MERCYHURST LAKERS (10-17, 8-13 PSAC West) at #11/12 EDINBORO Fighting Scots (22-3, 18-3 PSAC West) 
Saturday, February 24, 2018 1:00 PM | McComb Fieldhouse | Edinboro, Pa. 
LINKS: LIVE STATS | AUDIO-WFSE 88.9 | VIDEOSTREAM-WATCH
 
ADDITIONAL LINKS 
EDINBORO: ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS 
MERCYHURST: ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS

PSAC LINKS: PRESEASON POLL | STANDINGS | STATS

THE GAME STORY

• Edinboro wraps up the regular season on Saturday, hosting local rival Mercyhurst. It's Senior Day, as Edinboro will recognize seniors Whitney Allen, Ciara Rosten, Ayana Vaughn, and Jontay Walton in pre-game ceremonies. The 11th-ranked Fighting Scots saw their nine-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday, suffering a 67-53 loss at ninth-ranked Indiana(Pa.) in a battle for first place in the Western Division.  
• The Fighting Scots have now posted eight straight 20-win seasons and come into the game with a 22-3 record, the three losses to nationally-ranked IUP twice and California(Pa.). Edinboro is 18-3 in PSAC West action, one game ahead of third place Cal (17-4). An Edinboro win or Cal loss will clinch the second seed in the PSAC Tournament and a first round bye. They would then host a quarterfinal game at McComb Fieldhouse against the winner of the Cal-Slippery Rock first round game. If the Fighting Scots lose and Cal defeats Clarion, Edinboro drops into the third seed and will face Slippery Rock, the sixth seed, on Monday night.
• Mercyhurst comes into the final game with a deceiving 10-17 record, including 8-13 in PSAC action. A young Lakers team will not make the PSAC Tournament this year, but owns wins over both IUP and Cal.  They come off a 67-59 win over Pitt-Johnstown on Wednesday, snapping a five-game losing streak.
• The second set of NCAA regional rankings came out on Wednesday. Edinboro was third in the Atlantic Region, with Virginia Union first and IUP second. The top eight teams from each region qualify for the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championships. In the national polls, Edinboro is 11th in the WBCA Division II Top 25 and is 12th in the D2SIDA Top 25.
• The Fighting Scots will make their ninth consecutive appearance in the PSAC Tournament. During Edinboro's run, the Fighting Scots have posted 20-win seasons each of the last eight campaigns. All told, they have gone 188-49 over the last eight years. 
• Ciara Rosten posted her fifth double-double at IUP, finishing with 24 points and 11 rebounds. A week ago, she recorded the first 20-point, 20-rebound game of her career at Clarion, totaling 27 points and 20 rebounds.
• On December 2, head coach Stan Swank became the all-time winningest basketball coach in PSAC history, after his then-560th career victory, an 81-54 decision at Mansfield. He passed Charles Chronister of Bloomsburg for the most wins all-time by a men's or women's basketball coach in the PSAC. In his 31 years at Edinboro, Swank has gone 576-304 overall and entered the year ranked ninth among active Division II coaches with 554 career wins. 
• Edinboro is averaging 78.1 ppg., good for second in the PSAC and 19th in Division II. They are third defensively in the conference, allowing 59.0 ppg., and rank third in the PSAC and 17th nationally in field goal percentage defense with a 35.2 percent mark. Mercyhurst is scoring 62.2 ppg., ranking 12th in the conference, and allow 67.7 ppg., which also ranks 12th.
• Michelle Jahn has moved within 21 points of 1,000 for her career at Edinboro. She would become the 27th player to reach 1,000 points. In addition, the junior guard has moved into the top five in career 3-pointers at Edinboro. She has made 180 three's, good for fifth place, and leads Edinboro in 3-pointers this season (48-of-144). 
• Jontay Walton (16.5 ppg.), Ciara Rosten (16.5), Michaela Barnes (12.9), and Michelle Jahn (12.5) are all scoring in double figures. Combined, they are responsible for 58.4 points (74.8 percent) of the Fighting Scots' 78.1 points per game.

• The Edinboro-Mercyhurst game can be heard on WFSE-FM 88.9. Dakota Palmer will be handling the play-by-play with Madison Gross providing color commentary. Trey Staunch will help call for the first half of the women's contest.
• 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. Mercyhurst 

• Edinboro leads 50-12 
• First Meeting: 1970-71 – Edinboro 64, Mercyhurst 57 
• Last Meeting: January 24, 2018 – No. 15 Edinboro 73, Mercyhurst 54 
• Current Streak: Edinboro has won 12 of the last 13 meetings. 
• Swank vs. Mercyhurst: 33-11 

• Michelle Jahn's layup to start the contest gave 15th-ranked Edinboro a lead it never relinquished in a 73-54 win at Mercyhurst.
• Edinboro started the contest on a 10-2 run and after one quarter, Edinboro held a 26-13 advantage. The Fighting Scots shot 64.3 percent (9-of-14) in the stanza, with Michaela Barnes leading the way with eight points.
• The Fighting Scots held a 38-26 halftime lead, shooting 50.0 percent (14-of-28) from the floor as Jontay Walton accounted for 13 points. Mercyhurst was held to 11-of-26 shooting (42.3 pct.).
• Mercyhurst would cut the deficit to single digits in the third quarter when Maria Lapertosa hit a 3-pointer. The Lakers pulled to within four points on three occasions in the period. However, Ayana Vaughn found her stroke late in the frame, scoring five of Edinboro's final seven points for a 52-45 lead after 30 minutes.
• Vaughn continued her hot streak into the final stanza, scoring on back-to-back layups for the Fighting Scots. Edinboro would outscore Mercyhurst, 21-9, in the fourth quarter, and equaled its first quarter shooting mark of 64.3 percent (9-of-14) from the floor. The Lakers were held to 27.3 percent on 3-of-12 shooting.
• Edinboro ended the contest shooting 50.9 percent (29-of-57) from the floor, making 7-of-17 3-pointers, and going 8-of-10 at the line. Mercyhurst was held to 41.5 percent (22-of-53) from the floor, including 6-of-14 from behind the arc, and was 4-for-6 on free throws. Edinboro would outscore Mercyhurst, 38-15, in the paint.
• Walton led the Fighting Scots with 19 points, going 7-of-12 from the floor. The 5'5" guard also tied her career-high with six steals. Ciara Rosten added 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, with 10 rebounds. Barnes ended the night with 13 points, and Jahn and Vaughn contributed 11 points.
• Whitney Allen and Jahn were also busy on the glass. Allen brought down eight rebounds, including five on the offensive end, while Jahn tied her season-high of seven boards. 
• Kori Sidwell and Emily Shopene were the lone Lakers to score in double figures. Sidwell led Mercyhurst with 15 points. Shopene connected on 5-of-8 baskets, including 3-of-4 from long range, to finish with 13 points, and was the team's leading rebounder with eight boards.

• Edinboro: Stan Swank (Purdue '76) -- 576-304, 31st Year
• Stan Swank is in his 31st season as the Edinboro women's basketball head coach. He has led the Fighting Scots to eight straight 20-win seasons and nine straight PSAC Tournament berths. He has compiled a 188-49 overall record during this period. In total, Swank has had 14 20-win seasons as Edinboro's head coach. 
• Swank is the all-time leader in victories among PSAC men's and women's coaches with 576 wins. He entered the campaign with 554 wins, which was the most wins by a women's basketball coach in PSAC history. He then passed former Bloomsburg men's basketball coach Charles Chronister for the men's title in Edinboro's 81-54 triumph at Mansfield. 
• Entering the 2017-18 season, Swank ranked ninth among active Division II with 554 wins at Edinboro and 41st in the NCAA. As a program, Edinboro ranked 13th all-time in Division II with 779 wins. Over the last five years, he has coached the Scots to a .733 winning percentage, which is 25th in Division II. Swank also ranked 38th in Division II history with a .648 winning percentage. 
• In his 31 years at Edinboro, he has led the Fighting Scots to four PSAC championship titles, and ten appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament. During March Madness, the Fighting Scots have made two Elite Eight appearances, three Sweet Sixteen births, and have made the Round of 32 on four occasions. 

Mercyhurst: Deanna Richard (Oakland '96) 123-174, 11th year, 184-266, 17th year overall 

• Deanna Richard is in her 11th season as the Mercyhurst women's basketball head coach. 
• Last season, she led Mercyhurst to its best record in over 20 years at 24-8. The Lakers also won 17 PSAC contests, which is the most in program history. In addition to receiving their fourth PSAC Tournament berth with Richard's at the helm, they advanced to the NCAA Atlantic Regional Semifinal. It marked their first postseason appearance in over two decades. 
• Richard came to Mercyhurst from Olivet, where she spent six seasons as the head coach of the Comets and made the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Tournament all six years. 
• During her playing days, Richard was an outstanding player at Oakland from 1992-96, leading Oakland to a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship and a trip to the Elite Eight. She finished her career with 1,333 points and was inducted into Oakland's Hall of Honor in 2007.

• Edinboro is looking to secure the second seed in the PSAC West on Saturday with a win over Mercyhurst. The Fighting Scots traveled to No. 9 Indiana(Pa.) this past Wednesday, as both teams competed for the top spot in the Western Division. However, IUP found its stroke in the fourth quarter, connecting on nine consecutive baskets and holding Edinboro to a season-low nine points in a 67-53 decision. 
• A win against the Lakers would secure the No. 2 seed for Edinboro and it would also give the Fighting Scots a first-round bye. They would then host the winner of the No. 3 vs. No. 6 matchup. The Fighting Scots, who are 22-3 overall and 18-3 in the PSAC West are guaranteed a top 3 spot in the Western Division. However, California(Pa.) is also in the hunt for a top 3 seed, but they can only claim the No. 2 ranking if Edinboro were to lose on Saturday. 
• Edinboro celebrates Senior Day on Saturday, with four seniors appearing in their final regular season game. Whitney Allen, Ciara Rosten, Ayana Vaughn, and Jontay Walton will be honored in pre-game ceremonies. 
• The NCAA released the Division II Regional rankings on Wednesday. For the second straight week, Edinboro was third in the Atlantic Region, with Virginia Union first and IUP second. The top eight teams from each region will qualify for the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championships. In the national polls, Edinboro is 11th in the WBCA Division II Top 25 and is 12th in the D2SIDA Top 25. 
• Edinboro has posted 20-win seasons each of the last eight years, going a combined 188-49 overall. During that span, they have made four NCAA Tournament appearances, one Elite Eight appearance, and two Atlantic Regional Championship berths. The Fighting Scots have also won three PSAC Championship titles during that stretch and will be appearing in their ninth straight PSAC Tournament. 
• Edinboro is averaging 78.1 ppg., which is second in the PSAC and 19th in Division II. Defensively, they are allowing 59.0 ppg., good for third in the conference. Opposing teams have been held to a 35.2 percent clip, which ranks second in the conference and 17th in the country.  
• The Fighting Scots have allowed less than 70 points in 12 of the last 14. Edinboro extended its streak by holding ninth-ranked IUP to 67 points in their third loss of the year. The Scots are winning by an average of 19.1 ppg., which is second in the PSAC and ninth nationally. 
• Edinboro ranks third in the PSAC and 15th in the country in turnover margin ( 5.7). The Fighting Scots average 13.9 turnovers a game, which is third in the conference. They also stand second in the PSAC in rebounding margin at 5.1. 
• The Fighting Scots are one of the top three-point shooting teams in the PSAC. They are second in 3-point field goal percentage at 35.3 pct. 
• Stan Swank is the winningest basketball coach in PSAC history. In December, he picked up his then 560th career victory over Mansfield, 81-54. In the win, he passed Charles Chronister of Bloomsburg for the most wins all-time by a men's or women's basketball coach in the PSAC. In his 31 years at Edinboro, Swank has gone 576-304  overall and entered the year ranked ninth among Division II coaches with 554 career wins. 
• In Edinboro's loss at IUP, the Fighting Scots were the better shooting team over the first three quarters. The Fighting Scots shot 41.9 pct. (18-of-43) from the field and held the Crimson Hawks to a 34.0 pct. (18-of-53) mark. Ciara Rosten notched her 15th double-double of the campaign with 24 points and 11 rebounds. She shot 10-of-15 from the field and made 4-of-7 free throws. The 6'2" forward also dished out a team-high five assists and blocked two shots. Edinboro's backcourt trio of Jontay Walton, Michaela Barnes, and Michelle Jahn had a rare off-night against the Crimson Hawks. They entered the game averaging a combined 41.9 ppg., but were held to 17 points on 4-of-31 shooting.
• Ciara Rosten recently set Edinboro's season record for blocks shots, and currently has 96. She leads the PSAC and ranks fifth in the country in both blocked shots per game (3.8), and total blocks. In just two seasons, Rosten has already climbed to third in career blocks at Edinboro with 147. The 6'2" senior averages 16.5 ppg., and 11.7 rpg., which leads the PSAC and is sixth in Division II. She has recorded 15 double-doubles, tops in the PSAC and ninth nationally. She even ranks second on the team in assists with 80. She led Edinboro in scoring at IUP with 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting and 11 rebounds. She also blocked two shots and has recorded two blocks in 24 straight contests. 
• Jontay Walton is also tied with Rosten in points per game, scoring a team-high 16.5 ppg. She ranks third in the PSAC in assists per game (4.2), steals per game (2.7), steals (67), an is fourth in assists (105). The 5'5" guard has recorded a 1.94 assist-turnover ratio, which is fifth in the conference. She has made 41-of-94 3-pointers. 
• Michelle Jahn has scored 979 career points, leaving her 21 shy of becoming the 27th Fighting Scot with 1,000 points. The 5'8" guard is averaging 12.5 ppg. Jahn is Edinboro's top 3-point threat with 48 in 144 attempts. She ranks fifth in career 3-pointers made (180) and is fifth in career 3-pointers attempted (511). 
• After being named the PSAC West Freshman of the Year in 2016-17, Michaela Barnes has broken out to average 12.9 ppg. after scoring 8.7 ppg. last year. The sophomore guard is shooting a highly-respectable 46.3 percent from the floor and has made 30-of-62 3-pointers. 

Scouting the Lakers 

• Mercyhurst travels to Edinboro for its final contest of the season. With a 10-17 record and 8-13 mark in the PSAC West, the Lakers are three games behind Slippery Rock, who secured the final seed in the Western Division. 
• Deanna Richard is in her 11th season with the Lakers. A year ago, she guided Mercyhurst to its best record since the 1994-95 season with a 24-8 overall record and 17-5 mark in conference play, which led to Mercyhurst's first NCAA Tournament appearance since the '94-'95 campaign. Its season concluded following an 86-75 loss in the NCAA Atlantic Regional semifinal contest at No. 7 California(Pa.). 
• The Lakers entered the season as a very young team, following the departures of their entire starting lineup from a year ago. Mercyhurst welcomed six freshmen this season, including Emily Shopene, an Erie native, and a Mercyhurst Prep standout. Shopene has started in one of two Lakers to start in every contest this season and has averaged 5.8 ppg. and 4.4 rpg.  
• Mercyhurst is ranked 12th in the PSAC in scoring offense (62.2 ppg.) and scoring defense (67.7). 
• The Lakers are averaging 36.9 rpg. for 12th in the PSAC, but are third in the conference in rebound margin at 3.3. They are also one of the top three-point shooting teams in the league, ranking fourth on 3-pointers with a 34.8 pct. clip. 
• This past Wednesday, Mercyhurst defeated Pitt-Johnstown, 67-59 in their final home contest this season. Eliza Oswalt scored a career-high 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including four 3-pointers and 4-of-4 free throws. Emilee Norris also scored in double-digits with 12 points.
• Maria Lapertosa is averaging a team-high 12.8 ppg. The 5'10" junior also leads Mercyhurst in 3-pointers made this season with 38. 
• Renz is also adding double-digits, scoring 12.2 ppg. Her 82.8 pct. mark on free throws is a team-high.
• Norris leads the team on the glass, collecting 7.1 rpg.