PSAC WEST

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Two games on the board tomorrow. You degenerates need a perfect day. It won't be easy. Final Four Saturday a year ago saw two thrillers. Will tomorrow follow suit?



Millersville at Gannon

Some would argue these are the top two teams in the PSAC. Not all, mind you. But, some. Gannon, of course, is home in the comfy yet claustrophobic confines of its rent-a-gym at Erie Cathedral Prep. The Knights have won 16 straight, but, have had some scares along the way (including Wednesday night in a very narrow win against IUP). The Marauders come to Erie red hot. However, Dorothy isn't in the wild environment of Pucillo Gymnasium anymore. Millersville went 16-1 at home this year, but did lose 4 times on the road. Make no mistake, this will be a hostile road experience.

These two played once this year -- way back on Dec. 30. The Marauders put on a clinic that day - storming out to a whopping 49-25 halftime lead and ultimately winning in blowout fashion, 99-78. Was it a fluke and simply a bad day for Gannon? Perhaps. Maybe not, however. Millersville is 3-1 this year against high-pressure teams (2-1 vs.East Stroudsburg and 1-0 vs. Gannon). The Marauders have all the keys to deal with heavy pressure -- experienced, big guards, and athletic (hybrid), mobile post players. The Knights had zero answer for Millersville stars Matt Dade and Jaden Faulkner.

It's hard to put too much stock on a game played nearly 3 months ago. The Marauders just played a run-around-in-circles game Wednesday night. They had to travel. The crazy Pucillo crowd will not be there. Certainly, Gannon will be looking for revenge (as the GU broadcasters mentioned about 18 times during the previous game). The Knights also now have months more experience in their new system.

Very tough call here. The teams that win in the PSAC Tournament are historically full of upperclassmen (Millersville) and have been here before (Millersville). However, Gannon is undefeated at home this year, and, that building will be humming tomorrow. It will be close. Millersville isn't going to buckle under the press or be intimidated. They've been in this type of game before many times. Gannon is a deep team but not a big team. The Marauders have some match-up advantages. Millersville, on paper, may be the better team. But, they won't be tomorrow. Take the Knights. Gannon -2.5



Lock Haven vs. California

One team (California) was expected to be here. The other (Lock Haven), well, sure wasn't. As we know, however, March basketball is all about momentum -- and, the Bald Eagles have a lot of it. Very few people (probably none outside Thomas Fieldhouse) had Lock Haven being the top seed out of the East.

Flying under the radar all season, these Bald Eagles just kept winning. They had some odd losses along the way, but also some gigantic wins in big moments. Lock Haven swept East Stroudsburg and split with Millersville.

Like the above game, this is also a rematch. These two played on Dec. 13 in Angelo's Dome. It wasn't pretty. The Vulcans blasted their guests, 93-71. Lock Haven lost on the glass and more importantly shot an abysmal 2-19 from outside. The Vulcans had a magical day, shooting nearly 60% for the game and just under 45% from outside.

Logic would say Lock Haven won't shoot that bad again, and Cal won't shoot that good again, either.

The first game of the day is always a little odd. Typically neither team travels well and the first half is generally played in front of any empty gym. The host crowd will start arriving around halftime. In this case, you can rest assured the Gannon faithful will be cheering for Lock Haven -- especially after having witnessed the bush league tactics the Vulcans pulled last time they were in Erie.

The Bald Eagles have a proven resume. They have a great combination of big, athletic guards and above-average post players. The Vulcans didn't look tremendous the past month but kept winning. California has also seemed to kick things up a gear the past two weeks.

This game is an experience thing. The Vulcans have been here before. This will be a brand new stage for the Bald Eagles. Whether the home crowd likes it or not, Danny Sancomb wins games under the bright lights. Expect a close game for maybe 20-25 minutes. The Vulcans will pull away in the second half. They are too deep and too strong. California -9.5

[Chuck Norris]

Not to interrupt this little argument, but ESU is an interesting case come Sunday night.

Yes, they won 25 games. However, they also vanished when the lights got bright. The Warriors' record against top teams is pretty poor (1-5). ESU lost two of three to Millersville, got swept by Lock Haven and got blasted by Gannon.

Personally, I think the Warriors are a pretty good team. But, NCAA teams rarely go out in Round 2 of the PSAC Tournament.

It's going to be interesting.

Lock Haven, for instance, has a 21-7 record as of today. Unless they win this weekend, they'll finish with 8 losses. Will the committee say that LH swept ESU and also advanced further in the conference tournament ... thus bumping LH ahead of ESU for a potential at-large bid? Despite having more losses, the Bald Eagles can certainly make that argument.

I think Lock Haven has to win tomorrow at the very least. 5 of their 7 losses are to teams a tournament team should beat. I don’t think they have enough really good wins to overcome that yet. If they win tomorrow and Concord makes a run, then things get real hairy for ESU.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Maybe, but the team also won 25 games, 3rd most in program history. Is THAT overrated?

Not to interrupt this little argument, but ESU is an interesting case come Sunday night.

Yes, they won 25 games. However, they also vanished when the lights got bright. The Warriors' record against top teams is pretty poor (1-5). ESU lost two of three to Millersville, got swept by Lock Haven and got blasted by Gannon.

Personally, I think the Warriors are a pretty good team. But, NCAA teams rarely go out in Round 2 of the PSAC Tournament.

It's going to be interesting.

Lock Haven, for instance, has a 21-7 record as of today. Unless they win this weekend, they'll finish with 8 losses. Will the committee say that LH swept ESU and also advanced further in the conference tournament ... thus bumping LH ahead of ESU for a potential at-large bid? Despite having more losses, the Bald Eagles can certainly make that argument.

[WarriorVoice]

over rated!!!

Maybe, but the team also won 25 games, 3rd most in program history. Is THAT overrated?

[IUPalum]

esu missed too many shots at the rim against millersville last night. Lock haven and millersville have done a great job keeping a team that averaged over 90 points a game to 73 points in their 4 wins over the warriors. The warriors have to hope for a regional bid sunday.

over rated!!!

[WarriorVoice]

ESU missed too many shots at the rim against Millersville last night. Lock Haven and Millersville have done a great job keeping a team that averaged over 90 points a game to 73 points in their 4 wins over the Warriors. The Warriors have to hope for a Regional bid Sunday.

[Ship69]

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

West Chester played a decent first half, but then reverted to its tendency toward playground ball in the second half — fired up quick 3s from all over the place and didn't hit many of them. Lock Haven ran a much more organized offense and also got hot from outside. They basically just sliced and diced the Rams in the second half. The Haven is a legit team this year.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Cal peaking

Lock Haven scored 66 in second half.

It's going to be a fun Saturday

[IUPalum]

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

Cal peaking

[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.

[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]

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.

[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

[IUP24]

Typically the service gets a cut.

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

[IUPbigINDIANS]

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

Typically the service gets a cut.