VIRGINIA STATE Trojans (23-6 in 2017-18) vs. #11 EDINBORO Fighting Scots (27-4 in 2017-18)
VUU Lady Panther Tip-Off Classic 
Friday, November 9, 2018, 7:30 PM | Barco-Stevens Hall | Richmond, Va.
#11 EDINBORO Fighting Scots (27-4 in 2017-18) at #18 VIRGINIA UNION Lady Panthers (28-3 in 2017-18) 
Saturday, November 10, 2018, 4:00 p.m. l Barco-Stevens Hall l Richmond, Va.
LINKS: LIVE STATS| AUDIO-WFSE 88.9 | VIDEOSTREAM-WATCH

ADDITIONAL LINKS
EDINBORO: ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
VIRGINIA STATE: ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
VIRGINIA UNION: ROSTER l SCHEDULE l STATS

THE GAME STORY

• Edinboro opens the 2018-19 campaign with plenty of high expectations and with a new look at the first seat on the bench. After 31 years in charge of the Edinboro program, Stan Swank stepped down as head coach after the 2017-18 season. Former Fighting Scots standout Callie Wheeler, who served as Swank's assistant for 11 years, steps in as his replacement.
  Wheeler inherits a squad with plenty of talent.
• The Fighting Scots finished with a 27-4 record a year, winning the PSAC championship and advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional.  Four starters return from that squad. All-American Ciara Rosten leads the way. The 6'2" senior was an honorable mention WBCA All-American, while also being named the PSAC West Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. In addition to Rosten, Jontay Walton was a first team All-PSAC West choice, while Michelle Jahn and Michaela Barnes were second team selections.
• Edinboro is certainly jumping right into the fire, but they did a year ago, as well. The Fighting Scots face a pair of teams that participated in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional a year ago in the VUU Lady Panther Tip-Off Classic. On Friday night, Edinboro will play Virginia State in a rematch of last year's first round regional contest. the Fighting Scots won that game 80-55. On Saturday, Edinboro squares off against host Virginia Union in a battle of nationally-ranked teams. The Fighting Scots come in ranked 11th in the WBCA Division II Preseason Top 25, while Virginia Union is ranked 18th.
• Edinboro defeated then second-ranked Virginia Union, 89-79, in last year's season opener. That contest was played in the Conference Challenge at Millersville, Pa.
• The Fighting Scots enter the season highly-regarded. Edinboro is ranked 11th in the WBCA Division II Preseason Top 25 and is ninth in the preseason D2SIDA poll. In addition, the Scots were made the preseason favorite in the PSAC West, edging Indiana(Pa.), and are also ranked first in the D2SIDA Atlantic Region rankings. Virginia Union is ranked second and Virginia State tenth.
• Edinboro looks to extend a streak of eight straight seasons with 20-or-more wins. During that period, the Fighting Scots own a 193-50 record. They won their fifth PSAC championship a year ago, and fourth since 2011.
• Ciara Rosten headlines a group of four returning All-PSAC performers. The senior forward was the PSAC West Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, and went on to earn several All-American accolades. She was joined on the All-PSAC West first team by guard Jontay Walton, while guards Michelle Jahn and Michaela Barnes were accorded second team honors.

All-Time Series vs. Virginia State

• Edinboro leads 2-0

• Edinboro jumped out to a 22-8 lead after one quarter and the advantage never got under double digits the rest of the way. The Fighting Scots would shoot 47.3 percent (26-of-55) from the floor, including 8-of-18 on 3-pointers, along with making 20-of-24 free throws. Virginia State shot just 31.4 percent (22-of-70) from the floor, including 3-of-14 on 3-pointers, and was 8-of-17 from the line. Edinboro won the rebound battle, 42-28.
• Jontay Walton led Edinboro with 20 points, one of four players in double figures. Michelle Jahn added 18 points, Michaela Barnes 15, and Ciara Rosten 13. Rosten flirted with a triple-double, adding 17 rebounds and 7 blocked shots.
• Mia Fitts led Virginia State with 14 points, with Alexis Smith adding 13. Chrisanna Green had 12 rebounds.

All-Time Series vs. Virginia Union

• Tied at 1-1

• Edinboro opened the 2017-18 season with an upset of the second-ranked team in the country while never trailing in the contest. The Fighting Scots would lead by as many as 18 points in the second quarter and held a 48-37 halftime lead. The Panthers pulled to within 48-41 early in the third quarter but Edinboro would rebuild the lead to 66-56 after three quarters. Virginia Union cut into the Boro lead by knocking down five of its first seven shots in the fourth quarter to pull to within 72-68, but Edinboro would hold off the rally.  Jontay Walton, Ciara Rosten and Michelle Jahn accounted for all 23 of Edinboro's points in the fourth quarter.       
• Jahn led four Fighting Scots in double figures, finishing with a team-high 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting, with four 3-pointers. Rosten and Walton each added 20 points apiece, with Rosten pulling down 15 rebounds. Walton had 7 assists.
• Michaela Barnes contributed 16 points and went 5-of-5 from the charity stripe. Whitney Allen grabbed six rebounds and had five assists.
• Virginia Union's Rachael Pecota led all scorers with 23 points, adding 13 rebounds. Shareka McNeil was also in double digits with 17 points, while Rejoyce Spivey ended the game with 13 points, Alexis Johnson had 12, and Jasmine Carter collected 10 rebounds.

Head Coach Callie Wheeler (Edinboro '06) -- 0-0, 1st year

• Callie Wheeler was officially named Edinboro's fifth head coach on May 23, 2018, replacing long-time head coach Stan Swank. The former Edinboro standout served as Swank's assistant coach for the previous 11 years before assuming the head coaching duties. Edinboro enjoyed great success during Wheeler's 11 seasons at Swank's side, posting a 239-86 record in her 11 seasons on the bench. That includes a string of eight straight 20-win seasons, including last year when the Fighting Scots ended the season with a 27-4 record. Edinboro won its fourth PSAC Championship in her 11 years and went on to reach the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional semifinals. It marked the fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in her tenure as assistant coach, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 2013-14. 
• Any doubts of Wheeler's ability to take over as head coach were alleviated when Wheeler filled in for a pair of games in late January last year. With Swank away from the team for his father's funeral, Wheeler guided the Fighting Scots to a 74-52 win at Slippery Rock, followed by a 73-54 victory over a Mercyhurst team, which had defeated California (Pa.) in its previous game. 
• Wheeler played for the Fighting Scots from 2002-06, and ranks as one of the all-time greatest players in Edinboro history. She became Edinboro's sixth Kodak/WBCA All-American as she earned honorable mention All-American honors. That capped a brilliant senior season in which she was named the PSAC West Athlete of the Year and was a first team All-PSAC West selection. In addition, she was selected as the Nancy Acker Award winner in 2006.
• The 5'5" guard finished as Edinboro's second-leading scorer at 12.5 ppg. as a senior, and also added 5.1 rpg. More importantly, she set a school record with 249 assists while turning the ball over just 89 times. She led the PSAC in both assists and steals, finishing with 95 in the latter category.
• Edinboro had had just one triple-double in its history prior to 2005-06, when Wheeler accomplished the fete twice. The first came against Seton Hill (20 points, 11 rebounds, 14 assists), followed by 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in her final home appearance vs. Shippensburg.
• As a junior, Wheeler earned second team All-PSAC West accolades after averaging 10.4 ppg. and handing out 225 assists, along with recording 91 steals. The assists ranks third all-time. She led the Fighting Scots to a 21-10 record that season, along with the team's first berth in the NCAA Division II Playoffs since 1998.
• Wheeler likely ranks at the top in a long line of standout point guards at Edinboro. While not taking over as the starter until her junior season, she concluded her career with 682 assists, despite missing the final seven games of the 2003-04 campaign due to an injury. That figure is second all-time in the PSAC. In addition, Wheeler finished with 283 career steals, a figure which ranks fourth all-time at Edinboro. She fell just shy of reaching 1,000 points for her career, finishing with 932.
• The Iorfido name (Wheeler's maiden name) is well known in Edinboro Athletics, where her family has had quite an impact. Her father, Rich, was a standout linebacker for the Edinboro football team from 1970-72, and was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in April 2007. Callie joined her father as a member of the Edinboro Hall of Fame in October 2016. Younger sister Mandie was a standout catcher on the softball team, and a two-time All-PSAC West performer.

Scouting the Fighting Scots

• Edinboro features four returning All-PSAC performers, led by Ciara Rosten (Buffalo, NY/Maryvale). The 6'2" senior was named to three All-American teams a year ago. She earned WBCA honorable mention All-American accolades, along with being named a D2CCA second team All-American and third team Division II Bulletin All-American. In addition, she was selected the D2CCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year, and the PSAC Athlete of the Year and Defensive Athlete of the Year. Rosten is a preseason Division II Bulletin honorable mention All-American A year ago, she averaged 15.8 ppg., second on the team, while leading the team in rebounding at 12.2 rpg. and ranking second in assists (108). She led the PSAC and ranked third in Division II in rebounds per game, along with leading the country in rebounds with 377, the third-highest total in a season at Edinboro. She also led the PSAC and was fifth in Division II in blocks per game (3.77), along with ranking fourth in the country in total blocks with a school-record 117. Rosten would end the season with eight consecutive double-doubles and had 21 for the season, leading the PSAC and ranking second in Division II. She enters her final year at Edinboro ranking second in career blocks (168) and 16th in career rebounds (569). She ranks eighth in career rebounds per game (9.3). She has scored 847 points in two seasons.
• Jontay Walton (Buffalo, NY/Cardinal O'Hara) joined Rosten as a first team All-PSAC West selection after leading the Fighting Scots in scoring (16.5 ppg.), assists (132), and steals (73). She scored 512 points, which ranks 16^th in a season at Edinboro, and was also sixth in a season in 3-point percentage (43.1 pct.). The 5'6" graduate student ranked ninth in the PSAC in scoring, along with third in assists (4.3 apg.), tied for sixth in steals (2.4 spg.), 11^th in free throw percentage (79.9 pct.), and tied for 14^th in 3-pointers made per game (1.7 per game). She has 818 career points in two seasons.
• Michelle Jahn (Edinboro, Pa./General McLane) and Michaela Barnes (Chagrin Falls, OH/Kenston) were accorded second team All-PSAC West honors. Jahn finished fourth on the team in scoring at 12.9 ppg. The 5'8" senior is one of the top 3-point threats in the PSAC, making 64-of-182 (35.2 pct.) from beyond the arc. She ranked fifth in the PSAC in 3-point field goal percentage and was seventh in 3-pointers made per game (2.1).  The 64 3-pointers made ranks seventh in a season at Edinboro, and the 182 3-pointers attempted is sixth. Jahn went over 1,000 career points in last year's PSAC playoff game vs. California(Pa.), and ranks 27th in career scoring with 1,068 points. She is also fourth in career 3-point field goals made (196), fifth in 3-pointers attempted (549), and sixth in 3-point field goal percentage (.357).
• After earning PSAC West Freshman of the Year honors in 2016-17,Barnes was the MVP of last year's PSAC Tournament. The 5'4" junior ended the year third on the team in scoring at 14.2 ppg., while finishing fourth on the team in assists (65) and third in steals (36). 

• Virginia State finished the 2017-18 season with a 23-6 record, reaching the semifinals of the CIAA Tounament before losing to Bowie State. The Trojans were the fifth seed in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional and would lose to fourth-seeded Edinboro, 80-55, in the first round of the regional. Virginia State was making its ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and first since 2015. The Trojans were picked to finish third in the CIAA preseason poll.
• James Hill, Jr. is in his 13th season as the head coach. He has a 214-131 record. 
• Virginia State heads into the season having lost six players to graduation, including leading scorer Alexis Smith. The guard averaged a CIAA-leading 19.9 ppg. She was an All-CIAA selection, as was Chrisanna Green. The 5'11" forward, from nearby Jamestown, NY, is the top returning scorer at 13.1 ppg. The 5'11" senior averaged a double-double with a team-leading 10.1 rpg. 
• Virginia State is ranked 10^th in the D2SIDA Atlantic Region rankings.
  

• Virginia Union finished as the national runner-up in 2016-17 and posted an impressive 28-3 record a year ago. The Panthers joined Edinboro and Virginia State in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional. VUU won the CIAA championship a year ago, defeating Bowie State in the title game, only to lose to Bowie State in the first round of the regional.
• Head coach AnnMarie Gilbert is in her fourth season as the VUU head coach, showing an 84-11 record. She was named the 2018 CIAA Coach of the Year. She has an overall record of 236-211 while entering her 17^th season as a head coach. Gilbert was the head coach at Eastern Michigan from 2007-12, compiling a 94-64 record. The Eagles had three consecutive 20+ win seasons (2009-12) and received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2012. Gilbert guided Eastern Michigan to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament championship in her final year (2012). She also served as the head coach at Oberlin College for eight seasons. She is the winningest coach in Oberlin women's basketball history as the Yeoman made six appearances in the North Coast Athletic Conference postseason tournament during her tenure.
• Virginia Union is ranked 18^th in the WBCA Division II Top 25 and second in the D2SIDA Atlantic Region rankings.
• While the Panthers must replace leading scorers and All-CIAA performers Alexis Johnson (16.9 ppg., 9.2 rpg., 3.3 bpg.) and Rachael Pecota (15.4 ppg., 8.9 rpg.), they return a pair of preseason All-CIAA performers in twins Shareka and Shameka McNeill. Shareka received All-CIAA recognition a year ago. The sophomore is the team's lone returning double-digit scorer after averaging 12.5 ppg. last season. She was second on the team in assist (57) and third in steals (44). Shameka, meanwhile, added 8.2 ppg. and was second on the team in 3-pointers made with 27 in 76 attempts. She was also second on the Panthers in steals with 51. Both were named to the 2018 CIAA All-Rookie Team.