Matt Durisko

Women's Basketball 1/22/2019 1:41:00 PM Chris Slack, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Edinboro Plays Second Game in Six Days on Wednesday at Clarion

The Game Story

Edinboro plays its second game in six days, and its final road game for two weeks on Wednesday, January 23 at Clarion.
The Fighting Scots come in at 10-5 overall and 6-4 in the PSAC West following a 97-73 loss at top-ranked Indiana(Pa.). Edinboro is now on a two-game losing streak for the first time since the 2016-17 season. Picked to win the Western Division in the coaches' preseason poll, the Fighting Scots are tied for fourth in the West and are currently ranked ninth in the D2SIDA Atlantic Region poll. Also on a skid are the Golden Eagles, who have suffered defeat in seven straight. Clarion is 7-10 on the year, but are only 1-9 in conference play. Clarion was voted to finish last in the west, and are last out of the nine West teams. The Golden Eagles have already tied their win total from a year ago, having gone 7-21 and 2-20 in the conference.
Edinboro looks to win its third straight contest and 11th win in the last 12 meetings vs. Clarion. Last Season, Edinboro spoiled Clarion's senior day, 79-45, and picked up a 77-51 victory at McComb Fieldhouse.
Ciara Rosten aims to become the second Fighting Scot to eclipse 1,000 points this season. The redshirt senior heads into Wednesday's contest eight points shy of the mark with 992. Against the Crimson Hawks, scored 13 points, brought down 13 rebounds, passed out six assists, and blocked three shots.
Michaela Barnes is also approaching her 1,000th career point. In just two-plus seasons, she has 945 points. At IUP, the 5'5" guard paced Edinboro with a team-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Entering the contest, Barnes had struggled from the field in her last two contests, as she shot a combined 4-of-17 from the field and 0-for-3 from behind the arc.
Jontay Walton and Michelle Jahn have already topped 1,000 points in their careers. Walton surpassed 1,000 points in Edinboro's 99-92 upset of nationally-ranked California(Pa.) and sits at 27th with 1,092. Jahn scored her 1,000th point in the last season's quarterfinal round of the PSAC Tournament against the Vulcans. The 5'8" senior ranks 18th with 1,262 points.
A year ago, the Fighting Scots finished with a 27-4 record a year ago, 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 ranks second in the PSAC in offense, averaging 77.7 ppg., but is allowing 70.7 ppg. for 11th. Clarion ranks 16th in scoring at 62.4 ppg. However, the Golden Eagles make up for their low scoring on the defensive end, allowing 60.6 ppg. That is the third-lowest points allowed per game in the league in the PSAC.

On the Radio/Video

The Edinboro-Clarion game can be heard on WFSE-FM 88.9, with Madi Gross providing the commentary. In addition, the contest will be streamed live as part of the PSAC Sports Network.

All-Time Series vs. Clarion

Edinboro leads 54-30
First Meeting: 1969-70 – Edinboro 52, Clarion 25
Last Meeting: 2017-18 – Edinboro 79, Clarion 45
Current Streak: Edinboro has two straight and 10 of the last 11 contests.
Wheeler vs. Clarion: 0-0

Last Meeting
February 17, 2018 – Edinboro 79, Clarion 45 at Clarion, Pa. - BOX | RECAP

A 14-0 run between the first and second quarters and a strong defensive performance helped 13th-ranked Edinboro spoil Clarion's senior day, 79-45 at Tippin Gymnasium. With the win, Edinboro's improved to 22-2, making its win total the most in a season since the 2013-14 campaign, when the Fighting Scots went 27-6.
With 5:25 left in the opening quarter, Edinboro and Clarion were knotted at 6-6. Whitney Allen split a pair of free throws, giving the Fighting Scots a one-point lead. Her free throw would become the start of a 12-0 run to end the quarter. Ciara Rosten scored the next four points on a layup and back-to-back free throws. Jontay Walton added a jumper and Michelle Jahn laid in a basket. Rosten's third layup of the stanza extended the lead to 17-6 and Jahn ended the period converting a free throw.
In the second quarter, Michaela Barnes scored her first points of the game on a jumper, extending the Edinboro run to 14-0. The Fighting Scots went into the half up 34-12, outscoring Clarion 22-4, and holding them to a 20.0 percent (6-of-30) from the floor.
In the second half, Clarion never cut the Edinboro's lead to single digits, as the Fighting Scots led by as much as 34 points in the fourth quarter.
Edinboro made 42.9 percent (30-of-70) of its shots, including 3-of-16 3-pointers and 16-of-24 free throws. Clarion was held to 24.3 percent (17-of-70) overall, including 6-of-26 from behind the arc, and 5-of-10 at the line. The 45 points allowed is tied for the second-fewest the Scots' allowed last season.
The Fighting Scots grabbed a season-high 60 rebounds, while holding the Golden Eagles to 40 boards. Edinboro dominated Clarion in the paint for a 46-10, led 12-4 in fast break points, and outscored the Golden Eagle bench, 20-11. They also dished out eight more assists than Clarion with 16.
Rosten led all players with 27 points and 20 rebounds. She shot 11-of-20 from the floor, connected on 5-of-6 free throws, and blocked three shots. The 6'2" forward extended a streak of two-or-more blocks to 23 straight games. Walton was the only other player in the game to score in double figures, shooting 8-of-17 for 20 points, 10 of which coming in the third period. The 5'5" guard led all players with three steals.
Whitney Allen brought down double-digit rebounds for the second consecutive game with 11 boards. Bridgette Shaffer came off the bench for eight rebounds.
Jordan Bekelja was Clarion's leading scorer with nine points. Yasmin Lewis led the team on the glass with 12 rebounds.

Head Coach: Callie Wheeler (Edinboro '06) -- 10-5, 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 rank 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's contest at Clarion the fifth road game in its last six contests, and the final game away from McComb Fieldhouse for the next two weeks. The Fighting Scots are on a two-game losing streak for the first time in two seasons following a 97-73 loss to top-ranked Indiana(Pa.). Edinboro is 10-5 overall, 6-4 in the PSAC West, and is ranked ninth in the D2SIDA Atlantic Region poll.
Edinboro sits at fourth in the Western Division and a game behind Slippery Rock who comes to town on Saturday. The Fighting Scots were picked to win the Western Division this year in the coaches' preseason poll, after winning their fifth PSAC Championship a year ago.
After scoring 13 points at IUP, Ciara Rosten aims to become the 36th Fighting Scot to score her 1,000 career points. The 6'2" forward has 992 points in her career, just eight shy of the mark. The reigning PSAC West Athlete of the Year and Defensive Athlete of the Year, she is averaging 12.1 ppg. and 7.8 rpg. Rosten led Edinboro in rebounds (8), assists (6), and blocks (3). She leads the PSAC in blocks per game (2.1) and is Edinboro's leading rebounder, collecting 7.8 rpg.
Michaela Barnes is also approaching the 1,000-point club. In two-plus seasons, she's accounted for 945 points, most recently scoring a team-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting at IUP. The 5'5" guard shot her way out of a shooting slump, having connected on 4-of-17 field goals in the previous two contests. A second-team All-PSAC West selection and the PSAC Tournament MVP a year ago, averaging 18.1 ppg., for eighth in the conference and has connected on 50.5 percent of her baskets. That is sixth-best in the PSAC.
Rosten and Barnes would become Edinboro's second and third 1,000th point scorer this season, respectively. Jontay Walton reached the plateau in Edinboro's 99-92 upset of nationally-ranked California(Pa.) on January 2nd. After scoring 12 points against the Crimson Hawks, she climbed to 27th on the all-time list with 1,092. A first-team All-PSAC West selection a year ago, the graduate student is Edinboro's leading scorer with 18.3 ppg., for seventh in the PSAC. In addition, Walton ranks third in the conference in free throw shooting percentage (86.2 pct.) and steals (44), while ranking fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (37.3 percent) and assists per game (4.4). She is the only Fighting Scot to score in double figures in all 15 games this season, including 31 in a row.
Michelle Jahn scorer her 1,000th career point last season in Edinboro's PSAC Tournament quarterfinal victory over California(Pa.). Ranking 18th with 1,262 career points, the senior guard has been one of Edinboro's top 3-point threat during her career. She ranks seventh in the PSAC in three-point shooting percentage at 35.7 percent and in 3-pointers per game (2.3). with a 34.8 pct. clip (32-of-92). In addition, she has made 82.7 percent of her free throws (43-of-52) this year, for eighth in the PSAC. A second team All-PSAC West selection last season, she ranks second in career 3-pointers made (231), third in 3-pointers attempted (647), and is seventh in 3-point field goal percentage (.357).
Bridgette Shaffer has been Edinboro's leading rebounder in six contests this year. The 5'8" redshirt junior has collected +5.0rpg. in 12 of 15 games this season. Shaffer is averaging 8.7 ppg. and is the team's second-leading rebounder per game with 7.1 rpg.
The Fighting Scots' ranks second in the PSAC in scoring offense, averaging 77.7 ppg. Defensively, they are allowing 70.7 ppg., for 11th. They are tied for first in 3-pointers made per game (7.7), and are second in the league in three-point shooting (34.5) and free throw shooting percentage (74.8).

Scouting the Golden Eagles

Clarion suffered its seventh consecutive loss on Monday at Gannon, 62-53. With the loss, they fell the 7-10 overall and 1-9 in the PSAC West. Picked to finish eighth in the coaches' preseason poll, are in last place. The Golden Eagles started the year at 5-0, but have gone 2-9 since.
Clarion's next win would surpass last season's win total. A year ago, the Golden Eagles went 7-21 and 2-20 in the conference and ended the season on a 16-game losing streak.
Clarion head coach Jana Ashley is in her fifth season with a 40-90 overall record. Two years ago, she led the Golden Eagles to a PSAC playoff berth. It was the team's second appearance in 10 years. Last season, the Golden Eagles struggled during the second half of the campaign, as they ended the year on a 16-game skid. Prior to arriving at Clarion, she was an assistant coach over 11 seasons with stints at Iona, George Mason, and Radford.
The Golden Eagles rank 16th out of 17 teams in the PSAC in scoring offense with 62.4 ppg., but allow the third-fewest points in the conference at 60.6 ppg.
Junior Kadijah Dickson is a transfer from Bridgeport, where she led the team in scoring last season with 11.6 ppg., while also collecting 6.5 rpg. As a Golden Eagle, she is the team's top scorer, averaging 16.1 ppg., shooting 44.3 percent from the floor. In addition, her team-leading 8.2 rpg. ranks fourth in the conference.
Sophomore Yndiah Bobo is the only other Clarion player to average double figures this season, contributing 10.1 ppg. Guards Yasmin Lewis and Jordan Bekelja are nearly scoring in double figures at 9.8 and 9.1 ppg., respectively.

Next for the Fighting Scots

Edinboro travels to Clarion on Wednesday, January 23 for a 5:30 p.m. contest. The Fighting Scots will then play their next four games at McComb Fieldhouse.

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Players Mentioned

#12 Whitney Allen: F; 6' 1"; Graduate Student

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

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

#15 Ciara Rosten: F; 6' 2"; Senior

#5 Jontay Walton: G; 5' 5"; Redshirt Junior

#1 Bridgette Shaffer: G; 5' 8"; Redshirt Sophomore

#2 Michaela Barnes: G; 5' 5"; Junior

#20 Michelle Jahn: G; 5' 7"; Senior

#15 Ciara Rosten: F; 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior

#1 Bridgette Shaffer: G/F; 5' 8"; Redshirt Junior

#5 Jontay Walton: G; 5' 6"; Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

#12 Whitney Allen
: 6' 1"; Graduate Student
: F

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

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

#15 Ciara Rosten
: 6' 2"; Senior
: F

#5 Jontay Walton
: 5' 5"; Redshirt Junior
: G

#1 Bridgette Shaffer
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Sophomore
: G

#2 Michaela Barnes
: 5' 5"; Junior
: G

#20 Michelle Jahn
: 5' 7"; Senior
: G

#15 Ciara Rosten
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior
: F

#1 Bridgette Shaffer
: 5' 8"; Redshirt Junior
: G/F

#5 Jontay Walton
: 5' 6"; Graduate Student
: G

Edinboro University Athletics

Scoreboard

Scoreboard

Edinboro Plays Second Game in Six Days on Wednesday at Clarion

Players Mentioned

#12 Whitney Allen

#2 Michaela Barnes

#20 Michelle Jahn

#15 Ciara Rosten

#5 Jontay Walton

#1 Bridgette Shaffer

#2 Michaela Barnes

#20 Michelle Jahn

#15 Ciara Rosten

#1 Bridgette Shaffer

#5 Jontay Walton

Players Mentioned

#12 Whitney Allen

#2 Michaela Barnes

#20 Michelle Jahn

#15 Ciara Rosten

#5 Jontay Walton

#1 Bridgette Shaffer

#2 Michaela Barnes

#20 Michelle Jahn

#15 Ciara Rosten

#1 Bridgette Shaffer

#5 Jontay Walton