STORYLINE
After a week off for final exams, the Edinboro women's basketball team returns to action for its second crossover against PSAC East foes this season. The Fighting Scots look to maintain their momentum after a 70-51 win against previously unbeaten California (Pa.) in their last time out on Dec. 8.
SCOUTING THE WOLVES
Cheyney enters Tuesday's game with an 0-6 record and riding a 38-game losing streak. The last win for the Wolves came on Feb. 5, 2011 in a 74-66 decision over East Stroudsburg. The last time Cheyney won on the road came on Jan. 29, 2011 with a 74-69 victory at Mansfield. Cheyney is coming off its closest game of the year, as it forced overtime in a 74-68 loss to Lincoln last Sunday. Junior guard Tamara Russell leads the Wolves with 10.2 points per game and dropped a season-high 22 points during the Lincoln game as she posted her first start of the year. Junior Christina Jordan is second on the team in scoring at 6.2 ppg. while freshman Kyra Hines-Allen is averaging 6.0 ppg. Offense has been the main struggle for Cheyney – the Wolves average just 43 points per game.
LAST MEETING VS. CHEYNEY
Edinboro made the trip to Cheyney on December 4 last year and came away with a 89-53 victory.
Samantha Blazetic led all scorers with 24 points, adding six rebounds, four steals and three blocks in just 25 minutes of action.
Kiara Brown finished with 13 points and three steals as Edinboro pulled ahead to a 50-28 lead at halftime and never relinquished control.
THE CHEYNEY SERIES
The Fighting Scots have dominated the Cheyney series for over a decade, winning the past 10 games over the Wolves. The last victory in the series for the Wolves came during the 1982-83 season. Edinboro leads the all-time series, 12-8.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN RAMS
West Chester enters this crossover week with a 4-2, 1-2 record following a 72-57 victory over Mansfield last Saturday. West Chester lost its first two games vs. PSAC West competition, falling 78-66 at home against California (Pa.) and fell to nationally-ranked Indiana (Pa.), 94-65. The Golden Rams have three players averaging in double figures – seniors Alex Lennon (13.7 ppg.), Ambreelinne Ortman (10.7 ppg.) and freshman Dallas Ely (10.5 ppg.). West Chester uses its depth to its benefit as head coach Deirdre Kane has again implemented a system of frequent substitutions – no player on the team is averaging more than 24.5 minutes per game and 12 players are earning over 10 minutes of playing time per contest. Turnovers have plagued West Chester through the early portion of the season as the Golden Rams are averaging 22.5 turnovers per game. Wednesday's game could feature many blocks – West Chester ranks second in the PSAC (6.83 per game) and Edinboro is third (4.14).
STELLAR COACHING MATCHUP
Wednesday's game will pair two of Division II's most successful head coaches on the sidelines as Edinboro's
Stan Swank and West Chester's Deirdre Kane began the year each ranking among the top 20 winningest active Division II coaches. Swank entered the season 14th in the nation in victories and currently stands at 449; Kane started the year ranked 12th and has 459 wins all-time heading into this week. Both coaches have had nearly all their success at their current schools - all of Swank's Division II experience has been spent at Edinboro and Kane has scored 417 of her wins in 26 years at West Chester.
LAST MEETING VS. WEST CHESTER
The last time these two teams met was in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last March as the Fighting Scots moved on in the Atlantic Regional with a 69-65 victory at McComb Fieldhouse.
Samantha Blazetic led the way with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds with two blocks.
Kiara Brown added 17 points and five assists as the top-seeded Scots held on over the eighth-seeded Rams. Edinboro dominated the first half and went to the locker room with a 34-20 lead. West Chester made a furious second half charge, however, and made things interesting until the very end. Alex Lennon had 19 points and six blocks for the Golden Rams that day and Ambreelinne Ortman chipped in with 12 points.
THE WEST CHESTER SERIES
Edinboro owns the last five victories in the series, including three wins over West Chester last year. The Fighting Scots scored a hard-fought, 80-76 victory in the regular season and then took a pair of post-season wins within a week of each other. Edinboro defeated West Chester, 74-58, in the PSAC semifinals before taking their 69-65 win in the NCAA Tournament. Edinboro leads the all-time series, 13-5.
ANOTHER NAILBITER ON TAP?
When the Fighting Scots and Golden Rams have squared off in recent years, the result has typically been a battle right to the final buzzer. Last year, Edinboro and West Chester met three times - once in the regular season and then again in the PSAC Tournament and NCAA Tournament. Edinboro scored a blowout win in the PSAC Tournament, moving on with a 74-58 victory, but that game stands as an aberration in the series. Since 2006, Edinboro and West Chester have met six times, and aside from last year's PSAC Tournament game, the average margin of victory in the other five games is a mere 4.6 points. Recent meetings:
3/9/12 - EUP 69, WCU 65 (NCAA Atlantic Regional Quarterfinal)
3/2/12 - EUP 74, WCU 58 (PSAC Semifinal)
12/9/11 - EUP 80, WCU 76
1/8/11 - EUP 81, WCU 74
12/2/07 - EUP 72, WCU 69
12/3/06 - WCU 75, EUP 70
DARCHE' DISHES OUT CAREER HIGH
Junior
Darche' Jackson dished out a career-high 12 assists during Edinboro's 70-51 win at California last Saturday. Not only was it a career-high for Jackson, but the 12 assists also represent the most in a single game by any player in the PSAC this season. Jackson is eighth in the conference on the year in assists, averaging 3.2 per game, and second on the team –
Kiara Brown has 3.3 assists per contest, the sixth-highest mark in the PSAC.
AT THEIR BEST VS. WCU
Seniors
Samantha Blazetic and
Kiara Brown have been thorns in the side of West Chester during their Edinboro careers. Blazetic averages 16.5 points and 9.0 rebounds vs. West Chester and Brown has an average of 14.5 points and 4.2 assists against their PSAC East foe.
MILESTONE WATCH
Senior
Samantha Blazetic hit a career milestone during the Nov. 24 win vs. Wayne State as she hit 1,000 points for her career. Blazetic reached 1,000 points with a free throw late in the first half.
Blazetic already owns the school record for blocks with 237, currently sixth-most in PSAC history. She needs just two more swats to tie Sue Richards (East Stroudsburg, 1982-85) for fifth in the conference record books.
Kiara Brown is nearing 1,000 points as a Fighting Scot as she enters this week with 889 points in an Edinboro uniform. She hit the 1,000-point mark as a college player earlier this year and has 1,100 points in college after spending her freshman year at California (Pa.) and then transferring to Edinboro.
