Matt Durisko

Women's Basketball 1/20/2017 10:53:00 AM Matthew Brancato, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

First Place Fighting Scots Conclude Three-Game Road Trip at Slippery Rock on Saturday Afternoon

The first place Fighting Scots conclude a three-game road trip, traveling to Slippery Rock for a Saturday afternoon matchup. Edinboro enters Saturday's contest winners of 16 straight contests and 12 straight in conference action. Those are the longest streaks since the 2011-12 team won 24 games in a row, including 20 straight in conference play. The 16 straight victories is the second-longest win streak in program history.
The Fighting Scots were ranked 24^th in the latest D2SIDA Media Poll and are among "others receiving votes" in this week's WBCA Coaches' Poll.
Edinboro concludes the road trip fresh off a 68-51 victory over PSAC West foe Clarion at the Tippin Gymnasium on Wednesday. The Fighting Scots are in sole possession of first place in the PSAC West with a 12-0 conference mark after being picked to finish third in the preseason coaches' poll.
The Fighting Scots have started 12-0 in conference play for the first time since the 2011-12 season. They 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.
Saturday's contest features a high-scoring offense against a team allowing the third-most points in the conference at 74.6 ppg. The Fighting Scots rank second in the PSAC in scoring, averaging 73.3 ppg.
Slippery Rock relies on the offensive prowess of senior Lexi Carpenter. Carpenter leads the PSAC and ranks 18^th in the nation in scoring at 19.6 ppg. The 5'8''guard has scored at least 30 points in three straight games and is averaging 28.0 ppg. over her last five outings.
Carpenter will be tested by the Fighting Scots second-ranked defense. Edinboro allows just 56.9 ppg. and has held opponents under 60 points in 13 of their 16 wins, including in nine of the past eleven outings. The Fighting Scots are the only team in the PSAC to rank in the top three in both scoring offense and scoring defense

ON THE RADIO

The Edinboro-Slippery Rock game can be heard live on WFSE-FM 88.9, with Drew Patrick on the play-by-play and Josh Kaufer on color.

ALL-TIME SERIES BREAKDOWN
EDINBORO VS. SLIPPERY ROCK
All-Time Series: Slippery Rock leads 52-45
First Meeting: 1967-68 – Slippery Rock 53, Edinboro 29
Last Meeting: February 3, 2016 – Edinboro 78, Slippery Rock 70 (RECAP / BOX SCORE)
Edinboro scored a season-high 36 points from the free throw line as well as a season-high 46 second-half points to hold off The Rock. Leading 49-33 at the beginning of the fourth-quarter, Edinboro put up 29 fourth quarter points to close out The Rock. The Fighting Scots scored 21 of those 29 points, including their final 15 points, from the free throw line as Edinboro was 21-of-27 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter. Jahn led four Fighting Scots in double-figures with 21 points. Aignee' Freeland finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Katie Fischer also finished with 17 points, while Lauren Hippo added 13. The Fighting Scots dominated on the glass, as well, holding a 47-32 rebound margin.
Series Notes: Edinboro has won 10 of the last 11 meetings.

THE COACHES
Edinboro: Stan Swank (Purdue '76, 549-294, 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 a 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 new 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 549-294 overall mark. Add in four seasons as the head coach at Parkland Junior College, and Swank has 652 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.

Slippery Rock: Bobby McGraw (Tiffin, 32-41, 3^rd year)

Head coach Bobby McGraw is in his third season at the helm in Slippery Rock after serving as the interim head coach during the 2014-15 season.
During his first season as interim head coach, The Rock reached the PSAC Tournament for the first time since 2005-06.
Prior to McGraw's hiring, The Rock had won 25 times in their last 131 games. McGraw's squad has already won 32 games in under three seasons.
Before joining Slippery Rock, McGraw was an assistant for the men's basketball team at LaRoche from 2010-12. During his tenure, LaRoche recorded a 44-12 record and won an Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference championship.

LAST TIME OUT
Edinboro: January 18, 2017 – Edinboro 68, Clarion 51 (RECAP / BOX SCORE)

After being deadlocked at 31-31 at the half, the Fighting Scots played a dominant second half to secure their 16^th straight victory. Edinboro opened the third quarter on a 17-4 run to take a double-digit lead at 48-35, growing the lead to as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter.
The Golden Eagles missed 11 of their first 13 shots in the second half and turned the ball over four times in the first eight minutes of the third quarter.
Michelle Jahn led a trio of Fighting Scots scorers in double figures, dropping in 19 points. Michaela Barnes added 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting while Katie Fischer totaled 14 points and dished out five assists.
The Edinboro defense neutralized the long-range game of the Golden Eagles, holding them to just 3-of-19 from beyond the arc. Clarion entered the contest eighth in Division II in 3-pointers (166) and first in the PSAC in 3-pt. percentage at 35.9 percent.

Slippery Rock: January 18, 2017 – Pitt-Johnstown 88, Slippery Rock 84 (RECAP / BOX SCORE)

Despite scoring a season-high 84 points, The Rock suffered their fifth loss in the past six games, falling at home to Pitt-Johnstown.
PSAC's scoring leader Lexi Carpenter poured in 32 points and dished out a career-high 11 assists, but Slippery Rock was unable to overcome a 41-28 deficit on the boards. UPJ totaled 25 second chance points which proved to the difference in the contest.
Trailing 86-84 with just six ticks remaining on the clock, The Rock had one final chance to tie the game up, but a Carpenter missed jumper and UPJ rebound allowed the Lady Cats to ice the contest with a pair of free throws as The Rock were forced to foul.
Mallory Heinle was Slippery Rock's only other player in double figures, scoring 15 points to go with a team-high six rebounds.

EDINBORO STORYLINES

The Fighting Scots have won 16 straight games since an 0-2 start to the season, including starting PSAC play with a 12-0 ledger for the first time since the 2011-12 season. That team finished the season at 30-2 overall and 21-1 in the conference, as well as capturing the PSAC Championship and advancing to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Championship.
Edinboro is in sole possession of first place in the PSAC West following a 75-65 victory at Indiana(Pa.) this past weekend. The Fighting Scots were picked to finish third in the preseason coaches' poll.
The Fighting Scots were ranked 24^th in the latest D2SIDA Media Poll and are among "others receiving votes" in this week's WBCA Coaches' Poll.
The 16-game winning streak is the longest since the 2011-12 squad won 24 in a row and tied for the second-longest streak in school history. The 1989-90 Fighting Scots also reeled off 14 victories in a row. The twelve-game PSAC winning stretch is also the longest since the 2011-12 team won 20 conference games in a row.
The Fighting Scots rank second in the PSAC in scoring defense and 38^th in the nation at 56.9 ppg. The Edinboro defense has held opponents under 60 points in 13 of their 16 wins, including in nine of the past eleven outings.
The Fighting Scots rank sixth in the nation in turnover margin (+8.00). and 16^th in turnovers forced per game (22.83). Edinboro's 220 total steals ranks second in the PSAC and eighth in Division II. In addition, Edinboro has forced the opposing team into 20-or-more turnovers in all but three games.
The Fighting Scots are the only team in the PSAC to rank in the top three in both scoring offense and scoring defense as the high-pressure Edinboro defense is complimented by a high-scoring offense. The Fighting Scots rank second in the PSAC in scoring at 73.3 ppg. Edinboro has scored over 70 points 11 times, and hit 90 on two occasions.
All-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 11^th in the PSAC at 14.7 ppg. The senior ranks fourth in the PSAC with 87 assists and fifth with 41 steals. Fischer also ranks fourth in the conference with 44 3-pointers. Fischer recently scored her 1,000^th career point. The 5'7'' point guard scored 309 points as a Laker and has totaled 743 points in two seasons as a member of the Fighting Scots for a total of 1,052 career points.
Sophomore Michelle Jahn ranks among the top 3-pt. shooters in the PSAC. Jahn ranks sixth in 3-pointers (39) and 3-pt. percentage (35.8 pct.). She is averaging 10.3 ppg. and has hit a 3-pointer in all but three contests this season.
Junior transfer Ciara Rosten has scored in double figures in 11 of the past 13 outings, and has scored in double figures in all but five contests this season. Rosten is second on the team, averaging 11.3 ppg., and leads the squad with 6.7 rpg. The 6'2'' forward is fresh off the best game of her career. Rosten poured in a career-high 32 points on a near perfect 14-of-15 shooting in last weekend's win over Indiana(Pa.).
Led by the duo of Jontay Walton and Maggie Moore, bench play has been a huge advantage for the Fighting Scots this season. Jontay Walton is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 9.8 ppg. off the bench. The 5'5'' guard also ranks second on the squad and sixth in the PSAC with 37 steals. Moore has registered 3.7 ppg. and is second on the team with 5.7 rpg. in 16.7 mpg. and provides a dependable mid-range game. The bench has scored over 15 points in all but two games this season.

Edinboro Probable Starters

						PPG	RPG	OTHER
F	15	Ciara Rosten	6-2	Jr.	Buffalo, N.Y.	11.3	6.7	28 BLKS, 29 STLS
F	21	Nicole Johnson	5-10	Sr.	Pittsburgh, Pa.	4.5	5.4	21 STLS, 7 BLKS
G	2	Michaela Barnes	5-6	Fr.	Chagrin Falls, Ohio	8.9	2.1	24 ASTS, 19 STLS
G	4	Katie Fischer	5-7	Sr.	Ambridge, Pa.	14.7	3.6	87 ASTS, 41 STLS
G	20	Michelle Jahn	5-8	So.	Edinboro, Pa.	10.3	2.3	23 STLS

Top Reserves

						PPG	RPG	OTHER
F	5	Maggie Moore	6-2	Sr.	Olean, N.Y.	3.7	5.7	17 BLKS
F	32	Allison Thompson	6-0	So.	Erie, Pa.	2.4	1.4
G	0	JaVannah Jackson	5-4	Jr.	Cleveland, Ohio	2.1	1.2	12 STLS
G	1	Jontay Walton	5-7	R-So.	Buffalo, N.Y.	9.8	3.1	37 STLS, 24 ASTS
G	11	Cheniya Sharpe	5-11	So.	Springfield, Va.	2.6	4.2	15 STLS

SLIPPERY ROCK STORYLINES

The Rock are in sixth place in the PSAC West with an 8-10 overall record after being picked to finish fifth in the preseason coaches' poll. Slippery Rock has started the season with a 5-7 ledger in conference action.
After a 3-1 start to the season, including a win on the road over Johnson C. Smith, SRU has dropped five of their past six contests, most recently an 88-84 home loss to Pitt-Johnstown.
The Rock's offense flows through senior Lexi Carpenter. Carpenter leads the PSAC and ranks 18^th in the nation in scoring at 19.6 ppg. The 5'8''guard has scored at least 30 points in three straight games and is averaging 28.0 ppg. over her last five outings. Carpenter has done a good job drawing contact as well, ranking second in the PSAC and fifth in Division II in free throws, converting 97-of-110 attempts.
Brooke Hinderliter, a 5'9'' guard joins Carpenter as the only other member of The Rock to score in double figures, averaging 10.4 ppg. Hinderliter has been tabbed as the Freshman of the Week five times this season.
On the opposite end, The Rock give up the third-most points in the conference at 74.6 ppg. Slippery Rock has given up at least 80 points in two of their last three contests.

Slippery Rock Probable Starters

						PPG	RPG
F	2	C.C. Dixon	5-11	Jr.	Munhall, Pa.	6.6	5.0
F	14	Mallory Heinle	6-2	Jr.	Natrona Heights, Pa.	8.2	6.4
F	35	Morgan Henderson	6-2	So.	Pittsburgh, Pa.	7.3	5.8
G	4	Brooke Hinderliter	5-9	Fr.	Seminole, Pa.	10.4	4.1
G	15	Lexi Carpenter	5-8	Sr.	Woodbridge, Va.	19.6	3.5

UP NEXT

The Fighting Scots return home to McComb Fieldhouse after a three-game road trip, hosting local PSAC West rival Mercyhurst on Wednesday, January 25, in a potential showdown for first place in the PSAC West. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#13 Aignee' Freeland: F; 6' 3"; Senior

#00 Lauren Hippo: G/F; 5' 10"; Senior

#4 Katie Fischer: G; 5' 7"; Senior

#20 Michelle Jahn: G; 5' 8"; Sophomore

#21 Nicole Johnson: F; 5' 10"; Senior

#5 Maggie Moore: F; 6' 2"; Senior

#11 Cheniya Sharpe: F; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#32 Allison Thompson: G/F; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#2 Michaela Barnes: G; 5' 6"; Freshman

#0 JaVannah Jackson: G; 5' 4"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#13 Aignee' Freeland
: 6' 3"; Senior
: F

#00 Lauren Hippo
: 5' 10"; Senior
: G/F

#4 Katie Fischer
: 5' 7"; Senior
: G

#20 Michelle Jahn
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: G

#21 Nicole Johnson
: 5' 10"; Senior
: F

#5 Maggie Moore
: 6' 2"; Senior
: F

#11 Cheniya Sharpe
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: F

#32 Allison Thompson
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: G/F

#2 Michaela Barnes
: 5' 6"; Freshman
: G

#0 JaVannah Jackson
: 5' 4"; Junior
: G

Edinboro University Athletics

Scoreboard

Scoreboard

First Place Fighting Scots Conclude Three-Game Road Trip at Slippery Rock on Saturday Afternoon

Players Mentioned

#13 Aignee' Freeland

#00 Lauren Hippo

#4 Katie Fischer

#20 Michelle Jahn

#21 Nicole Johnson

#5 Maggie Moore

#11 Cheniya Sharpe

#32 Allison Thompson

#2 Michaela Barnes

#0 JaVannah Jackson

Players Mentioned

#13 Aignee' Freeland

#00 Lauren Hippo

#4 Katie Fischer

#20 Michelle Jahn

#21 Nicole Johnson

#5 Maggie Moore

#11 Cheniya Sharpe

#32 Allison Thompson

#2 Michaela Barnes

#0 JaVannah Jackson