The Game Stories
 
TOYS?FOR?TOTS?FREE?ADMISSION?GAME -- The Edinboro-Urbana men's basketball game will be one of three athletic events over the next week in which fans can receive free admission with the donation of an unwrapped toy.  Fans can also receive free admission to the Sunday, December 2 wrestling match with Virginia Tech and the Tuesday, December 4 women's basketball game vs. Davis &?Elkins.  In addition, the collection bin will be in the McComb Fieldhouse lobby every day for donations.

Edinboro followed up its 100-35 win over Penn State Greater Allegheny with a 93-73 victory over Penn State Beaver.  The score was actually tied at 42-42 in the latter contest before Edinboro outscored the Lions 51-31 in the second half.  The 2-0 start is the first since the 2009-10 squad also opened the year with a pair of wins.  The 2008-09 is the last to start the year with three straight wins.  That team actually won its first eight games.

After opening the season with back-to-back wins against Penn State branch campuses, the going gets a little tougher for the Fighting Scots as they host a seasoned Urbana squad that has faced some top competition to date.  Two of their three losses are to nationally-ranked teams, and the third was receiving votes.  They fell to top-ranked West Liberty (105-66), barely lost to 12th-ranked Southern Indiana (54-53), and dropped an 88-65 decision to always powerful Kentucky Wesleyan.  The Blue Knights defeated Holy Family 62-50, and have won their last two games, 71-68 over Ashland and 71-63 over Mercyhurst.  West Liberty and Kentucky Wesleyan are the only teams to score more than 68 points vs. the Blue Knights.

Head coach Greg Walcavich is in his 24th season in charge of the Fighting Scots, showing a 414-241 record.  Including stints at Birmingham Southern and West Virginia Wesleyan he is 568-304 overall as he is in his 31st season as a head coach.

The Urbana game concludes a three-game homestand for the Fighting Scots.  They then hit the highway for the first time in 2012-13, opening up PSAC action at Mansfield on December 1 and at Bloomsburg on December 2.   They conclude the three-game road trip with a December 8 contest at California(Pa.).
 
The Edinboro-Urbana Series

Edinboro leads 3-2
In a series that first began in 2008-09, the two teams have met at least once each year since.  Edinboro won twice in 2010-11, but Urbana claimed a double overtime decision last year.  The Fighting Scots have won all three meetings at McComb Fieldhouse.
 
The Last Meeting

November 14, 2011 --  Urbana 114, Edinboro 111  2ot
Marcus Pearl scored five points in the second overtime period to lead the Blue Knights to the double overtime win at Urbana in the season opener for the Fighting Scots.  In a game which featured 11 ties and seven lead changes, Urbana rallied to send the game into overtime on a three-pointer by Josh Brown with 24 seconds left in regulation, as the Blue Knights rallied from a six point deficit with two-and-a-half minutes to play.  Chris Klimchock made 3 of 4 free throws in the final 41 seconds to give the Scots a 103-100 lead, but Brown drained another three with 11 seconds left to force a second overtime.   The high-scoring affair featured Edinboro setting school-records for free throws made and attempted, while Urbana made a sizzling 14 of 25 three-pointers.  The Fighting Scots wnet 41 of 56 at the charity stripe, with Bryan Theriot setting the record for free throws made 918) and tying the standard for free throws attempted (22).  He would finish with a career-high 33 points, adding 14 rebounds.  Clint Nicholson added 31 points against his former team, with Chris Klimchock (12) and Jay Fletcher (11) also in double digits.  Ramel Mitchell led a trio of players with 20-or-more points for Urbana, scoring 23 points.  Sharif Muhammad added 22 points and 12 rebounds, and Marcus Pearl had 20 markers.   
 
The Coaches
 
Greg Walcavich, Edinboro -- is in his 24th season at the helm of the Fighting Scots and his 31st overall as a head coach.  He has a 414-241 record at Edinboro and is 568-304 overall.  Walcavich has also previously served as the head coach at Birmingham Southern and West Virginia Wesleyan. (For an indepth bio see page 6)
Jeff Porter, Urbana  -- is in his fifth year in charge of the Blue Knights.  Known locally as the former head coach at Mercyhurst North East, he has overseen Urbana's move from NAIA?to NCAA?Division II.  The Blue Knights show a 40-72 record during his tenure, including 9-19 a year ago, when they won four of their last six contests.  His best finish at Urbana came in 2009-10, when the Blue Knights posted the first winning record in 13 years at 14-13.

The Last Time Out
 
Edinboro 93, Penn State Beaver 73 -- Tied at the half at 42-42, the Fighting Scots scored the first seven points of the second half and rode big Bryan Theriot to a 51-31 advantage over the final twenty minutes.  Theriot accounted for 22 points and 13 rebounds in the second half alone, as he matched his career high with 33 points and pulled down a career-best 20 rebounds.  He led four players in double figures, as Jay Fletcher added 11 points and a career-high 11 assists, Xavier Churnac finished with 11 points, and Alex Moore had 10.  Edinboro held a huge 60-28 rebounding edge.

Urbana 71, Mercyhurst 63  -- the Blue Knights played the first of back-to-back games against northwest Pennsylvania foes on Sunday, rallying for a win over visiting Mercyhurst.  The  Lakers held an eight-point lead with six minutes to play before the Blue Knights mounted their comeback.  A 9-1 run tied the game at 59-59, and Urbana would score 12 of the games final 16 points to pull away.  Armond Battle led Urbana with 23 points, while Danny Goins added 21 on 7 of 12 shooting.     
 
On the Radio, TV
 
The Edinboro-Urbana game will be broadcast on WFSE?FM 88.9, Edinboro's student radio station.  WFSE?FM?88.9 will carry most Fighting Scots basketball games in 2012-13.  In addition, ETV, Edinboro's student-run television station, will stream many games live, including the Urbana contest.  Go to www.edinboro.tv to view the game.  Live stats will be available on Edinboro's website at www.gofightingscots.com.