GAME DAY CENTRAL
Edinboro (4-2, 2-0 PSAC West) vs. East Stroudsburg (5-0, 2-0 PSAC East)
When:  Saturday, December 3, 2016
Where:  Edinboro Pa. – McComb Fieldhouse
Tip-off:  1 p.m.
Live Stats: CLICK HERE
Live Audio:  CLICK HERE: 
 
Edinboro (4-2, 2-0 PSAC West) vs. West Chester (1-3, 1-1 PSAC East)
When:  Sunday, December 4, 2016
Where:  Edinboro Pa. – McComb Fieldhouse
Tip-off:  1 p.m.
Live Stats: CLICK HERE
Live Audio:  CLICK HERE
 
 
ADDITIONAL LINKS
Edinboro: Roster | Schedule | Stats | 
East Stroudsburg: Roster | Schedule | Stats| 
West Chester: Roster | Schedule | Stats | 

GAME STORYLINES

• The Fighting Scots return to conference action this weekend for some crossover play, hosting a pair of the top teams in the PSAC East. On Saturday, December 3, Edinboro hosts undefeated East Stroudsburg for a 1 p.m. tip. The Warriors enter the weekend 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the PSAC. East Stroudsburg made their debut in the D2SIDA national rankings this week, ranked 23^rd. Despite the recent success, East Stroudsburg is in search of their first win over Edinboro since the 1980-81 season. The Fighting Scots have triumphed in all 15 meetings since then.

• On Sunday, December 4, the Fighting Scots welcome the defending PSAC East Champion West Chester for another 1 p.m. tipoff. The Golden Rams enter the weekend with a surprising 1-3 record. Like Edinboro, West Chester opened up their season with a pair of losses to Glenville State and Wheeling Jesuit while hosting the Carol Eckman Memorial Tournament. The Golden Rams square off with Slippery Rock on Saturday afternoon.

• Edinboro enters the weekend of competition looking to start 4-0 in conference play for the first time since the 2011-12 season. The Fighting Scots finished that season 30-2 overall and 21-1 in the conference, as well as capturing the PSAC Championship and advancing to the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship.

• The Fighting Scots are looking for a five-game winning streak for a ninth consecutive season. Stan Swanks' squad has recorded a string of at least five wins in every season since 2008-09.

• The Fighting Scots have recorded at least 10 steals in all but one game this season. Edinboro's 74 total steals ranks second in the PSAC. In addition, Edinboro has forced the opposing team into over 20 turnovers all but once as well. Opponents average 27.8 turnovers per game against Edinboro while the Fighting Scots average just 13.5 themselves. East Stroudsburg enters the weekend just behind Edinboro in the PSAC in turnover margin. The Warriors rank third with a 5.40 margin.

ALL-TIME SERIES BREAKDOWN
EDINBORO VS. EAST STROUDSBURG
All-Time Series:  Edinboro leads 15-1
First Meeting:  1980-81 – East Stroudsburg 61, Edinboro 60
Last Meeting:  December 4, 2015 – Edinboro 74, East Stroudsburg 67 (RECAP / BOX SCORE)
The Fighting Scots survived a late rally by the Warriors to earn a 74-67 victory in East Stroudsburg. With Edinboro owning its biggest lead of the afternoon of eight points at 70-62 and 1:56 remaining on the clock, the Warriors orchestrated a last minute surge to cut the Fighting Scots' lead to just three points with 34 seconds remaining. Following a pair of Whitney Allen free throws, a costly Warriors turnover sealed their fate as Aignee' Freeland iced the game, knocking down two shots from the charity stripe. Michelle Jahn led Edinboro with 22 points, including 5-of-11 3-pt. shooting. Freeland finished with 15 points and eight rebounds. Whitney Allen turned in a strong overall performance, totaling seven points, a career-high 14 boards, four assists, and four blocks. Allison Howard led the Warriors with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Noelle Powell had 13 points while Tyeca Revieere added 10 points.
Series Notes: The Fighting Scots have won the past 15 meetings.
 
EDINBORO VS. WEST CHESTER
All-Time Series:  Edinboro leads 15-7
First Meeting:  1975-76 – Edinboro 65, West Chester 64 (EAIAW Eastern Regionals)
Last Meeting:  December 5, 2015 – West Chester 80 , Edinboro 68 (RECAP / BOX SCORE)
Despite Katie Fischer's then season-high 26 points, the Fighting Scots were unable to overcome a second quarter marred by struggles on both sides of the ball. Trailing 31-24 with 8:36 remaining in the opening half, the Golden Rams rattled off 17 unanswered points to take a 41-31 lead with just over three minutes to play. A Lauren Hippo 3-pointer stopped the run momentarily, but the Golden Rams closed out the half with five unanswered points to take a 46-34 lead into the locker room. The Fighting Scots scored just three points the final 8:22 of play in the period. Edinboro was unable to close the deficit to single digits the rest of the way. Fischer's 26 points led all scorers, while Aignee' Freeland picked up a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Hippo finished with 15 points and dished out five assists. Kendall Benovy led six Golden Rams scorers in double figures with 18 points and 13 boards. Camden Boehner and Maria Powell finished with 13 points apiece while Anna Kuntz added 12. Dallas Ely and Brittany Sicinski finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively.  
Series Notes: The Fighting Scots have won five of the past seven meetings.
 
THE COACHES

Edinboro: Stan Swank (Purdue '76, 537-294, 30^th year)
• Head coach Stan Swank is in his 30^th year as head women's basketball coach at Edinboro.

• Swank has guided the Fighting Scots to an incredible 145-37 record the past six seasons, including six PSAC Tournament appearances, three PSAC Championships, three NCAA Tournament berths and a trip to the Elite Eight.

• Winning is nothing to Swank as he is the winningest coach in Fighting Scots history and has had 23 winning seasons during his 29-year tenure while compiling a 537-294 overall mark. Add in four seasons as the head coach at Parkland Junior College, and Swank has 641 career collegiate victories.

• All told under Swank, Edinboro has reached the NCAA Division II playoffs ten times, with Edinboro qualifying for the PSAC postseason tournament 21 times. On ten of those occasions, the Fighting Scots have advanced to the championship game, winning the PSAC title in 1989-90, 2010-11, 2011-12, and 2013-14.

• In the NCAA Tournament, Swank has guided the Fighting Scots to the Final 32 four times, the Sweet 16 three times and the Elite Eight twice.

• Swank entered the 2016-17 campaign tied for 11th among active Division II coaches in wins with 533. That figure is tied for 22nd all-time in overall victories. He ranks 37th in active career winning percentage (.646). Swank is the longest-tenured coach in the PSAC and is also the all-time leader in wins among PSAC coaches.

EAST STROUDSBURG: Diane Decker (Villanova '89, 32-28, 3^rd year)
• A standout player at Villanova, Head coach Diane Decker is in her third season as head women's basketball coach at East Stroudsburg. Decker previously served as the interim head coach during the 2007-08 season. In her first year back, Decker led the Warriors to a 15-13 record and a PSAC Tournament berth. She was named the PSAC East Coach of the Year for her efforts.

• Decker was previously ESU's interim head coach during the 2007-08 season, going 12-15 and qualifying for the PSAC Tournament.

• Prior to East Stroudsburg, Decker served as an assistant coach at Bloomsburg for seven seasons. During that stretch, the Huskies went 149-54 with five straight 20-win seasons. Bloomsburg has won the last five PSAC East regular season titles (2011-15), reached the last four NCAA Tournaments (2012-15) and won the 2013 PSAC Tournament championship. The Huskies advanced to the NCAA DII Atlantic Region final in both of the last two seasons.

WEST CHESTER: Kiera Wooden (West Chester '06, 46-17, 3^rd year)
• Head coach Kiera Wooden is in her third season at the helm of the Golden Rams after two fantastic first seasons. Wooden compiled a 45-14 record after two season, including a PSAC East title in 2016, a PSAC Championship appearance in 2015 and a pair of NCAA Tournament berths.

• Wooden's 45 wins in her first two seasons is the most by a WCU women's basketball coach in their first two campaigns in school history.

• Wooden is a familiar face in the West Chester program having spent the past decade on the coaching staff of the Golden Rams women's basketball team. She was hired as the first full-time assistant coach in the history of the women's basketball program prior to the 2004-05 campaign. When she accepted the reins of the program, she became the first African-American women's basketball head coach at West Chester University and the 19th African-American female head coach in all of Division II.

• Wooden played for the Golden Rams for four seasons prior to joining the coaching staff. She earned PSAC East Freshmen of the Year accolades in 1999-00 and currently ranks fifth all-time with 1,378 career points. Wooden also holds the school record for field goals made (569) and ranks second in rebounds (871) and third in steals (259)
 
LAST TIME OUT

Edinboro: November 28, 2016 – Edinboro 87, West Liberty 52 (RECAP / BOX SCORE)
• The trio of Katie Fischer, Michaela Barnes, and Ciara Rosten combined for 60 of Edinboro's 87 points in Monday night's, 87-52, victory over West Liberty. With the win, the Fighting Scots notched their fourth straight victory after an 0-2 start.

• For the fourth straight outing, the ball-hawking Edinboro defense held their opponent to under 60 points. The Fighting Scots continued to be opportunistic, turning 30 West Liberty turnovers into a 35-2 advantage in points off turnovers.

• Senior guard Katie Fischer led all scorers with 24 points, including 18 in the first half. Fischer went 9-of-15 from the floor and converted 6-of-11 3-pointers. She also dished out four assists in just 22 minutes.

• Freshman guard Michaela Barnes and junior forward Ciara Rosten both totaled season-highs with 18 points. Barnes was a key factor in Edinboro limiting West Liberty's leading scorer, McKenna Shives, to just eight points.

• The Fighting Scots showcased their prowess from deep, connecting on 9-of-20 3-pointers while limiting the Hilltoppers to just 2-of-21 3-pointers.

• Monday's contest showcased a pair of 500-win coaches. Edinboro's Stan Swank came in with 536 wins, while West Liberty's Lynn Ullom had 526.

East Stroudsburg: November 28, 2016 – East Stroudsburg 82, Chestnut Hill 71 (RECAP / BOX SCORE)
• Behind the strength of four scorers in double figures, led by sophomore Noelle Powell's career-high 28 points off the bench, the Warriors stayed perfect on the season with a 82-71 road win at Chestnut Hill.

• East Stroudsburg trailed Chestnut Hill, 21-19, at the conclusion of one quarter, but a 19-2 run to begin the second period gave the Warriors a lead they would never relinquish.

• Chestnut Hill threatened in the opening minutes of the second half, scoring the first five points of the quarter to cut the lead to just two points, but another Warriors' surge proved too much for Chestnut Hill to overcome. East Stroudsburg scored 17 of the next 21 points with buckets from six different players during the stretch.

• Allison Howard and Imani Brown dropped in 12 and 10 points, respectively. Both players have scored in double figures in all five games to start the season. Howard pulled down nine boards, falling just shy of her first double-double of the year.

• The Warriors forced 24 turnovers while committing just 11 themselves. East Stroudsburg converted those takeaways into 31 points.

West Chester: November 28, 2016 – Clarion 67, West Chester 58 (RECAP / BOX SCORE)
• West Chester trailed by just three points at 47-44 to begin the fourth quarter, but an opening 10-3 run in the fourth by Clarion was the difference-maker in the contest.

• The loss represented West Chester's first conference defeat of the season after opening up PSAC play with just their second victory over Gannon in program history.

• Junior forward Madison Torresin recorded her third double-double of the season, finishing with 17 points and 12 rebounds. She also picked up a team-high three steals.

• Alexis Anderson was the only other Golden Ram to score in double-figures, finishing with 15 points.

• The Golden Rams turned the ball over 25 times in the defeat which Clarion cashed in for 18 points.

• West Chester shot a 35.6 pct. (21-of-59) from the field, but struggled from beyond-the-arc going 2-for-19 while Clarion converted on 7-of-22 3-pointers.

• Clarion featured a trio of double-digit scorers led by Tyra Polite with 20 markers. Amesha Harden-Pulliam and Quorea Pearyer both totaled 17 points apiece.  

EDINBORO STORYLINES

• The Fighting Scots have won four straight since an 0-2 start to the season, including starting PSAC play with a 2-0 ledger. The Fighting Scots opened conference play with a 2-0 record for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Edinboro was picked to finish third in the PSAC West.

• Edinboro enters the weekend of competition looking to start 4-0 in conference play for the first time since the 2011-12 season. The Fighting Scots finished that season 30-2 overall and 21-1 in the conference, as well as capturing the PSAC Championship and advancing to the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championship.

• Edinboro is 2-0 at home this season after amassing a 64-11 record at home over the past five seasons.

• The Fighting Scots have recorded at least 10 steals in all but one game this season. Edinboro's 74 total steals ranks second in the PSAC. In addition, Edinboro has forced the opposing team into over 20 turnovers all but once as well. Opponents average 27.8 turnovers per game against Edinboro while the Fighting Scots average just 13.5 themselves.

• As expected, PSAC West Preseason selection Katie Fischer leads the Edinboro offense from her point guard spot. A 2015-16 PSAC West second team selection, Fischer ranks eighth in the PSAC at 16.3 ppg. The senior leads Edinboro with 22 assists and is second with 12 steals. 

• Led by the duo of Maggie Moore and Jontay Walton, bench play has been a huge advantage for the Fighting Scots this season. Moore is averaging 4.8 ppg. and a team-high 7.3 rpg. in 17.0 mpg. while Walton provides 7.5 ppg. and 4.3 rpg. in 24.0 mpg. Walton also leads Edinboro and ranks third in the PSAC with 16 steals. The bench has scored over 15 points in every game this season

• Freshman Michaela Barnes and junior transfer Ciara Rosten are both coming off season-high scoring performances in Edinboro's blowout win of West Liberty. Both players scored 18 points in 25 minutes of action. Barnes added three boards, two assists, and a pair of steals while Rosten grabbed three rebounds and blocked a pair of shots.

EAST STROUDSBURG STORYLINES

• The Warriors were picked to finish second in the PSAC East preseason coaches' poll and so far have lived up to that billing in the early going. East Stroudsburg enters the weekend at 5-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play. The Warriors were ranked third in the latest D2SIDA Atlantic Region Poll and 23^rd in the National Poll.

• On Monday night, the Warriors' Noelle Powell set a career high with 28 points in the 82-71 win over Chestnut Hill. The sophomore guard was named the PSAC East Athlete of the Week earlier in the day. With her 28 markers, Powell became the first East Stroudsburg bench player to score 20 points in consecutive games since 2007.

• East Stroudsburg boasts one of the top scoring offenses in the PSAC, ranking third with an average of 74.8 ppg., while ranking eighth in scoring defense at 65.3 ppg.

• 2016-17 All-PSAC East first team selection and a Preseason All-PSAC East selection this season, Allison Howard leads a group of just two returning starters from last year's squad. The 5'11'' senior forward is second on the team in scoring at 14.0 ppg. and is second on the squad averaging 7.2 rpg.  Howard recently became the 15^th player in program history to hit the 1,000-point milestone in a win against Philadelphia.

• Junior guard Imani Brown has stepped into the starting role this year and is off to a hot start for the Warriors. The 5'8'' New Jersey native is tied for first on the team in scoring at 14.5 ppg. and leads the team with 8.3 rpg. The latter figure ranks 10^th in the PSAC.

WEST CHESTER STORYLINES

• The defending PSAC Eastern Champion Golden Rams are off to a slow start to being the season. West Chester opened the year with a pair of losses to Glenville State and Wheeling Jesuit before picking up their first win against Gannon. The Golden Rams are fresh off a 67-58 home loss to Clarion and sit at 1-3 overall.

• West Chester features five brand new starters in the lineup after the departure of seven graduating seniors. Included in the group of seven were 1000-point scorers Brittany Sicinski and Dallas Ely.

• Junior forward Madison Torresin leads a West Chester offense features a trio of scorers in double figures. Torresin ranks fourth in the PSAC in scoring at 17.5 ppg. The 6'0'' junior also ranks third in the PSAC in rebounding at 9.8 rpg and has recorded three double-doubles. Torresin is one of the fresh faces in the lineup, starting all four games this season after not starting one last season.

• Junior guard Porscha Speller is one of the top distributers in the PSAC. Speller is tied for fourth in the PSAC in assists per game, averaging 5.0 per contest. The 5'7'' guard also averages 10.8 ppg. and 5.5 rpg.

• West Chester has struggled to protect the ball to begin the season, averaging 23.5 turnovers per game, the third-highest figure in the PSAC.
 
UP NEXT

• The Fighting Scots return to conference play on Saturday, December 10, hosting Cheyney for a 1 p.m. tipoff. Saturday's contest against Cheyney will also celebrate 50 Years of Edinboro Women's Basketball. Head coaches Judy Suarer, Dr. Kathleen Lipkovich, Monica Pellman, and Stan Swank will be honored during the game, along with former players returning. A reception will follow.