll take the officials at their word that the court is regulation size. I think that the way the MAC is configured makes the court feel smaller, making offenses uncomfortable and giving the game zero flow.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Crazy stat about the MAC ... Gannon and Mercyhurst have been playing a true home-and-home since 1989-90. In those 29 seasons, the game at the MAC was lower scoring 26 times to just 2 times that the Hammermill game was higher scoring (and one tie).

Even Reilly's predecessor, the much more offense-minded Jerry Slocum, had two games at the MAC in which the winner did not reach 50.

I bet that this stat isn't just limited to Gannon. Games in the MAC always seem to be ugly affairs. It's just magnified when you have two defense-first coaches like Reilly and Manchel going at it.

What's the theory as to why? Awkwardness of the place?

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

I gave it a shot ... watched first 5-6 minutes ... then couldn't take it anymore. Lol.

I flipped over to SRU/UPJ.

[Golden89]

Re: PSAC WEST

Oh it was 50-47 with 57 seconds left. Hurst botched a dunk then the foul game came into play to make it look higher scoring than it really was. Terrible game to watch... I appreciate good defense but there was a lot of horrific offense in this game too (wide open missed lay ups, air balls, flat jumpers, etc). YUCK

Crazy stat about the MAC ... Gannon and Mercyhurst have been playing a true home-and-home since 1989-90. In those 29 seasons, the game at the MAC was lower scoring 26 times to just 2 times that the Hammermill game was higher scoring (and one tie).

Even Reilly's predecessor, the much more offense-minded Jerry Slocum, had two games at the MAC in which the winner did not reach 50.

I bet that this stat isn't just limited to Gannon. Games in the MAC always seem to be ugly affairs. It's just magnified when you have two defense-first coaches like Reilly and Manchel going at it.

[Golden89]

Re: PSAC WEST

If you want defense at the NBA All Star game, have Reilly and Manchel coach the teams and play the game at the MAC. The final score would be 59-55.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Re: PSAC WEST

Big week in the West ...

Rock at Gannon

Boro at IUP

IUP win Wednesday clinches outright West title

[IUPalum]

Re: PSAC WEST

58-50 is high scoring for that rivalry...

Oh it was 50-47 with 57 seconds left. Hurst botched a dunk then the foul game came into play to make it look higher scoring than it really was. Terrible game to watch... I appreciate good defense but there was a lot of horrific offense in this game too (wide open missed lay ups, air balls, flat jumpers, etc). YUCK

[ctrabs74]

Re: PSAC WEST

Gannon knocked off Hurst in a barn burner 58-50. Watching paint dry would've been more exciting.

58-50 is high scoring for that rivalry...

[IUPalum]

Re: PSAC WEST

Gannon knocked off Hurst in a barn burner 58-50. Watching paint dry would've been more exciting.