Matt Durisko

Men's Basketball 1/18/2018 2:20:00 PM Bob Shreve, Sports Information Director

Fighting Scots Begin Demanding Stretch of Three Straight Road Games at Slippery Rock

Senior swingman Mike Beck

The Slippery Rock game begins a stretch of three straight games on the road for Edinboro. The Fighting Scots had previously played five of their last six games at McComb Fieldhouse, and they did not leave Erie County for the sixth game, playing at Gannon. Edinboro starts a stretch of three key contests on the road as the first half of divisional play wraps up. Following Saturday's game at Slippery Rock, the Fighting Scots play at Mercyhurst on Wednesday, February 24, and are at Pitt-Johnstown on Wednesday, January 31 before returning home on Saturday, February 3.
Edinboro and Slippery Rock are tied for third place in the PSAC West with 8-4 records. IUP leads the way at 9-2, with Gannon second at 8-3. The Fighting Scots, picked to finish eighth in the Western Division in the PSAC coaches' preseason poll, come in with an 11-5 overall record, while SRU is 14-4. The Rock was picked to finish fourth in the PSAC West.
The Fighting Scots snapped a two-game losing streak on Wednesday with an 86-73 win over Clarion behind 36 points from Keshawn Liggins and 24 from Anthony Coleman.
Slippery Rock suffered an 88-85 loss in overtime at Pitt-Johnstown on Wednesday despite Micah Till's PSAC-leading 12^th double-double of the season. He finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
The Fighting Scots rank eighth in the PSAC in both scoring offense (79.1 ppg.) and scoring defense (73.9 ppg.). Slippery Rock is third in scoring offense (84.8 ppg.) and fifth in scoring defense (73.9 ppg.). Kevin Reynolds' SRU teams have traditionally showcased strong defense and rebounding, and this year is no exception. The Rock ranks second in the PSAC and 20h in Division II in field goal percentage defense (40.6 pct.), and leads the country in rebounding margin (+12.9).
Slippery Rock has dominated the competition at Morrow Field House during Kevin Reynolds' years, and Edinboro is among the teams that have not had much luck. The Fighting Scots snapped a string of eight straight defeats at Morrow Field House last year with a 70-59 victory. Prior to that, they had not won on SRU's home court since 2008-09.
The Fighting Scots have relied on a trio of players for the majority of the offense. The threesome of Keshawn Liggins, Anthony Coleman, and Jaymon Mason combine for over 56 points per game. After posting his sixth 30-point game with 36 points vs. Clarion, Liggins is back up to second in the PSAC and ninth in Division II in scoring at 23.3 ppg. He is also third and 18th, respectively, in rebounding at 10.3 rpg. Earlier this week, he was named to the Bevo Francis Award Watch List. Anthony Coleman and Jaymon Mason add 17.3 and 15.9 ppg., respectively. The threesome has combined for 30-or-more points ten times.
Jaymon Mason has moved up to second in career scoring at Edinboro. The redshirt senior guard now has 1,787 points. He needs 168 points to break the career scoring record of 1,954 points, held by Tyrone Mason, his father.

Edinboro on Radio/Video

The Edinboro-Slippery Rock game can be heard on WFSE-FM 88.9. Dakota Palmer will be handling the play-by-play with Madison Gross providing color commentary.
In addition, this year Edinboro is part of the PSAC Network. All men's and women's home basketball games will be streamed live through Stretch Internet.

All-Time Series vs. Slippery Rock

Edinboro leads 88-84: Five of the last seven meetings have been decided by six points or less.
First Meeting: 1928-29 – Edinboro 46, Slippery Rock 32
Last Meeting: 2016-17 – Slippery Rock 64, Edinboro 60
Current Streak: Slippery Rock won the last meeting.
Cleary vs. SRU: 2-7

Last Meeting
Feb. 20, 2017 – Slippery Rock 64, Edinboro 60 at Edinboro, Pa. BOX | RECAP

After snapping a long losing streak at Slippery Rock, Edinboro was unable to complete the season sweep. The Rock would score five of the game's final six points to hand Edinboro a 64-60 defeat at McComb Fieldhouse.
Edinboro once again suited up just seven players due to injuries, with second-leading scorer and rebounder Mikael Anderson sitting out for the fifth time in the last eight games. Making matters worse, third-leading scorer Sheldon Brogdon was held without a point.
Jaymon Mason led the way with 28 points, his 14th 20-point effort of the season. Mason added six assists and five rebounds while playing all 40 minutes for the 14th straight game.
Maceo Baston added 13 points, six rebounds and three steals, while Andre Frederick came off the bench to score 10 points (4-of-4 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs) in 19 minutes. Jon Girvin added six points and eight rebounds as the duo provided Edinboro with strong play in the paint.
Slippery Rock featured three players in double digits, with Naquil Jones making four 3-pointers to finish with 19 points. Khyree Wooten also made four three's and ended the night with 15 points, while Christal Malalu had 13 points and 12 rebounds.
The Rock jumped out to a 31-20 lead, the largest lead of the night for either team, with just under six minutes left in the first half. Edinboro would close the gap to 33-28 at intermission.
SRU would build the lead back to eight points at 43-35 with just over 13 minutes remaining, but over the next six minutes Edinboro outscored The Rock, 16-6. When Jaymon Mason dropped in three free throws after being fouled on a three, the Fighting Scots took their first lead of the night since five minutes into the game at 51-49.
Wooten banked in a 3-pointer as the shot clock was expiring to put The Rock back up 52-51. Baston made one-of-two free throws on Edinboro's next possession, but Slippery Rock took the lead for good on a jumper by Vinny Lasley.
That began a run of six straight points for The Rock as they took a 58-52 lead with 3:21 to play. Mason's drive cut the lead to 58-54. Wooten made one-of-two free throws with just under two minutes left, and when Baston hit a jumper the Scots had pulled to within 59-56 with 1:44 remaining.
The Scots were able to force a turnover, and Mason's jumper in the paint cut the deficit to just a point at 59-58 with 1:04 left. With the shot clock again winding down, Wooten hit his fourth three to make it 62-58. A Mason layup made the score 62-60 with 23 seconds to play.
Jones made one of two free throws for a 63-60 lead with 17 seconds left, and Malalu made one of two free throws with five seconds left for the final margin.
The deliberate contest saw Edinboro shoot 45.3 percent from the floor (24-of-53) compared to 43.1 percent for SRU (25-of-58). However, The Rock made 8-of-18 3-pointers while Edinboro was just 3-of-16 from beyond the arc. The Fighting Scots actually outrebounded SRU, the top rebounding team in the PSAC, in the first half, 17-15, but The Rock would win the battle of the glass in the second half, 24-13, for a 39-30 advantage in the game.

Head Coaches

Edinboro: Pat Cleary (Edinboro '99) -- 58-63, 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 9-2 start 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.

Slippery Rock: Kevin Reynolds (Bloomsburg '91) -- 181-104, 10^th year

Kevin Reynolds is in his tenth season as the head coach SRU and ranks second all-time in career wins. Reynolds has led The Rock to five 20-win seasons and three NCAA Tournament appearances, as well as a PSAC Finals appearance in 2013. All told, SRU has qualified for the PSAC Tournament seven times during his tenure.
After playing at Bloomsburg, the 2009 PSAC West Coach of the Year got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant at Indiana (Pa.) and was an assistant coach at Edinboro under Greg Walcavich.
Reynolds came to Slippery Rock after a one-season stint as assistant coach at Morehead State. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach at Drake and Denver, serving as the interim head coach at the latter during the 2006-07 season

The Fighting Scots
Probable Starters

P / No.	Player	Ht/Wt/Yr	Hometown	PPG / RPG
F / 23	Mike Beck	6-3/220/Sr.	Erie, Pa.	6.2 / 2.1
F / 3	Keshawn Liggins	6-5/205/Sr.	Middletown, Id.	23.3 / 10.3
F / 21	Jack Frank	6-8/220/Jr.	Tampa, Fla.	2.6 / 7.3
G / 5	Jaymon Mason	6-3/185/R-Jr.	Edinboro, Pa.	15.9 / 4.9
G / 4	Anthony Coleman	6-3/210/Jr.	Wickliffe, Ohio	17.3 / 4.1

Top Reserves

F/G / 15	Maceo Baston II	6-5/185/Sr.	Brownstown Twp., Mich.	2.5 / 1.5
F / 45	Trey Staunch	6-4/265/Jr.	West Middlesex, Pa.	5.2 / 2.3
G / 13	Alex Jay	6-3/180/Fr.	Edinboro, Pa.	4.1 / 1.6
G / 14	Jaryn Simpson	6-1/150/Fr.	Erie, Pa.	3.6 / 1.2

Scouting the Fighting Scots

Edinboro is off to its best start under fifth-year head coach Pat Cleary at 11-5 overall and 8-4 in the PSAC West. The Fighting Scots have already bettered last year's win total of eight victories. They are currently tied for third with Slippery Rock in the PSAC West and face a key stretch of contests. After playing five of their last six games at McComb Fieldhouse, the Fighting Scots play three straight road games, beginning with the SRU game. That's followed by a Wednesday, January 24 game at Mercyhurst and a Wednesday, January 31 game at Pitt-Johnstown. Edinboro snapped a two-game losing streak with an 86-73 win over Clarion on Wednesday.
Two of Edinboro's losses have come on buzzer-beaters. The Kutztown setback came on a basket with 0.8 seconds remaining, as the Golden Bears prevailed 91-89. A week later, Edinboro again lost in the final seconds as IUP hit a 3-pointer with 1.8 ticks showing for a 70-67 win.
Edinboro is averaging 79.1 ppg., ranking eighth in the PSAC in scoring offense. The Fighting Scots had topped the 80-point mark in five straight games before being held to 69 points by Gannon, the top defensive team in the PSAC. Last Saturday, they were held to 67 by IUP, another of the conference's top defensive units. Edinboro also ranks eighth in the PSAC in scoring defense at 73.9 ppg.
Keshawn Liggins, Anthony Coleman, and Jaymon Mason are combining for over 56 points per game. Each is capable of putting up big numbers. One of them has scored 30-or-more points in ten games, with Liggins reaching the mark in three straight games prior to the Kutztown game, and six overall. The latest came on Wednesday, as he scored 36 points in the 86-73 win over Clarion. He dropped in a career-high 39 points vs. Seton Hill. Coleman posted a season-best 32-point effort at Gannon recently, and had 30 points in the upset of then eighth-ranked Shippensburg. When Coleman led Edinboro with 19 points at Lock Haven, it marked the only time Edinboro has not had a scorer reach 20 points. Mason has now had 15 career 30-point games after scoring a season-high 33 points against Kutztown, his second 30-point effort of the year. He had 32 points vs. Daemen.
Second all-time leading scorer and preseason All-American Jaymon Mason battled an early-season injury but is now healthy and playing up to his normal standards. The senior guard had a season-high 33-point effort against Kutztown, making 13-of-15 free throws. He had 32 points at Daemen, dropping in 6-of-12 3-pointers while going 10-of-11 at the charity stripe. Mason is averaging 15.9 ppg., leads the team with 58 assists, and has made 39-of-108 3-pointers. The senior guard moved into second place in career scoring against Pitt-Johnstown and now has 1,787 career points.
Keshawn Liggins was named to the Bevo Francis Award Watch List earlier this week. He had his ninth double-double against IUP and has pulled down 10-or-more rebounds in ten contests. The 6'5" senior ranks second in the PSAC and ninth in Division II in scoring (23.3 ppg.) and third and 18th, respectively, in rebounding (10.3 rpg.). After scoring 36 points (16-of-22 FGs, 4-of-6 FTs) against Clarion, Liggins has now had six games of 30-or-more points. He scored a career-high 39 points vs. Seton Hill and 38 against Charleston. Liggins is a transfer from Idaho State and has been an ironman, ranking fifth in the country in minutes per game (38.4). His nine double-doubles ranks third in the PSAC and 10th in Division II.
Anthony Coleman is a multi-faceted scorer who can burn the opposition from deep, or drive strong to the basket. The transfer from Cincinnati State CC displayed the former vs. Gannon as he burned the Golden Knights for a season-high 32 points, making 7-of-12 3-pointers. The latter was in evidence on Wednesday against Clarion, as the 6'3" guard consistly drove to the hoop, ending the night with 24 points (8-of-12 FGs, 8-of-10 FTs). He added 10 rebounds for his first double-double. Coleman has had six games of 20-or-more points, including 30 points in an upset of Shippensburg. He is the top 3-point threat on the team, making 46-of-104 3-pointers. He ranks third in the PSAC in 3-point percentage (44.2 pct.) and is tied for fourth in 3-pointers made per game (2.9).
The Fighting Scots posted the biggest win in Cleary's four-plus seasons as head coach, an 88-86 triumph over eighth-ranked Shippensburg, earlier this year. Edinboro had previously upset 16^th-ranked Indiana(Pa.), 79-77 in overtime, in 2014-15.
Offensive lineman Trey Staunch, a former standout in football and basketball at West Middlesex High School, continues to play a key role for the Fighting Scots. He saw his first action against Shippensburg and in 13 games is playing just under 14 minutes per game, averaging 5.2 ppg. and 2.3 rpg. A two-year starter at right tackle, the 6'4", 265 lb. junior joined the basketball team at the conclusion of the football season.
The combination of Jack Frank and Staunch is providing the Fighting Scots with plenty of production in the post. Frank, a 6'8" junior, is Edinboro's second-leading rebounder at 7.3 per game. He pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds vs. California(Pa.) and added 11 on Wednesday vs. Clarion.
Mike Beck scored 19 points in the win over Millersville, and comes off a 13-point effort against Clarion. The 6'4" senior is averaging 6.2 ppg. with 21 3-pointers in 61 attempts. His biggest contributions have come on defense, as he has been assigned some of the top scorers in the PSAC.
The freshman tandem of Alex Jay and Jaryn Simpson possesses some impressive genes and have provided the Fighting Scots with valuable minutes. Jay is the son of Sarah (Bishop) Jay, who ranks fourth in career scoring for the Edinboro women's basketball team, Simpson's father Bronze, is one of the all-time leading scorers and rebounders at Gannon. Jay, a 6'3" guard, is averaging 4.1 ppg. in 14.3 minutes per game and has made 14-of-37 3-pointers. Simpson, a 6'1" guard, is also playing 14.3 minutes per game and averaging 3.6 ppg. with 33 assists.

Scouting The Rock

Slippery Rock suffered 88-85 loss in overtime at Pitt-Johnstown on Wednesday, ending a two-game winning streak. The Rock fell to at Indiana(Pa.) before that, a loss which snapped a 10-game winning streak. SRU comes in with a 14-4 overall record and is 8-4 in the PSAC West, tied with Edinboro for third place.
The Rock was picked to finish fourth in the Western Division in the PSAC coaches' preseason poll. Three of their four losses have come by four points or less. In addition to the three-point setback at Pitt-Johnstown, SRU was a three-point loser to Shippensburg, and fell by four at IUP. Their other loss was by 14 points to Kutztown.
The Rock led by six points at 66-60 with 6:36 remaining at UPJ, but would miss their final eight field goal attempts in regulation. In addition, they missed three free throws in the final 21 seconds, including two with just a second to play.
Former Edinboro assistant coach Kevin Reynolds is in his tenth season as head coach at Slippery Rock. He has led The Rock to seven PSAC Tournament appearances and three NCAA tourneys in his first nine seasons. Reynolds ranks second in career wins at SRU (181).
Reynolds' teams have always been characterized by tenacious rebounding and outstanding defense. Dating back to the 2010-11 season, Slippery Rock has ranked in the top eight in the nation in rebounding margin seven times and in the top 20 in the country in points allowed per game five times. Playing a more up-tempo style, The Rock currently ranks fifth in the PSAC in scoring defense (72.1 ppg.), along with third in scoring offense (84.8 ppg.). However, SRU is second in the PSAC and 20^th in Division II in field goal percentage defense (40.6 pct.), and leads the country in rebound margin (+12.9).
As always, Reynolds replenished his roster with several talented transfers this year. Leading the way is Micah Till. The 6'7", 250 lb. redshirt sophomore began his career as a football player at North Carolina State before transferring to Harford CC to play basketball. He has emerged as the team's leading scorer (20.7 ppg.) and rebounder (10.7 rpg.). He ranks seventh in the PSAC in scoring and is second in the conference and 12^th in Division II in rebounding. In addition, he has 12 double-doubles, which leads the PSAC and is third nationally. He is also shooting 52.8 percent from the floor and has 24 blocked shots.
Two other players are in double figures. Bruce Spruell, who previously played at American International, comes in at 11.1 ppg. In addition, the 6'4" junior leads the team with 74 assists. Brandon Simmons, a 6'9" junior by way of Marshalltown JC, adds 10.4 ppg., leads the team with 46 blocks, and is second in rebounding at 8.3 per game.

Jaymon Mason in the Record Books SEASON RECORDS | CAREER RECORDS

CAREER SCORING: Second all-time with 1,787 points.
CAREER SCORING AVERAGE: Fourth at 18.8 ppg.
CAREER 3-POINTERS: Is second in career 3-pointers made with 206 3-pointers made and is second in career 3-pointers attempted with 535. 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 463.
CAREER FREE THROWS ATTEMPTED: Ranks first with 553 free throw attempts.
CAREER FREE THROW PERCENTAGE: Ranks sixth at 83.7 percent
CAREER ASSISTS: Is fifth with 373
CAREER FIELD GOALS MADE: Ranks seventh with 559
CAREER FIELD GOALS ATTEMPTED: Ranks fifth with 1,312

NEXT FOR THE FIGHTING SCOTS: Wednesday, January 24 at Mercyhurst -- 7:30 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Mikael Anderson: G/F; 6' 5"; Senior

#24 Sheldon Brogdon: G; 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior

#5 Jaymon Mason: G; 6' 3"; Junior

#42 Andre Frederick: C; 6' 9"; Junior

#33 Jon Girvin: F; 6' 5"; Redshirt Junior

#15 Maceo Baston II: G/F; 6' 5"; Senior

#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

Players Mentioned

#3 Mikael Anderson
: 6' 5"; Senior
: G/F

#24 Sheldon Brogdon
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior
: G

#5 Jaymon Mason
: 6' 3"; Junior
: G

#42 Andre Frederick
: 6' 9"; Junior
: C

#33 Jon Girvin
: 6' 5"; Redshirt Junior
: F

#15 Maceo Baston II
: 6' 5"; Senior
: G/F

#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

Edinboro University Athletics

Scoreboard

Scoreboard

Fighting Scots Begin Demanding Stretch of Three Straight Road Games at Slippery Rock

Players Mentioned

#3 Mikael Anderson

#24 Sheldon Brogdon

#5 Jaymon Mason

#42 Andre Frederick

#33 Jon Girvin

#15 Maceo Baston II

#23 Mike Beck

#21 Jack Frank

#5 Jaymon Mason

#4 Anthony Coleman

#13 Alex Jay

#3 Keshawn Liggins

Players Mentioned

#3 Mikael Anderson

#24 Sheldon Brogdon

#5 Jaymon Mason

#42 Andre Frederick

#33 Jon Girvin

#15 Maceo Baston II

#23 Mike Beck

#21 Jack Frank

#5 Jaymon Mason

#4 Anthony Coleman

#13 Alex Jay

#3 Keshawn Liggins