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Daylon Harris vs. California(Pa.)
Mike Gallagher

Men's Basketball Bob Shreve, Sports Information Director

Edinboro Begins Three-Game Homestand Hosting Red-Hot Slippery Rock Squad

Junior forward Daylon Harris
SLIPPERY ROCK The Rock (13-5, 10-1 PSAC West) at EDINBORO Fighting Scots (5-11, 2-9 PSAC West)    
Saturday, January 26, 2019, 3:00 PM | McComb Fieldhouse | Edinboro, Pa.
LINKS: LIVE STATS | AUDIO-WFSE 88.9 l WATCH


ADDITIONAL LINKS
EDINBORO: ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
SLIPPERY ROCK: ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS

The Game Story
  • After playing five of the last six games on the road, Edinboro returns to McComb Fieldhouse for the next three games. The Fighting Scots snapped a seven-game losing streak, the longest of head coach Pat Cleary's tenure, with an 82-77 win at Clarion on Wednesday.
  • Edinboro comes in with a 5-11 record and is 2-9 in PSAC action. The Fighting Scots were picked to finish seventh in the PSAC West. Slippery Rock was picked second in the Western Division in the coaches' preseason poll, and have lived up to that prediction. The Rock has run off 11 straight wins after Wednesday's 87-70 triumph over Pitt-Johnstown, improving to 13-5 overall. SRU is tied with IUP for first place in the PSAC West with a 10-1 record. The Rock is ranked sixth in the latest D2SIDA Atlantic Region rankings.
  • Edinboro suffered large graduation losses, and has been forced to play without second team All-PSAC West performer Anthony Coleman the last 12 games due to an injury. The Fighting Scots have also been without second-leading scorer DeAnthony Owens the last six games, and Steven Freeman, who has been filling in at guard, sat out the last two contests with an injury before returning late in the Clarion game.
  • Edinboro comes in averaging 71.9 ppg., ranking 13th in the PSAC, while allowing 82.4 ppg., good for 15th in the PSAC. Slippery Rock is third in the PSAC in scoring offense (83.4 ppg.) and ranks seventh in scoring defense (72.6 ppg.). SRU has traditionally been one of the top rebounding teams in the PSAC, and this year is no exception. They come in ranked fourth in the conference in rebounding margin at +6.3.
  • Head coach Pat Cleary was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year after leading Edinboro to an 18-11 record a year ago. It marked the finest year of his five-year reign after Edinboro had been picked to finish eighth in the Western Division. The Fighting Scots would finish 13-9 in PSAC action, good for fourth place. They went on to defeat Pitt-Johnstown in the opening round, followed by an upset of top-seeded Indiana(Pa.) in the quarterfinals. Edinboro would lose to eventual PSAC champion East Stroudsburg in the semifinals.
On the Radio/Video
  • The Edinboro-Slippery Rock game can be heard on WFSE-FM 88.9, with Sydney Dundon and Chase Rowland providing the commentary. The game can also be viewed live as part of the PSAC Network.  
All-Time Series vs. Slippery Rock
  • Edinboro leads 89-85:  Six of the last nine meetings have been decided by six points or less.
  • First Meeting: 1928-29 – Edinboro 46, Slippery Rock 32
  • Last Meeting: 2017-18 – Edinboro 97, Slippery Rock 87
  • Current Streak: Edinboro won the last meeting
  • Cleary vs. SRU: 3-8 
Last Meeting
February 14, 2018 – Edinboro 97, Slippery Rock 87 at Edinboro, Pa. BOX | RECAP
  • Mike Beck scored a career-high 23 points and Edinboro enjoyed a season-best  shooting night in a 97-87 win over Slippery Rock.
  • A tall and talented Slippery Rock squad led on just two occasions, and by just one point each time. The last came at the 15:16 mark of the first half at 11-10 on a Micah Till layup. But unlike the first meeting, when Till dominated the action with 26 points and 20 rebounds in an 88-82 win, this time around the Fighting Scots were able to somewhat limit the 6'7", 250 lb. redshirt junior.
  • Beck's drive gave Edinboro a 12-11 lead. The Fighting Scots eventually pulled ahead by 12 points in the first half at 30-18, but with both teams battling foul trouble, SRU would pull to within 48-43 at intermission.
  • Beck had 10 points in the first half, then warmed up in the second half. With just under ten minutes to play, Slippery Rock closed to within two points at 69-67 on a Tony Gates jumper. The margin was still just four points at 77-73 with 6:41 to play, but the lead would balloon to 13 points four minutes later, with Beck playing a large role.
  • The Fighting Scots hit six free throws – two apiece by Jaymon Mason, Anthony Coleman, and Keshawn Liggins, with a Mason jumper mixed in. That gave Edinboro an 85-75 lead with 4:19 left. Till's layup made it an eight-point contest, but Beck stepped up and hit back-to-back three's to boost the lead to 93-80 with 2:32 remaining.
  • A pair of turnovers would allow Slippery Rock to close to 93-86 with 65 seconds left, but Coleman and Liggins made two free throws apiece to close out the win.
  • Edinboro's 97 points were a season-high, as the Fighting Scots shot a season-high 52.5 percent from the floor (31-of-59), including 60.7 percent (17-of-28) over the first 20 minutes. Slippery Rock came in leading the PSAC and ranking ninth in Division II in field goal percentage defense at 40.1 percent. Edinboro made 10-of-16 3-pointers and went 25-of-27 at the line.
  • The Rock shot 50.9 percent from the floor (29-of-57), converting 4-of-13 3-pointers, and was 25-of-31 at the line. The top rebounding team in the PSAC and third in Division II, Slippery Rock held a 34-26 advantage on the glass, including 13 offensive boards. However, Edinboro committed just seven turnovers compared to 15 for SRU.
  • Beck, a senior swingman, finished the game making 9-of-14 field goals, including 5-of-8 3-pointers, to register the top scoring effort of his career.
  • Mason actually led the Fighting Scots in scoring with 24 points despite playing just 28 minutes due to foul trouble. He made 9-of-15 field goals, including 3-of-5 3-pointers, and was 3-for-3 at the line, adding a game-high six assists.
  • Liggins, the PSAC's leading scorer, totaled 21 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Coleman contributed 12 points.
  • Till finished with a game-high 28 points, but the PSAC's leading rebounder finished with just five boards. He was a perfect 11-for-11 at the line. Merdic Green added 26 points, going 9-of-10 at the charity stripe.
     
Head Coach Pat Cleary (Edinboro '99) -- 70-80, 6th 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.
  • 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. Two years 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. 
  • The 2017-18 Fighting Scots were picked to finish eighth in the PSAC West Coaches' Preseason Poll. They would surprise the league with a fourth place finish at 13-9 in league play, and 18-11 overall. Edinboro would defeat Pitt-Johnstown in the opening round of the PSAC Tournament, then hand top-seeded Indiana(Pa.) a defeat in the quarterfinals. The playoff run came to an end with a loss to eventual PSAC champion East Stroudsburg in the semifinals. It marked Edinboro's first appearance in the PSAC Final Four since 2008.
  • Cleary was named the PSAC West Coach of the Year. The 18 wins were the most by the Fighting Scots since the 2012-13 team won 18 games.  
  • 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.
Scouting the Fighting Scots
  • For the second time this season, Edinboro followed up a lopsided loss with an impressive win, on the road no less. Head coach Pat Cleary has had to resort to a young and inexperienced squad since early in the year when All-PSAC West guard Anthony Coleman went down with an injury. It has hastened the development of young players such as sophomores Jaryn Simpson and Alex Jay and freshman Turner Kurt. Their play was critical on Wednesday as the Fighting Scots snapped a seven-game losing streak with an 82-77 win at Clarion.
  • The Fighting Scots come into the Slippery Rock game with a 5-11 overall record and 2-9 in the PSAC West. They were picked to finish seventh in the PSAC West in the coaches' preseason after finishing fourth in the division with an 18-11 record a year ago.   
  • The Fighting Scots have now played 12 games without Anthony Coleman, and the last six without second-leading scorer DeAnthony Owens (13.1 ppg.). Starting forward Daylon Harris missed some time due to a death in the family, as well, while Steven Freeman had stepped in at guard and started three games before going down with an injury in practice. He missed the last two contests before seeing limited time against Clarion.    
  • A second team All-PSAC West selection a year ago in his first season at Edinboro, Coleman averaged 15.2 ppg. and was one of the top 3-point threats in the PSAC. He scored in double digits in the first three games, and was well on his way to a fourth at Charleston. The 6'3" senior scored Edinboro's first seven points, but he would go out with an injury and not return. Coleman has not played since and is expected to miss an extended period with the injury.
  • As a freshman, Jaryn Simpson averaged 3.4 ppg. The sophomore guard from nearby Cathedral Prep has emerged as one of the top performers in the PSAC in his sophomore season. He ranks sixth in the conference in scoring (18.4 ppg.), along with second in free throw percentage (88.9 pct.), fifth in assists per game (4.7), and sixth in 3-pointers made per game (2.9). Simpson has had a pair of 30-point games this season, with a career-high 34 points vs. Bloomsburg and 33 vs. Pitt-Johnstown. He had his eighth game of 20-or-more points at Clarion, dropping in 20 points along with handing out seven assists. Simpson has scored in double digits in 14 of 16 games. He leads the team with 75 assists, has made a team-high 47 3-pointers in 133 attempts, and is even averaging 5.4 rpg., third on the team.     
  • Trey Staunch made his first career start at Clarion after previously coming off the bench.  The 6'4", 280 lb. offensive tackle-turned-forward gives up several inches in the paint but doesn't lack for muscle inside. He has scored in double figures in 14 of his 15 games since the football season concluded. In his first start, he had 18 points and six rebounds despite battling foul trouble. That boosted his average to 13.9 ppg., and he leads the team in rebounding at 6.1 rpg. Staunch recently posted his second career double double against Gannon with 20 points and 10 rebounds. He is shooting 54.4 percent from the floor (5th in the PSAC). He was a second team All-PSAC West as an offensive tackle this year. He had not played basketball since high school before joining the team last season.  
  • Turner Kurt, a 6'8" freshman, has started the last six games. He hit one of the biggest shots of the season on Wednesday, a 3-pointer with less than two minutes to play after Clarion had closed to within two points. Kurt is averaging 7.9 ppg. and 4.8 rpg., with a season-high of 18 points at Pitt-Johnstown. He has made 21-of-60 3-pointers
  • Daylon Harris turned in one of his top efforts of the season at Clarion, contributing 18 points and six rebounds. The 6'5" junior by way of Western Nebraska CC is averaging 7.8 ppg. while starting 13 games at forward.
  • Edinboro received strong contributions from a pair of unlikely sources at Clarion. Anthony Allen, a 6'8" junior, had pulled down nine rebounds in eight previous games. In 19 minutes of action, Allen finished with 10 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. Steven Freeman had started three previous games at guard, but then was forced to miss the next two games with an injury. The junior guard was inserted into the game with ten minutes remaining on Wednesday, and scored seven points down the stretch.
Scouting The Rock
  • Slippery Rock was picked to finish second in the PSAC West, and despite a change at head coach just prior to the start of the season, that prediction has been justified. The Rock comes in at 13-5 overall, riding an 11-game winning streak. They are tied for first with IUP in the division with a 10-1 record. SRU registered its 11th straight win on Wednesday with an 87-70 win over Pitt-Johnstown.
  • On November 2, 2018, Ian Grady was named the acting head coach at Slippery Rock, replacing Kevin Reynolds. Grady is in his 10th season on the SRU coaching staff, and has played a major role in turning The Rock into one of the top programs in the Atlantic Region. Slippery Rock has won 20-or-more games six times in the last 10 years and has reached three NCAA Division II postseason tournaments. SRU was 21-9 a year ago.
  • Slippery Rock returned just one player from last year's squad, but that player was All-American Micah Till. The 6'7", 260 lb. redshirt junior has been one of the most dominant players in Division II since joining SRU a year ago.  He averaged 21.0 ppg. and 12.0 rpg. in 2017-18, and this year he comes in at 21.4 ppg. and 10.3 rpg. He ranks second in the PSAC in scoring, first in rebounding, and second in blocks per game (1.9). Till recently became just the 14th player in SRU history with 1,000 points (1,026) and 500 rebounds (547), and did so in just 47 games. A year ago, Till had 26 points and 20 rebounds in the first meeting, and 28 points and five boards in the next.
  • Jared Armstrong, a transfer from Butler(KS) CC, adds 17.2 ppg. The 5'10" junior has made 51-of-115 3-pointers. John Warren II earned All-NSIC honors while playing three seasons at Augustana(SD).  The 6'6" senior comes in at 12.3 ppg. and has made 32-of-86 3-pointers.
  • Vinny Lasley, started 23 games in 2016-17, but did not play last year. A 6'6" redshirt senior, he is averaging 7.4 ppg. along with 7.6 rpg.
Next for the Fighting Scots
  • Edinboro will play the middle game of its three-game homestand on Wednesday, January 30, facing local rival Mercyhurst. The contest tips off at 7:30 p.m.  
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Players Mentioned

Mike Beck

#23 Mike Beck

F/G
6' 4"
Senior
Jaymon Mason

#5 Jaymon Mason

G
6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
Keshawn Liggins

#3 Keshawn Liggins

G/F
6' 5"
Senior
Anthony Coleman

#4 Anthony Coleman

G
6' 3"
Senior
Alex Jay

#15 Alex Jay

G
6' 3"
Sophomore
Jaryn Simpson

#11 Jaryn Simpson

G
6' 2"
Sophomore
Trey Staunch

#45 Trey Staunch

F
6' 4"
Senior
Anthony Allen

#23 Anthony Allen

F
6' 8"
Junior
Daylon Harris

#3 Daylon Harris

F
6' 5"
Junior
Turner Kurt

#33 Turner Kurt

F
6' 8"
Freshman
DeAnthony Owens

#24 DeAnthony Owens

G
6' 4"
Junior
Steven Freeman

#22 Steven Freeman

G
5' 11"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Mike Beck

#23 Mike Beck

6' 4"
Senior
F/G
Jaymon Mason

#5 Jaymon Mason

6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
G
Keshawn Liggins

#3 Keshawn Liggins

6' 5"
Senior
G/F
Anthony Coleman

#4 Anthony Coleman

6' 3"
Senior
G
Alex Jay

#15 Alex Jay

6' 3"
Sophomore
G
Jaryn Simpson

#11 Jaryn Simpson

6' 2"
Sophomore
G
Trey Staunch

#45 Trey Staunch

6' 4"
Senior
F
Anthony Allen

#23 Anthony Allen

6' 8"
Junior
F
Daylon Harris

#3 Daylon Harris

6' 5"
Junior
F
Turner Kurt

#33 Turner Kurt

6' 8"
Freshman
F
DeAnthony Owens

#24 DeAnthony Owens

6' 4"
Junior
G
Steven Freeman

#22 Steven Freeman

5' 11"
Junior
G