Mike Gallagher

Jaymon Mason

Men's Basketball 11/27/2017 9:29:00 AM Bob Shreve, Sports Information Director

Fighting Scots Hit the Highway for the First Time with Road Tilt at Daemen

Edinboro goes on the road for the first time in the 2017-18 season after opening the season with four straight home games. The Fighting Scots are 4-0 for the first time since the 2012-13 team, the last under head coach Greg Walcavich, opened the year with five straight wins.
The Fighting Scots improved to 4-0 on Saturday with a come-from-behind 70-66 win over Lake Erie. Edinboro won after trailing at halftime for the third straight game. The Fighting Scots also rallied for wins against Millersville and then eighth-ranked Shippensburg after trailing at halftime.
Edinboro is ranked fourth in the latest D2SIDA Atlantic Region poll.The Fighting Scots climbed two spots this week after debuting in sixth place last week.
Head coach Pat Cleary is his fifth season in charge of the Fighting Scots. He owns a 51-58 career record. His first three squads all showed improvement in their final record prior to last year's injury-ravaged season. The 2015-16 Fighting Scot edition went 15-11 and came in third in the PSAC West.
Redshirt senior guard Jaymon Mason has climbed into third place in career scoring with 1,546 career points. Mason was named a Division II Bulletin preseason honorable mention All-American. He is a two-time Division II Bulletin honorable mention All-American and earned first team All-PSAC West accolades as a junior and senior.
Daemen has a 3-2 record, with both of the losses to PSAC West opponents. The Wildcats lost 69-55 to Mercyhurst on November 14, and dropped an 80-77 decision at Slippery Rock on Sunday. They are members of the East Coast Conference.

On the Radio/Video

The Edinboro-Daemen game can be heard on WFSE-FM 88.9, with Gabe Hypes on the play-by-play and Madi Gross providing the color commentary.

All-Time Series vs. Daemen

Edinboro leads 9-2: The Fighting Scots won the first nine meetings between the two teams before Daemen claimed an 88-79 win in Amherst, N.Y. in 2015-16, followed by a 90-79 win at McComb Fieldhouse last year. The 2015-16 meeting was the first between the two schools since the 1996-97 season.
First Meeting: 1978-79 – Edinboro 107, Daemen 85
Last Meeting: 2016-17 – Daemen 90, Edinboro 79
Current Streak: Daemen won the last two contests
Cleary vs. Daemen: 0-2

Last Meeting
Nov. 23, 2016 – Daemen 90, Edinboro 79 at Edinboro, Pa. BOX | RECAP

Sheldon Brogdon dropped in a career-high 31 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome 15 3-pointers by a hot-shooting Daemen team the day before Thanksgiving at McComb Fieldhouse. Daemen head coach Mike MacDonald picked up his 300th career win. Brogdon sizzled after entering the game with just over seven minutes to play in the first half. He made 12-of 15-shots, including 7-of-9 3-pointers, adding four rebounds while playing 27 minutes.
Unfortunately, the rest of the Fighting Scots struggled with their shooting as Edinboro ended the day at 44.4 percent from the floor (28-of-63), including a 10-for-31 showing from beyond the arc.
Chibunna Ukandu also bettered his career-high, finishing with 19 points. That included a 7-for-7 showing at the line, along with five rebounds. Jaymon Mason added 11 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.
Edinboro held a 41-30 advantage on the glass as center Jack Frank pulled down a career-best 14 rebounds. He added eight points.
Daemen made 15-of-29 3-pointers while shooting 51.5 percent (34-of-66) from the floor. The Wildcats also committed just eight turnovers compared to 15 for Edinboro. That led to a 22-9 advantage in points off turnovers.
The Wildcats featured four players in double digits, led by Arif Mehmetaj. Playing in his first game of the season, the second team All-East Coast Conference performer made 6-of-8 3-pointers while ending the afternoon with 26 points. He added a team-high seven rebounds. Jeff Redband made 6-oof-10 3-pointers on his way to 20 points, while Supreme Hannah had 13 points and Deion Hamilton 11.
Daemen led the entire first half, taking a 44-34 lead at the half. Still trailing by eight points at 55-47 with 13:58 to play, the Fighting Scots went on a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to take a 56-55 lead. Unfortunately, it would be the only lead the Boro would hold all day. Daemen proceeded to go on a 17-6 run fueled by three 3-pointers by Mehmetaj, to go up by ten at 72-62 with 6:10 remaining. A Brogdon three would cut the deficit to seven points, but that is as close as the Scots would come.

The Head Coaches
Edinboro: Pat Cleary (Edinboro '99) -- 51-58, 5th Year

Pat Cleary was introduced as Edinboro's tenth head coach on March 26, 2013 after head coach Greg Walcavich announced his retirement. Cleary served as Walcavich's assistant coach for 14 years.
The 4-0 start this season is the best since Cleary took over as head coach.
Cleary's first three teams improved each year since his appointment, with his 2015-16 team earning the third seed in the PSAC West Tournament with a 15-11 overall record and 14-8 league mark. A year ago the Fighting Scots came in at 8-18 overall and 6-16 in the PSAC West, with injuries forcing the Fighting Scots to suit up as few as seven players in February.
He guided Edinboro to the PSAC Tournament for the first time in 2014-15 with a 14-13 record, a four-game improvement over his first year, after being chosen to finish eighth in the PSAC West preseason poll. His first Boro squad finished 10-16 in 2013-14.

Daemen: Mike MacDonald, St. Bonaventure '88 (62-31, 4th year; Career Record: 318-257, 21st year)

MacDonald is in his fourth year at Daemen after being introduced as the Wildcats' sixth head coach on September 16, 2014.
He holds a 62-31 mark at Daemen, and picked up his 300th career victory a year ago against Edinboro. He has a 318-257 career mark in his 21st season as a head coach. MacDonald previously was the head coach at Division I Canisius College from 1997-2006 (108-153 record) and Division III Medaille College from 2006-2014 (148-73 record).
He led the Wildcats to a 21-10 record in his first year, becoming one of the only active head coaches in the country to have achieved 20-win seasons at the NCAA Division I, II and III levels. MacDonald's 2015-16 team finished 19-10, and reached the ECC title game. A year ago, Daemen was 19-9, advancing to the ECC semifinals.

The Fighting Scots
Probable Starters

P / No.	Player	Ht/Wt/Yr	Hometown	PPG / RPG
F / 23	Mike Beck	6-3/220/Sr.	Erie, Pa.	8.8 / 2.5
F / 3	Keshawn Liggins	6-5/205/Sr.	Middletown, Id.	24.3 / 10.0
F / 21	Jack Frank	6-8/220/Jr.	Tampa, Fla.	3.5 / 6.8
G / 5	Jaymon Mason	6-3/185/R-Jr.	Edinboro, Pa.	13.0 / 4.8
G / 4	Anthony Coleman	6-3/210/Jr.	Wickliffe, Ohio	18.0 / 3.3

Top Reserves

F/G / 15	Maceo Baston II	6-5/185/Sr.	Brownstown Twp., Mich.	4.8 / 2.3
G / 13	Alex Jay	6-3/180/Fr.	Edinboro, Pa.	2.8 / 1.0
G / 14	Jaryn Simpson	6-1/150/Fr.	Erie, Pa.	6.8 / 0.8

Scouting the Fighting Scots

Edinboro wrapped up a four-game homestand to start the 2017-18 season with a 70-66 come-from-behind win over Lake Erie on Saturday. The 4-0 start is the best since Pat Cleary took over as head coach. The Fighting Scots won their first five games in 2012-13 under Greg Walcavich.
Edinboro trailed 50-41 with just under 14 minutes to play before running off 12 straight points, the last five by freshman Jaryn Simpson. The Fighting Scots would go on to lead by as much as seven points at 65-58 with just over two minutes to play, but had to hold off a late Lake Erie comeback. Keyshawn Liggins made 3-of-4 free throws over the final six seconds to clinch the victory.
Liggins finished with a career-high 35 points, giving him two 30-point games in his first four games as a Fighting Scot. The 6'5" senior made 13-of-25 field goals, including his only two 3-point attempts, and went 7-for-9 at the line. He added a game-high 11 rebounds for his third straight double-double. Liggins scored 22 of Edinboro's 29 points in the first half.
Jaymon Mason and Simpson were also in double digits with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Mason missed his first ten shots but finished strong, making four of his final five shots. Simpson was a perfect 3-for-3 from the floor, including a 3-pointer, and went 3-for-3 at the line. The freshman guard added four assists in 18 minutes.
The Daemen game is one of two remaining non-conference contests. The Fighting Scots host Charleston(WV) on Monday, December 18.
The Fighting Scots recently posted the biggest win in Cleary's four-plus seasons as head coach, an 88-86 triumph over eighth-ranked Shippensburg. Edinboro had previously upset 16^th-ranked Indiana(Pa.), 79-77 in overtime, in 2014-15. The Scots opened the year with a 86-77 win over Thiel, then began PSAC play last weekend with a pair of crossover wins. Edinboro rallied from halftime deficits in both games, starting with an 85-74 win over Millersville, followed by the upset of Shippensburg.
Edinboro is ranked fourth in the latest D2SIDA Atlantic Region poll.
Anthony Coleman was named the PSAC West Co-Player of the Week a week ago thanks to a pair of outstanding efforts. The Cincinnati State Community College averaged 26.5 ppg. and made 11-of-19 3-pointers in the two wins. The junior guard dropped in a season-high 23 points in the win over Millersville, then a day later bettered that with 30 points against Shippensburg. He made 8-of-13 3-pointers vs. the Raiders, and opened the game with Edinboro's first 17 points. Coleman is second on the team in scoring at 18.0 ppg. and has made 12-of-25 3-pointers.
Jaymon Mason has moved into third place in career scoring with 1,584 points. In addition, he has moved up to eighth place in career assists with 329. Mason is averaging 13.0 ppg. with a team-high 14 assists.
With 35 points in the win over Lake Erie, Keyshawn Liggins has now scored 30-or-more points in two of his first four games as a Fighting Scot. A senior transfer from Idaho State, he opened the season with 34 points against Thiel. The 6'5" swingman has recorded three straight double-doubles, adding 11 rebounds vs. Lake Erie. He contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds vs. Millersville, then had 17 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists against Shippensburg. Liggins has played all 160 minutes to this point and is the team's leading scorer (24.3 ppg.) and rebounder (10.0 rpg.). He also is tied with mason with 14 assists.
Senior swingman Mike Beck posted one of the best games of his career against Millersville. Beck scored 19 points, making 7-of-10 field goals, including 5-of-7 3-pointers. He is averaging 8.8 ppg.
A pair of freshmen are making key contributions early in the season. Jaryn Simpson, whose father Bronze was a standout at Gannon and uncle junior played at Edinboro, is playing just over 17 minutes a game and averaging 6.8 ppg. Alex Jay, the son Sarah (Bishop) Jay, one of the all-time leading scorers in EU women's basketball history, scored eight key points in the win over Shippensburg. They were his first eight career points.
For the second year in a row, the football team is providing a boost to the basketball team. Offensive lineman Trey Staunch, a former standout in football and basketball at West Middlesex High School, saw his first action against Shippensburg. A two-year starter at right tackle, the 6'3", 265 lb. junior joined the basketball team at the conclusion of the football season.
Edinboro will hit the highway for the first time on Tuesday, November 28, playing at Daemen.

Scouting the Wildcats

Daemen fell to 3-2 with an 80-77 loss at Slippery Rock on Sunday. The Wildcats led 70-69 with 7:09 to play, but Slippery Rock ran off 11 straight points for an 80-70 lead. They held The Rock to just two points in the last 4:30 minutes, but trailed 80-70 with 55 seconds left. Daemen would score the last seven points to pull to within three.
Redshirt freshman center Andrew Sischo led Daemen with 24 points and nine rebounds. Deion Hamilton added 13 points and Jeff Redband had 15 on the strength of 5-of-7 3's. Daemen made 10-of-19 3-pointers but was outrebounded, 38-26.
The Wildcats were tied for second with Bridgeport in the ECC Preseason Poll. St. Thomas Aquinas was the preseason favorite. Daemen finished with a 19-9 record a year ago, reaching the ECC semifinals.
Daemen opened the year with a pair of wins in the ECC-CACC Challenge, defeating Felician and Nyack. Redshirt junior guard/forward Deion Hamilton was named the tournament MVP. He is second on the team in scoring at 13.2 ppg.
Andrew Sischo leads the Wildcats in both scoring and rebounding at 13.6 ppg. and 5.8 rpg. He is a 6'9", 240 lb. redshirt freshman.
Jay Sarkis is a third Wildcats averaging in double digits. The redshirt sophomore guards missed the 2016-17 season, but has returned to average 10.6 ppg. while making 10-of-24 3-pointers. He also has a team-high 19 assists.
The Wildcats have five players averaging at least nine points, with Aleks Miljenovic at 9.6 ppg., plus 5.0 rpg., and Jeff Redband at 9.2 ppg.
Former Fighting Scot Quinn Lee Yaw is on the Daemen roster. He last played for Edinboro in 2015-16, and redshirted at St. Bonaventure last year.
Daemen went 14-2 at Lumsden Gymnasium last year, and is 3-1 at home this year. The loss came by a 69-55 score to Mercyhurst on November 14. The Wildcats are 76-12 at home since 2011-12.

Jaymon Mason in the Record Books SEASON RECORDS | CAREER RECORDS

CAREER SCORING: Third all-time with 1,584 points.
CAREER SCORING AVERAGE: Ranks third at 19.1 ppg.
CAREER 3-POINTERS: Is third in career 3-pointers made with 173 3-pointers made and is sixth in career 3-pointers attempted with 449. Is also seventh in career 3-point field goal percentage at 38.5 percent
CAREER FREE THROWS MADE: Broke Bryan Theriot's school record of 402 free throws made in the season opener. Mason now holds the record with 413.
CAREER FREE THROWS ATTEMPTED: Ranks fifth with 493 free throw attempts.
CAREER FREE THROW PERCENTAGE: Ranks sixth at 83.8 percent
CAREER ASSISTS: Ranks eighth with 329
CAREER FIELD GOALS ATTEMPTED: Ranks eighth with 1,161

NEXT FOR THE FIGHTING SCOTS: Tuesday, November 28 at Daemen -- 8 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#23 Mike Beck: F/G; 6' 4"; Senior

#21 Jack Frank: F; 6' 8"; Junior

#5 Jaymon Mason: G; 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior

#4 Anthony Coleman: G; 6' 3"; Junior

#13 Alex Jay: G; 6' 3"; Freshman

#3 Keshawn Liggins: G/F; 6' 5"; Senior

#14 Jaryn Simpson: G; 6' 1"; Freshman

#45 Trey Staunch: F; 6' 4"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#23 Mike Beck
: 6' 4"; Senior
: F/G

#21 Jack Frank
: 6' 8"; Junior
: F

#5 Jaymon Mason
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior
: G

#4 Anthony Coleman
: 6' 3"; Junior
: G

#13 Alex Jay
: 6' 3"; Freshman
: G

#3 Keshawn Liggins
: 6' 5"; Senior
: G/F

#14 Jaryn Simpson
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: G

#45 Trey Staunch
: 6' 4"; Junior
: F

Edinboro University Athletics

Scoreboard

Scoreboard

Fighting Scots Hit the Highway for the First Time with Road Tilt at Daemen

Players Mentioned

#23 Mike Beck

#21 Jack Frank

#5 Jaymon Mason

#4 Anthony Coleman

#13 Alex Jay

#3 Keshawn Liggins

#14 Jaryn Simpson

#45 Trey Staunch

Players Mentioned

#23 Mike Beck

#21 Jack Frank

#5 Jaymon Mason

#4 Anthony Coleman

#13 Alex Jay

#3 Keshawn Liggins

#14 Jaryn Simpson

#45 Trey Staunch