Edinboro Fighting Scots (6-4, 6-2 PSAC West) vs. Thiel Tomcats (4-5, 2-1 PAC)
Wednesday, December 30, 2015 7:00 PM | McComb Fieldhouse | Edinboro, Pa.Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/edinboro/mbball/
Radio: WFSE-FM 88.9 (http://streamdb4web.securenetsystems.net/v5/WFSE)
The Game StoryThe Edinboro University men's basketball team closes out 2015 on Wednesday, December 30, hosting Thiel in a non-conference game at 7:00 p.m. in McComb Fieldhouse. The Fighting Scots stand at 6-4 overall and are in first place in the PSAC West with a 6-2 conference record. This is also the final game of a three-game homestand.
Thiel comes in with a 4-5 record. The NCAA Division III Tomcats have not played since December 8, when they posted a 73-56 win over Washington & Jefferson. This marks the eighth straight year Edinboro has hosted Thiel.
The Fighting Scots take a break from PSAC action after reeling off five consecutive conference wins before falling to Indiana (Pa.), 82-74, on December 19. Edinboro is 0-2 against non-conference opponents, losing to Lake Erie and Daemen. The Scots have won the last 15 meetings against Thiel, with their last loss to the Tomcats coming in the 1959-60 season by an 86-78 score.
Senior guard
Henri Wade-Chatman and redshirt sophomore guard
Jaymon Mason make up the PSAC's highest-scoring tandem, combining for 42.1 ppg. Mason ranks second in the PSAC at 22.6 ppg. while Wade-Chatman is fourth at 19.5 ppg.
Wade-Chatman recently topped the 1,000-point mark for his career and currently ranks 27
th in career scoring with 1,065 points in just 63 games. He ranks fifth in the PSAC in steals (2.0 per game) and is ninth in 3-point field goal percentage at 38.6 percent.
Mason is second in the PSAC and 24th in NCAA Division II in scoring at 22.6 ppg. He is 14th in the PSAC in field goal percentage at 45.7 percent and is ranked 12th in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage at 39.7 percent. In addition, he is second in the PSAC and eighth in Division II in free throw percentage at 94.0 percent (63-of-67). He has been named the PSAC West Athlete of the Week twice this season.
Senior center
Tommy Scales has been Edinboro's main threat down low, averaging 12.9 ppg. Scales ranks sixth in the PSAC in rebounds with 8.9 rpg. He is also ninth in the conference in field goal percentage at 49.0 percent. He has posted three double-doubles this season, including 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds against Indiana (Pa.).
Edinboro is second in the PSAC and ninth in Division II in free throw percentage at 78.2 percent. The Fighting Scots are fifth in the conference in scoring at 78.9 ppg. and are 15
th in the PSAC in points allowed with 79.2 ppg. The Scots are fifth in the PSAC in 3-point field goal percentage at 35.5 percent.
On the RadioThe Edinboro-Thiel game can be heard live on WFSE FM 88.9, with Mike Fenner providing the play-by-play and Joshua Kaufer handling the color commentary.
All-Time SeriesEdinboro leads 32-10First Meeting: 1935-36 – Thiel 42, Edinboro 24
Last Meeting: 2014-15 - Edinboro 60, Thiel 56
Current Streak: Edinboro has won the last 15 meetings
Cleary vs. Thiel: 2-0
Last Meeting12/30/14 – Edinboro 60, Thiel 56The Tomcats almost ended their long losing streak to Edinboro, leading 51-48 with just over five minutes to play. Edinboro closed the game on a 12-5 run. A
Jaymon Mason 3-pointer gave Edinboro its first lead in nearly 10 minutes at 54-51 with 2:03 to play. After a Thiel free throw,
Sam Sealy-James answered with a jumper for a 56-52 lead with 1:18 left. The two teams would trade baskets as the Fighting Scots held a 58-54 advantage with 25 seconds to play after a
Henri Wade-Chatman jumper. Khari Bess scored on a rebound basket for Thiel to make it 58-56 with 13 seconds to play. Mason's two free throws sealed the victory. Wade-Chatman led all scorers with 18 points.
Casey Baker added 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds, followed by Mason with 10 markers. Bess paced the Tomcats with 15 points and dished out eight assists. Luke Kochka added 11 points.
Last Time Out12/19/15 – Indiana (Pa.) 82, Edinboro 74Edinboro suffered its second loss in the PSAC West as Indiana (Pa.) defeated the Fighting Scots for the 14th time in their last 15 meetings. The Fighting Scots trailed 70-58 with just over five minutes to play, but rallied to draw within five at 77-72 with 38 seconds remaining. That would be as close as they would get. IUP made 19-of-25 free throws compared to 12-of-16 for the Fighting Scots. Edinboro shot 40.3 percent for the game (27-for-67), while IUP came in at 44.6 percent (29-of-65). Edinboro made 8-of-21 3-pointers, with IUP at 5-for-16. The Fighting Scots held a 43-39 advantage in rebounds. IUP committed just four turnovers while the Scots were guilty of 10, resulting in an 18-4 advantage in points off turnovers for the Crimson Hawks. Wade-Chatman paced Edinboro with 21 points and four assists. Mason finished with 18 points, adding seven rebounds. Scales turned in his third double-double of the season with 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, including six offensive boards.
12/8/15 – Thiel 73, Washington & Jefferson 56After leading 33-26 at the half, Thiel shot 16-of-28 from the floor and 5-for-9 on 3-pointers in the second half to pull away for the win over the Presidents. Three Tomcats scored in double-digits, with Luke Kochka leading the way with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. He also pulled down a game-high nine rebounds and had six assists. Avril Campbell scored 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field while Clandell Cetoute scored 11 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and blocked three shots off the bench. The Tomcats shot 46.0 percent from the field (29-of-63) and outrebounded the Presidents, 43-36.
The Head CoachesEdinboro: Pat Cleary (30-33, 3rd Year)Pat Cleary sat at the right side of Edinboro head men's basketball coach Greg Walcavich for 14 years. On March 26, 2013, Cleary was officially introduced as Edinboro's tenth head coach after Walcavich announced his retirement. Cleary's first season ended with a 10-16 record. Edinboro lost three games to nationally-ranked teams and suffered a number of close losses, including two overtime losses and two defeats at the buzzer. Season number two saw the Fighting Scots make the PSAC playoffs as the number five seed after being picked to finish eighth in the PSAC coaches' poll. Edinboro ended the year with a 14-13 record, falling at Slippery Rock, 64-60, in the first round of the PSAC Playoffs. Among the victories was a 79-77 overtime upset of 16th-ranked Indiana (Pa.). The Crimson Hawks would go on to reach the NCAA Division II national championship game.
Thiel: Tim Loomis (Career: 242-316, 21st Year) In his ninth season as the Tomcats' head coach, Tim Loomis has built a highly-successful program at Thiel. But that is no surprise. His background includes stints as the head coach at California (Pa.) and Florida Atlantic, leading Florida Atlantic from Division II to Division I status. He was also an assistant coach at Cal, and in 2007 was inducted into the Cal Hall of Fame. Finally, he served as an assistant coach at Penn State from 1986-89. In addition, he enjoyed a very successful tenure as the head coach at Kennedy Catholic High School, leading the Golden Eagles to the PIAA?playoffs all five years, including two trips to the championship game. Loomis is in his 21
st season as a head coach, compiling a 242-316 career record.
The Fighting ScotsLast Game's StartersTop Reserves Players to WatchHenri Wade-Chatman (G, Sr.) was named to the 2015 All-PSAC West first team after finishing second in the PSAC in 2014-15 with 18.9 ppg., and third in total points with 511. Wade-Chatman is 27
th all-time at Edinboro with 1,065 career points through 63 games, one point shy of reaching 26
th all-time. He has started every game of his Edinboro career. He is fourth in the PSAC with 19.5 ppg. and is fifth in steals per game (2.0 per game), along with 14th in 3-point field goal percentage at 38.6 percent (27-for-70). He is seventh at Edinboro in career 3-pointers attempted (338) and tied for tenth in career 3-pointers made (122). Wade-Chatman had a season-high 29 points at Daemen on December 12, reaching the 1,000-point milestone that day. He has scored in double figures in all ten games and has led the team in scoring in five contests.
Tommy Scales (C, Sr.), a former transfer from Fairmont State, leads the Scots and is ninth in the PSAC with 8.9 rpg. He is third on the team with 12.9 ppg. He is ninth in the conference in field goal percentage at 49.0 percent (51-for-104). Scales posted consecutive double-doubles at Mercyhurst (15 points, 11 rebounds) and at East Stroudsburg (16 points, 11 boards), and had his third double-double against IUP with 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Scales has led the team in rebounds in eight games. Last season, he finished third on the team in scoring (7.7 ppg) and was second on the team in rebounding (5.9 rpg). He also shot 55.8 percent from the floor (91-for-163) and blocked 23 shots.
Jaymon Mason (G, R-So.) was named the 2015 PSAC Freshman of the Year, the first Fighting Scot to receive this honor since Dan Grabill in 2002. Mason is second in the PSAC and ranks 24
th in Division II in scoring at 22.6 ppg. and currently has 618 career points through 37 games. He is second in the PSAC and eighth in Division II in free throw percentage at 94.0 percent (63-for-67). He is 14th in the PSAC in field goal percentage at 45.7 percent (69-for-151), and is ranked 12th in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage at 39.7 percent (25-for-63). He has registered two 30-point games this season, including a career-high 39 points against Kutztown, along with 35 points against Gannon. He has been named the PSAC West Athlete of the Week twice. He has led the team in scoring five times and has scored 20-or-more points on five occasions.
Scouting ThielThiel holds a 4-5 overall record and a 2-1 record in the Presidents Athletic Conference. Thiel has not defeated the Fighting Scots since the 1959-60 season, where they defeated Edinboro in its season opener, 86-78.
After starting the season at 1-3, the Tomcats have won three out of their last five games, including a 73-56 PAC victory over Washington & Jefferson on December 8. The Edinboro game will mark their first contest in 22 days.
Senior Luke Kochka leads three Tomcats scoring in double figures at 14.2 ppg. The 6'5" forward adds a team-leading 6.3 rebounds per game. Senior guard Khari Bess earned second team All-Presidents Athletic Conference honors a year ago after leading the Tomcats in scoring (10.8 ppg.) and also finished first in assists (4.4 per game). He currently leads the PAC and is sixth in NCAA Division III in steals at 3.6 steals per game. Bess is second in the conference in assists at 4.1 assists per game. Sophomore forward Clandelle Cetoute is second in the PAC in blocks at 2.0 blocks per game.
The Tomcats are at or near the top of the PAC's defensive categories. They are conference leaders and 15
th in Division III in blocks with 5.4 blocks per game. They also top the PAC and are 34
th nationally in steals with 9.6 steals per game. Thiel averages 66.3 ppg., good for ninth in the PAC, while ranking second in the conference in scoring defense (67.9 ppg.).
Last Game's Starters| P / No. | Player | Ht/Yr | Hometown | PPG / RPG |
| F / 21 | Luke Kochka | 6-5/Sr. | Monroeville, Pa. | 14.2 / 6.3 |
| F / 23 | Avril Campbell | 6-4/So. | Dumfries, Va. | 5.9 / 4.4 |
| F / 10 | Josh Lumbus | 6-5/Jr. | Cleveland, Ohio | 3.4 / 3.0 |
| G / 2 | Tyreik Burton | 5-8/So. | Lewes, Del. | 10.7 / 1.7 |
| G / 3 | Khari Bess | 6-1/Sr. | Waldorf, Md. | 13.7 / 4.3 |
Top Reserves| F / 5 | Clandelle Cetoute | 6-8/So. | Wellington, Fla. | 6.6 / 4.4 |
