Edinboro Fighting Scots (9-5, 8-3 PSAC West) vs. Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats (9-6, 6-5 PSAC West)
Saturday, January 16 2016 3:00 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 returns to McComb Fieldhouse on Saturday to face Pitt-Johnstown in a PSAC West contest at 3:00 p.m. Edinboro stands at 9-5 overall and 8-3 in the PSAC West while Pitt-Johnstown comes in with a 9-6 overall record and a 6-5 conference record.
The Fighting Scots enter Saturday after falling to Clarion in overtime last Saturday, 74-68, to end a three-game winning streak. It was also their first conference road loss after winning their first four conference road contests. The loss puts Edinboro in a three-way tie with Mercyhurst, the PSAC West preseason favorites, and Indiana (Pa.), last year's NCAA Division II runners up, for first place in the PSAC West. The Scots defeated the Lakers and fell to the Crimson Hawks earlier this season.
The Boro has won seven of their last ten contests, including a pair of wins against West Chester and East Stroudsburg, who were ranked first and second, respectively, in the PSAC East preseason poll. They also defeated PSAC West opponents Slippery Rock in the season opener and Gannon in double overtime. Their only other conference loss was against Kutztown.
Against Clarion senior guard
Henri Wade-Chatman scored a game-high 24 points, connecting on 4-of-6 3-pointers, and tied a team-high with six rebounds. Redshirt sophomore guard
Jaymon Mason was the only other Scot to score in double digits, netting 15 points and grabbing five rebounds. He also dished out four assists. Edinboro led by as much as 10 points in the second half with 10:01 to go, but the Golden Eagles responded with a 9-2 run and eventually sent the game to overtime tied at 64. Edinboro shot 1-for-6 from the field in the overtime period, with their only field goal coming from a jumper by senior center
Tommy Scales on their opening possession.
The Scots finished shooting 37.7 percent from the floor, marking the first time in six games that EU shot below 40.0 percent for a game. Clarion was held to 39.1 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from 3-point range. Edinboro is 3-2 when shooting under 40.0 percent and 3-1 in those games when the opposition shoots over 40.0 percent.
While EU has allowed their opponents to shoot over 40.0 percent in all but two games, they were still able to go 8-4 in those contests. What has helped the Scots has been their play under the boards, behind the arc, and from the free throw line. Edinboro is fifth in the PSAC in scoring at 78.8 ppg and 14
th in points allowed at 77.6 ppg. They are second in the conference in free throw percentage at 75.0 percent, trailing Pitt-Johnstown, who owns a 78.3 free throw percentage. Edinboro takes seventh in the PSAC in 3-point field goal percentage at 35.8 percent. The Scots are fifth in the PSAC in rebounding at 40.3 rpg.
Wade-Chatman and Mason continue to be the PSAC's leading scoring tandem, averaging 42.2 ppg. Mason is tied for first in the conference (alongside Seton Hill's Kameron Taylor) and 30
th in NCAA Division II at 21.7 ppg. while Wade-Chatman is fourth in the conference at 20.5 ppg. Mason is 14
th in the conference in field goal percentage at 44.9 percent (93-for-207). Mason ranks second in the PSAC and 18
th in Division II with 88 free throws made and is fourth in the PSAC in free throw percentage at 88.0 percent (80-for-92) while ranking eighth in 3-point field goal percentage at 39.0 percent (30-for-77). He is 17
th in the conference in rebounds at 6.5 rpg.
Wade-Chatman is eighth in the PSAC in free throw percentage at 83.3 percent (70-for-84), ninth in 3-point field goal percentage at 38.4 percent (33-for-86), and 20
th in field goal percentage at 40.7 percent (92-for-226). He is second in the conference and 42
nd in Division II in steals at 2.1 steals per game.
Scales is the team's leading rebounder and ranks eighth in the PSAC at 7.7 rpg. He is also eighth in the conference in offensive rebounds with 43. Assisting Scales down low has been junior forward
Art Cook, sophomore forward
Michael Beck, and senior center
Daryan Robinson. Against Bloomsburg, Beck narrowly missed out on a double-double with 10 rebounds and nine points while Cook delivered 13 points with six boards. Robinson came off the bench against Clarion and grabbed six rebounds, tying Wade-Chatman for the team high. Beck tied a team high with Mason with four assists.
On the RadioThe Edinboro-Pitt-Johnstown game can be heard live on WFSE FM 88.9, with Mike Fenner providing the play-by-play duties and Joshua Kaufer handling the color commentary.
All-Time SeriesEdinboro leads 19-6First Meeting: 1969-70 – Edinboro 115, Pitt-Johnstown 55
Last Meeting: 2014-15 - Edinboro 92, Pitt-Johnstown 78
Current Streak: Edinboro has won the last two meetings
Cleary vs. Clarion: 2-2
Last MeetingFebruary 25, 2015 – Edinboro 92, Pitt-Johnstown 78Sam Sealy-James,
Henri Wade-Chatman, and
Jaymon Mason each scored a team-high 19 points as Edinboro secured its first PSAC Tournament berth since the 2012-13 season. The Fighting Scots led by as much as 20 points in the opening period before heading into halftime with a 46-30 lead. Despite the Mountain Cats shooting 50.9 percent from the floor for the game (29-for-57), Edinboro maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half. UPJ would only get as close as 11 points in the final period. Sealy-James' 19 points marked a career high. Mason connected on 3-of-5 3-pointers and added a career-high nine assists while grabbing a team-high seven boards.
Casey Baker and
Tommy Scales each matched Mason's rebounding total while adding nine points and seven points, respectively.
Sheldon Brogdon tallied 13 markers off the bench. AJ Leahey scored a game-high 22 points and eight assists for UPJ while Matt Palo collected 20 points. Ian Vescovi had 16 points and six boards while Dale Clancy dished out seven assists. Edinboro shot 52.4 percent from the field (33-for-63), going 60.6 percent (20-of-33) in the first half, and were 45.0 percent from behind the arc (9-for-20). Edinboro held a 38-26 rebounding margin, including a 10-3 edge on the offensive boards, leading to a 16-6 advantage on second-chance points. They also outscored the Mountain Cats in bench points, 22-6.
Last Time OutJanuary 9, 2016 – Clarion 74, Edinboro 68 (OT)Edinboro shot 37.7 percent from the floor (23-for-61), marking the first time in six games that the Fighting Scots shot under 40.0 percent.
Henri Wade-Chatman posted a game-high 24 points, connecting on 4-of-6 3-pointers and shooting 9-for-19 from the field. He finished tied with
Daryan Robinson for most rebounds on the team with six boards.
Jaymon Mason was the only other Scot to score in double digits, netting 15 points while grabbing five rebounds. EU held a 10-point lead at 54-44 with 10:01 to go in regulation before Clarion took a 9-2 run to draw within three at 56-53 with 6:07 left in the second half. Clarion tied the game at 62 with 1:40 on the clock on a pair of Andre' Anthony free throws.
Je'Land Head responded with a layup to put the Scots ahead, but Rob Agurs hit a pair of free throws to send the game to overtime tied at 64. The Boro shot 1-for-6 in the overtime period, with their only field goal coming from a
Tommy Scales jumper on their opening possession. Their other two points came from a free throw each by Wade-Chatman and Robinson. The Golden Eagles used a pair of 5-0 runs in overtime, shooting 2-for-3 from the field while connecting on 6-of-8 from the free throw line. The Scots were outrebounded, 47-36, and were outscored in the paint, 38-26. Scales finished with six points and three boards, his lowest rebounding total of the season.
January 13, 2016 – Indiana (Pa.) 86, Pitt-Johnstown 74Pitt-Johnstown dropped its third consecutive game despite A.J. Leahey and Issac Vescovi leading the Mountain Cats with 17 points each. Leahey also contributed nine rebounds and two steals while Vescovi added six rebounds. Even though Pitt-Johnstown shot 43% (12-for-28) from the field in the first half, Indiana outshined the Mountain Cats from the field, shooting 54% (20-for-37) and outrebounded Pitt-Johnstown, 21-13, to take a 45-34 halftime lead. Trailing 57-41, UPJ attempted to get back in the game with a 9-0 run, but IUP, after being up 59-52, jumped on a 9-1 run to widen their lead and never looked back. The Crimson Hawks' Brandon Norfleet scored 31 points while Daddy Ugbede had 18 points and six rebounds. The Mountain Cats finished shooting 43.3 percent (26-for-60) while IUP shot 50.0 percent (34-for-68). The Crimson Hawks outrebounded UPJ, 45-29.
The Head CoachesEdinboro: Pat Cleary (33-34, 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.
Pitt-Johnstown: Bob Rukavina (426-303, 27th Year)Before Bob Rukavina took over the men's basketball program in 1989, the Mountain Cats had only four winning seasons from 1969 to 1987. In 27 years, Rukavina, the 2006 National Independent Coach of the Year, has turned the Mountain Cats into one of the top Division II programs in the country. Pitt-Johnstown has made four NCAA Division II Tournament appearances and has posted seven 20-win seasons, including four in a row from 2005-06 through 2008-09. Rukavina ranks among the active Division II coaching leaders in wins and winning percentage.
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's 24 points against Clarion moved him from 25
th to 20
th all-time at Edinboro with 1,157 career points through 67 games. He has started every game of his Edinboro career. He is fourth in the PSAC with 20.5 ppg. and ninth in 3-point field goal percentage at 38.4 percent (33-for-86). Wade-Chatman is eighth in the PSAC in free throw percentage at 83.3 percent (70-for-84) and is third in the conference and 36
th in Division II in steals at 2.1 steals per game. He is eighth at Edinboro in career 3-pointers attempted (354) and seventh in career 3-pointers made (138). Wade-Chatman tied his career high of 32 points at Lock Haven on January 3. He has scored in double figures in all 14 games and has led the team in scoring in eight contests. Wade-Chatman has scored at least 20 points in eight games, including a stretch where he tallied at least 20 points in five straight contests. He was named the PSAC West Athlete of the Week for the week of December 28.
Tommy Scales (C, Sr.), a former transfer from Fairmont State, leads the Scots and is eighth in the PSAC with 7.7 rpg. He is third on the team in scoring at 11.6 ppg. He holds a 50.0 field goal percentage (67-for-134). After suffering a game-ending injury against Thiel on December 30, Scales made his first start in two games against Bloomsburg on January 6. He scored a game-high 16 points in the win while grabbing seven boards. 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.
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 30
th in Division II in scoring at 21.7 ppg. and currently has 696 career points through 41 games. Mason leads the PSAC and is 18
th in Division II with 88 free throws made while ranking third in the PSAC in free throw percentage at 88.0 percent (88-for-100). He is ranked eighth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage at 39.0 percent (30-for-77). Mason is 14
th in the conference in field goal percentage at 44.9 percent (93-for-207). 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 six times and has scored 20-or-more points on seven occasions, most recently against Lock Haven, where he netted 25 points.
Scouting Pitt-Johnstown Pitt-Johnstown enters Saturday having lost its last three games to stand at 9-6 overall and 6-5 in the PSAC West. They recently lost to Indiana (Pa.) on Wednesday, 86-74. Their previous two losses came against Shippensburg on January 6, 81-73, and Mercyhurst on January 9, 89-37.
The Mountain Cats have proven to be one of the PSAC's top offensive teams. Averaging 79.0 ppg., fourth-highest in the PSAC, they top the conference in both 3-point field goal percentage at 39.2 percent (138-for-352) and free throw percentage at 77.8 percent (231-for-297). They are seventh in the PSAC in field goal percentage at 46.2 percent (408-for-884) and 14
th in points allowed at 77.2 ppg.
UPJ has done a good job with ball control, ranking first in the PSAC in fewest turnovers with 13.0 turnovers per game. They top the conference with a 1.4 assist/turnover ratio and are fourth with a 2.6 turnover margin.
Pitt-Johnstown has struggled, however, below the rim. They are 17
th in the PSAC in rebounds at 31.8 rpg., ahead of only Cheyney, who averages 31.3 rpg.
Pitt-Johnstown has gotten to where they are using the same starting five all season long. Junior forward AJ Leahey is the Mountain Cats' leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 16.9 ppg., seventh highest in the PSAC, and 7.9 rpg., eighth highest in the PSAC. He is also a threat from long range, topping the PSAC with 2.6 3-point field goals per game. He is fifth in the PSAC in 3-point field goal percentage at 42.4 percent (39-for-92), 10
th in field goal percentage at 47.8 percent (89-for-186), and 22
nd in free throw percentage at 74.0 percent (37-for-50).
Senior guard Nate Snodgrass is the team's third-leading scorer, averaging 13.9 ppg. He is first in the PSAC in 3-point field goal percentage at 50.7 percent (34-for-67). Snodgrass is second in the conference in free throw percentage at 90.2 percent (37-for-41).
Sophomore guard Dale Clancy averages 14.3 ppg. and ranks eleventh in the PSAC in free throw percentage at 81.0 percent (64-for-79). He is fourth in the conference in assists at 4.5 assists per game and holds a 1.5 assist/turnover ratio, good for ninth in the conference. He is fifth in steals at 1.9 steals per game.
Redshirt sophomore forward Isaac Vescovi and freshman guard Olando King Jr. make up the rest of the Mountain Cats' starting five. Vescovi is second on the team in rebounds at 4.0 rpg. and averages 10.1 ppg. King is the team's third-leading rebounder at 3.4 rpg. and averages 5.8 ppg.
Last Game's Starters| P / No. | Player | Ht/Wt/Yr | Hometown | PPG / RPG |
| F / 33 | A.J. Leahey | 6-7/220/Jr. | Lilly, Pa. | 16.9 / 7.9 |
| F / 30 | Isaac Vescovi | 6-6/205/R-So. | Patton, Pa. | 10.1/ 4.1 |
| G / 5 | Olando King, Jr. | 6-4/175/Fr. | Dallas, TX | 5.8 / 3.4 |
| G / 0 | Dale Clancy | 5-10/165/So. | Pittsburgh, Pa. | 14.3 / 3.3 |
| G / 3 | Nate Snodgrass | 6-1/175/Sr. | Butler, Pa. | 13.9 / 1.5 |
Top Reserves| G / 22 | Jake Laravie | 6-1/180/Jr. | Kettering, Ohio | 5.6 / 1.5 |
| F / 54 | Dom Keyes | 6-7/200/Fr. | Homestead, Pa. | 3.7/ 2.3 |
