The Game Stories
} After leading the PSAC in scoring for most of the season, Edinboro has forged a three-game winning streak thanks to strong defense.  The Fighting Scots have held Slippery Rock, Mercyhurst and Clarion to 59, 59 and 54 points, respectively.  Edinboro has now won four of its last five games, with that lone loss an 86-75 loss in overtime to then ninth-ranked Indiana(Pa.).  The win at Mercyhurst was the second straight comeback victory.  The Fighting Scots trailed by as much as eleven points before holding the Lakers without a basket for seven minutes.  The Fighting Scots also came all the way back from an 11-point deficit in the second half against Slippery Rock to win 62-59. They used a different script at Clarion, using a 27-6 run to take a 40-26 lead at the half.  The lead never dipped under double digits in the final twenty minutes.

} The Fighting Scots have played the last five games without leading scorer and rebounder Bryan Theriot, who is averaging 20.4 ppg. and 10.6 rpg.  With Theriot out with the injury suffered against Gannon,  the senior backcourt of Jay Fletcher and Isaiah Prince has stepped up.  Fletcher had a pair of outstanding efforts recently.   He had a then season-high 27 points and pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds at Lock Haven.  He scored 20 of his points in the second half as the Scots rallied from a 39-31 halftime deficit.  He matched his career-best with 30 points against IUP, making 8 of 15 3-pointers after drilling 5 of 10 at Lock Haven.  Fletcher scored 25 of his points in the second half.  Prince, meanwhile, was selected the PSAC?West Player of the Week last week after scoring 49 points in the games against IUP and Slippery Rock.  The 6'0” senior had 21 points and six rebounds vs. IUP.  Three days later he recorded a then season-high 28 points, the lone Scot in double figures, as Edinboro upset Slippery Rock.  That included 5 of 15 3-pointers, and he had five rebounds.  Prince's two free throws with three seconds left sealed the win, just moments after he had blocked an SRU 3-point attempt that would have given The Rock the lead.  Prince scored a career-high 37 points at Mercyhurst, making 7 of 10 3-pointers.  He scored 24 points in the second half.    

} The Fighting Scots come in with a 13-6 record and are 9-6 in the PSAC West.  They won five of eight games against the Eastern Division, but had lost to California(Pa.) and Gannon in the Western Division prior to the win over Lock Haven.  The 13-6 ledger is the best after 19 games since 2008-09.

} With the PSAC playoff field expanding to 12 teams in 2013, Edinboro is on the verge of its first playoff in four years.  The three-year drought was the longest in Greg Walcavich's tenure at Edinboro, but that string can be snapped with an Edinboro win and losses by Clarion and Lock Haven, without getting into complicated tiebreakers.

} Head coach Greg Walcavich is in his 24th season in charge of the Fighting Scots, showing a 425-247 record.  Including stints at Birmingham Southern and West Virginia Wesleyan he is 579-310 overall as he is in his 31st season as a head coach. 

} California(Pa.) comes in with an 8-11 record, 7-8 in the PSAC West after suffering a tough 70-67 overtime loss at Mercyhurst on Saturday.  The Vulcans led most of the way, only to see the Lakers tie the game with a second left in regulation, and win it with a 3-pointer with asecond remaining.    

} Edinboro was picked to finish fourth in the PSAC?West.  California(Pa.), meanwhile, was picked one spot later in the fifth spot in the Western Division coaches poll.

Scouting California(Pa.)
} The Vulcans have won two of their last games after losing three straight and five out of six contests.  That lone loss was a heartbreaker on Saturday at Mercyhurst, as the Lakers tied the contest with a second remaining to send it into overtime, then won 70-67 on a 3-pointer with a second left in overtime.  Cal is led by Keith Lowe, a 6'2” senior who was named the PSAC?West Player of the Week after scoring 21 points against Mercyhurst and 26 in a win over Clarion.  Lowe ranks sixth in the PSAC in scoring at 17.9 ppg., and has 75 assists, good for fourth in the conference.  Lowe also has a team-high 48 steals and has made 27 of 67 3-pointers.  Tynell Fortune, a 5'10” sophomore, is the only other Vulcan in double figures at 11.1 ppg.  He is the team's leader with 28 three's in 62 attempts.  Six-foot-five swingman Quentin Harding adds 9.4 ppg,. and a team-leading 5.2 rpg.  Anthony Lytle, who played two seasons at Edinboro, contributes 8.4 ppg. and 4.8 rpg. while shooting 56.8 percent from the floor.  Lytle has started 15 games before recently coming off the bench.             

The Edinboro-California(Pa.) Series

} California(Pa.) leads 89-77
After the two teams split a pair of close contests a year ago, winning on the other's home court, California(Pa.) came through with a victory at their Convocation Center on December 8, 82-71. Neither team has been able to put together much of a streak in recent years, although prior to last year's road win Edinboro had lost five of its previous six games at Cal.  The last time a team swept the regular season series was the 2004-05 campaign, when Edinboro prevailed in both meetings.
 
The Last Meeting

} December 8, 2012 --  California(Pa.) 82, Edinboro 71 
A cold-shooting afternoon doomed the Fighting Scots, as they were unable to overcome a 44-33 halftime deficit.  Edinboro shot just 32.9 percent for the game and was also outrebounded 55-42.  The Fighting Scots would pull to within four points at 63-59 with just under ten minutes remaining, but the Vulcans answered with five straight points.  Bryan Theriot paced a trio of Scots in double figures with 18 points, adding a team-high nine rebounds.  Jay Fletcher added 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Johnathan Logan also had 13 points.  Keith Lowe burned the Scots for 27 points, making 11 of 18 field goals.  Former Fighting Scot Anthony Lytle chipped in with 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Chris Williams came off the bench to contribute 11 points.  Mitchell Weedon supported Lowe on the boards with 11 rebounds.           
                             
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 425-247 record at Edinboro and is 579-310 overall.  Walcavich has also previously served as the head coach at Birmingham Southern and West Virginia Wesleyan. (For an indepth bio see page 10) 

} Bill Brown, California(Pa.)  -- is in his 17th year in charge of the Vulcans, showing a record of 329-157 during that period.  He ranks as Cal's all-time winningest coach thanks to eight 2o-win campaigns.  Brown has led Cal to 12 appearances in the PSAC?Tournament, highlighted by league titles in 1999 and 2008.   In 26 years as a head coach at three schools, he owns a 454-284 record with eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament.      

The Last Time Out

} Edinboro 65, Clarion -- Isaiah Prince scored a career-high 37 points, including 24 in the second half, as the Fighting Scots ralled from a 32-21 halftime deficit.  Amazingly, Edinboro won despite making 4 of 27 two-point attempts, including 1 of 13 in the second half.  But Prince was on fire all night, making 10 of 17 field goal attempts, including 7 of 10 3-pointers, and going 10 of 11 at the free throw line.  He even added a team-high seven rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocked shots.  Jay Fletcher was the only other Fighting Scot in double figures with 16 points, making 4 of 8 three's.  Edinboro made 13 of 25 3-pointers and was 18 of 21 at the line, all in the second half.          

} Mercyhurst 70, California(Pa.) 67 ot  -- the Vulcans suffered a heartbreaking loss at Mercyhurst after appearing to get out with the road win.  The Lakers tied the game with a second left to send it into overtime, then prevailed on a 3-pointer with a second left, 70-67.  Keith Lowe paced the Vulcans with 21 points and seven assists. Tynell Fortune added 10 points, while Chris Williams pulled down 11 rebounds.

On the Radio, TV

} WFSE FM?88.9 broadcasts most Edinboro basketball games, including the California(Pa.) game.  In addition, ETV, Edinboro's student-run television station, will stream many home games live.  Go towww.edinboro.tv to view the game.  Live stats are available for home games on Edinboro's website at www.gofightingscots.com.