Edinboro Fighting Scots (7-4, 6-2 PSAC West) at Lock Haven Bald Eagles (9-3, 5-3 PSAC East)
Sunday, January 3 2016 4:00 PM | Thomas Fieldhouse | Lock Haven, Pa.Live Stats: http://sidearmstats.com/lhup/mbball/
Radio: WFSE-FM 88.9 (http://streamdb4web.securenetsystems.net/v5/WFSE)
The Game StoryThe Edinboro University men's basketball team rings in the new year with a PSAC crossover road contest at Lock Haven on Sunday, January 3 at 4:00 p.m. The Fighting Scots stand at 7-4 overall and 6-2 in the PSAC West while Lock Haven holds a 9-3 record and a 5-3 PSAC East record.
The Fighting Scots have won five out of their last six PSAC contests to climb into first place in the PSAC West. They saw their five-game straight conference winning streak snapped with an 82-74 loss to Indiana (Pa.) on December 19. That stretch included a win at PSAC West preseason favorite Mercyhurst, plus road wins over the top two teams in the PSAC East preseason poll, East Stroudsburg and West Chester.
Edinboro heads to Lock Haven after defeating Thiel, 78-72, on December 30. The victory came at a price, however, as senior center
Tommy Scales, the team's leading rebounder and third-leading scorer, left the game with an injury less than two minutes into the game. A banged-up Edinboro squad was already without starting forward
Quinn Lee Yaw, who has missed the last eight games with an injury, and key reserve
Mikael Anderson, also out with an injury.
Scales has been Edinboro's main threat down low, averaging 11.7 ppg. and ranking ninth in the PSAC with 8.1 rpg. He has posted three double-doubles this season, including 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds against Indiana (Pa.).
Junior forward
Art Cook stepped up in Scales' absence, pulling down a career-high 14 rebounds. He is averaging 3.1 ppg. and is fourth on the team in rebounds at 4.7 rpg. Senior
Daryan Robinson, a 6'8", 250-pound center, will also have to step up if Scales cannot answer the bell. He leads the team in blocked shots with six and averages 3.7 rpg. and 3.1 ppg. in just over 14 minutes per game. Robinson had seven rebounds and a pair of blocks off the bench against Thiel.
Senior guard
Henri Wade-Chatman and redshirt sophomore guard
Jaymon Mason make up the PSAC's highest-scoring tandem, combining for 42.4 ppg. Mason ranks second in the PSAC at 22.5 ppg. while Wade-Chatman is fourth at 19.9 ppg.
Wade-Chatman recently topped the 1,000-point mark for his career and currently ranks 26
th in career scoring with 1,089 points in just 64 games. He ranks fourth in the PSAC in steals (2.2 per game) and is 14th in 3-point field goal percentage at 36.8 percent. Wade-Chatman ranks ninth in career 3-pointers at Edinboro with 131, and is ninth in career 3-pointers attempted (344).
Mason is second in the PSAC and 24th in NCAA Division II in scoring at 22.5 ppg. He is 12th in the PSAC in field goal percentage at 46.9 percent and is ranked tenth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage at 40.6 percent. In addition, he is fourth in the PSAC and was eighth in Division II in free throw percentage at 87.5 percent (70-of-80). However, after missing just four free throws in the first ten games, Mason was just 7-of-13 at the charity stripe against Thiel. He has been named the PSAC West Athlete of the Week twice this season.
Edinboro is second in the PSAC and ninth in Division II in free throw percentage at 75.5 percent. The Fighting Scots are seventh in the conference in scoring at 78.8 ppg. and are 15
th in scoring defense with 78.5 ppg. The Scots are fifth in the PSAC in 3-point field goal percentage at 35.9 percent.
Lock Haven is one of the biggest surprises in the PSAC so far this season. The Bald Eagles, led by head coach Mike Nestor, have won seven of their last eight games, interrupted only by a one-point loss to Kutztown, to improve to 9-3 overall. They are third in the PSAC East at 5-3. The Bald Eagles were ranked fourth in the PSAC East preseason poll.
On the RadioThe Edinboro-Lock Haven 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 94-19First Meeting: 1957-58 – Edinboro 76, Lock Haven 74 (OT)
Last Meeting: 2014-15 - Edinboro 90, Lock Haven 63
Current Streak: Edinboro has won the last seven meetings
Cleary vs. Lock Haven: 1-0
Last Meeting1/3/16 – Edinboro 90, Lock Haven 63Leading 62-53 with 7:05 to play in the contest, Edinboro used a 14-0 run to catapult their lead to 23 (76-53) with 4:54 remaining. The Fighting Scots pushed their lead to as many as 29 points while closing the game on a 28-10 run.
Henri Wade-Chatman netted a career-high 32 points.
Casey Baker had 15 points and nine rebounds while
Jaymon Mason also had 15 points while contributing six assists with no turnovers.
Will Marrow matched a career-high with 12 points for Edinboro to go along with six rebounds.The Fighting Scots outscored Lock Haven 42-20 in the paint and 20-5 on fast break points. The Bald Eagles were held to 29.7 percent (19-of-64) shooting in the game. Wali Hepburn led LHU with 15 points and four assists while Nate Walters posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Last Time Out12/30/15 – Edinboro 78, Thiel 72Edinboro never trailed in the contest after scoring the first 17 points of the game. The Fighting Scots held Thiel scoreless until 13:18 remained in the first half as the Tomcats missed their first ten shots. Edinboro led by as much as 23 points in the first half and led 43-25 at halftime. In the second half, the Scots committed 11 turnovers and at one point shot 4-for-14 from the free throw line, allowing Thiel to climb back into the game. Thiel drew within four (71-67) with 37 seconds to play, but that would be as close as they would get.
Henri Wade-Chatman and
Jaymon Mason combined to convert on seven of eight free throws down the stretch to seal the win. Wade-Chatman scored 24 points, shooting a perfect 11-for-11 from the charity stripe and adding eight rebounds and four steals. Mason added 22 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.
Sheldon Brogdon came off the bench to contribute 11 points.
Art Cook pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds.
Daryan Robinson added seven boards and a pair of blocked shots. Edinboro shot 43.6 percent from the floor (24-of-55) and finished the night shooting 24-of-40 from the free throw line after making just 15-of-28 in the second half. Edinboro held a 45-39 advantage on the glass, while committing 16 turnovers, compared to 13 for Thiel.
12/19/15 – Lock Haven 86, Millersville 70Lock Haven picked up its seventh win in eight contests thanks to its bench scoring and long range shooting. Lock Haven shot 11-for-26 from 3-point range while Millersville shot just 4-of-24. The bench, meanwhile, contributed 50 points. Ra'eese Hunt scored a career-high 19 points and pulled down eight rebounds to lead the Bald Eagles. Julian Bond was on fire from downtown, connecting on 6-of-9 3-pointers to match his career high with 18 points. Shawn Church chipped in with 13 points, also off the bench, and added four rebounds and three assists. Bootsie Walker was the only Haven starter in double-figures with 13 points. Lock Haven held Millersville to just 37.3 percent shooting from the field while the Bald Eagles shot 46.0 percent from the field (29-for-63).
The Head CoachesEdinboro: Pat Cleary (31-33, 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.
Lock Haven: Mike Nestor (42-74, 5th season)Mike Nestor is in his fifth season as Lock Haven's head coach. After a 0-25 campaign to begin his tenure in 2011-12, Nestor has engineered an incredible turnaround over the next two years. Nestor was named PSAC East Coach of the Year for the 2013-14 season after the Bald Eagles made the PSAC playoffs and finished with 17 wins, the most since 1990. The Bald Eagles made the conference playoffs again in 2014-15 with a 10-17 record. Nestor was an assistant at Shippensburg from 2000-11 after playing for the Red Raiders from 1995-1999.
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 26
th all-time at Edinboro with 1,089 career points through 64 games. He has started every game of his Edinboro career. He is fourth in the PSAC with 19.9 ppg. and is fourth in steals per game (2.2 per game), along with 14th in 3-point field goal percentage at 36.8 percent (28-for-76). He is ninth at Edinboro in career 3-pointers attempted (344) and ninth in career 3-pointers made (131). 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 eleven games and has led the team in scoring in six contests, including a 24-point effort against Thiel on Wednesday.
Tommy Scales (C, Sr.), a former transfer from Fairmont State, leads the Scots and is ninth in the PSAC with 8.1 rpg. He is third on the team with 11.7 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 22.5 ppg. and currently has 640 career points through 38 games. He is fourth in the PSAC and eighth in Division II in free throw percentage at 87.5 percent (70-for-80). He is ranked tenth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage at 40.6 percent (26-for-64). 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. Mason has led the team in scoring five times and has scored 20-or-more points on six occasions, including 22 points vs. Thiel on Wednesday.
Scouting Lock HavenLock Haven is third in the PSAC East with a 5-3 record and comes in at 9-3 overall. After beginning the season 2-2, the Bald Eagles have won seven of their last eight games, including conference victories against Gannon, Slippery Rock and Clarion. Their one blemish in the last eight games was a one-point loss to Kutztown. They were ranked fourth in the PSAC East preseason poll, behind West Chester, Kutztown and East Stroudsburg.
Despite being ranked 17
th in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage at 30.8 percent (53-for-172), Lock Haven was able to connect on 11-of-26 shots from behind the arc in their 86-70 win over Millersville on December 19. Ra'eese Hunt, Julian Bond, and Shawn Church came off the bench for the Bald Eagles and combined for 50 points. Hunt, a redshirt sophomore forward, finished with a team-high 19 points while Bond shot 6-for-9 on 3-pointers for 18 points. Junior guard Bootsie Walker was the only Lock Haven starter to score in double digits with 13 markers.
Lock Haven has pinned its strong start on defense this season. LHU is fourth in the PSAC in scoring defense at 69.8 ppg. and is first in field goal percentage defesne at 39.2 percent. Offensively, the Bald Eagles rank eighth in the PSAC in scoring at 76.3 ppg. and are sixth in field goal percentage at 46.8 percent. Lock Haven is third in the conference in the turnover margin at plus 3.0 and fourth in steals at 9.3 steals per game. One are they look toi improve is on the glass, where they rank 17
th in the PSAC in rebounding margin (-6.3).
Lock Haven features a balanced scoring attack, with a pair of players scoring in double figures. Tracy Peal, a 6'6" senior, and Walker are both at 10.8 ppg. Junior forward Brahieme Jackson is 15
th in the PSAC in rebounds at 7.1 rpg. Walker and Jackson are tied for ninth in the conference in steals at 1.8 steals per game. Redshirt senior guard Al Blount ranks ninth in the PSAC in free throw percentage at 82.6 percent (38-for-46).
Last Game's Starters| P / No. | Player | Ht/Wt/Yr | Hometown | PPG / RPG |
| F / 20 | Tracy Peal | 6-6/230/Sr. | Wilmington, Del. | 10.8 / 4.2 |
| F / 21 | Brahieme Jackson | 6-3/195/Jr. | Philadelphia, Pa. | 9.9 / 7.1 |
| G / 2 | Al Blount | 5-9/165/R-Sr. | Allentown, Pa. | 8.8 / 1.4 |
| G / 3 | Cole Renninger | 6-3/185/Jr. | Lock Haven, Pa. | 4.6 / 3.6 |
| G / 22 | Bootsie Walker | 6-3/190/Jr. | Chester, Pa. | 10.8 / 3.8 |
Top Reserves| F / 23 | Ra'esse Hunt | 6-7/220/R-So. | Upper Marlboro, Md. | 8.8 / 2.8 |
| G / 4 | Shawn Church | 6-3/210/Jr. | Ridley, Pa. | 8.7 / 2.3 |
| G / 2 | Julian Bond | 6-0/185/R-Sr. | Lafayette Hill, Pa. | 5.8 / 1.0 |
