Mike Gallagher

Men's Basketball 1/3/2019 11:47:00 AM Bob Shreve, Sports Information Director

Fighting Scots Begin Three-Game Road Trip with Game at Seton Hill

Junior guard Steven Freeman

Edinboro begins a stretch of three straight road games looking to snap a two-game losing streak. The Fighting Scots opened 2019 with a 90-66 loss to California(Pa.) on Wednesday in their PSAC West opener. That leaves Edinboro with a 4-6 overall record and 1-4 in the PSAC West. Seton Hill went into overtime at Slippery Rock on Wednesday before losing 71-67. The Griffins have lost three straight games and five of their last six. They are 2-9 overall and 0-5 in league play.
After losing a pair of All-PSAC West performers in Keshawn Liggins and Jaymon Mason, Edinboro has been forced to play without second team All-PSAC West performer Anthony Coleman the last six games.
Edinboro comes in averaging 72.8 ppg., good for 13th in the PSAC. The Fighting Scots allow 78.9 ppg., which also ranks 12th. Seton Hill is 11th in scoring offense (73.5 ppg.) and 16th in scoring defense (86.1 ppg.).
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.
With three starters departing who combined for a total of 1,348 points, Edinboro was picked to finish seventh in the PSAC West in the coaches' preseason poll. The Griffins were picked seventh in the preseason poll after finishing 10-18 in 2017-18.

On the Radio/Video

The Edinboro-Seton Hill game can be heard on WFSE-FM 88.9, with Chris Rosato and Chase Rowland providing the commentary.

All-Time Series vs. Seton Hill

Tied at 6-5: Edinboro snapped a three-game losing streak to the Griffins with wins in both meetings last year.
First Meeting: 2007-08 – Edinboro 98, Seton Hill 71
Last Meeting: 2017-18 – Edinboro 78, Seton Hill 70
Current Streak: Edinboro has won the last two meetings
Cleary vs. Seton Hill: 5-5

Last Meeting
February 7, 2018 – Edinboro 78, Seton Hill 70 at Greensburg, Pa. BOX | RECAP

Edinboro clinched a berth in the PSAC Tournament with the 78-70 win at the McKenna Center, sweeping the season series in the process. Keshawn Liggins recorded his 13^th double-double of the season while Trey Staunch had the first of his career.
Liggins finished with 29 points and 15 rebounds, making 11-0f-19 field goals, including 3-of-5 3-pointers, and 4-of-5 at the line. He added three assists and three steals.
Staunch, the offensive lineman-turned-forward, worked his way to 13 points and 10 rebounds while giving away over four inches to Seton Hill's Spencer Casson. Staunch played 22 minutes and went 7-of-8 from the line.
Anthony Coleman was also in double figures with 15 points, 10 of those in the first half. He had three assists and three steals.
Seton Hill featured four players in double figures, led by Casson, who finished one block shy of a triple-double. The 6'8" redshirt senior had 15 points, 18 rebounds, and nine blocked shots. Trevor Blondin and Nathan Davis had 13 points apiece, while Trevor Lecuona had 11 points and seven assists.
Edinboro led for most of the evening and never trailed by more than a 3-pointer by Seton Hill to start the game, but the Fighting Scots made things interesting late in the game.
The Fighting Scots led by as much as 15 points in the first half at 32-17 at the four-minute mark thanks to an 11-1 run that featured five points by Liggins. The Griffins would end the half on a 9-3 run to close to 37-30 at intermission.
The Griffins would pull to within a point at 51-50 on Lecuona's 3-pointer midway through the half. Edinboro responded with the next ten points to make it 61-50 with 8:11 to play.
Back came the Griffins, as they used an 8-2 run to move to within 70-66 with 1:43 to play. Staunch's two free throws made it 72-66, but Anthony Karabotsos' layup closed the gap to four again with 37 seconds left. Coleman's layup boosted the lead to 74-68 with 26 seconds showing, but a Casson dunk five seconds later made it a four-point margin again.
Liggins was intentionally fouled on the next possession. He made both free throws, and Staunch closed out the win with two more freebies with 13 seconds to play.
Edinboro shot 40.9 percent from the floor (27-of-66), making 8-of-21 3-pointers, and was 16-of-22 at the line. Seton Hill was 27-of-63 from the floor (42.9 pct.), making 4-of-13 three's. and was 11-of-21 at the line.

Head Coach Pat Cleary (Edinboro '99) -- 69-75, 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

E?????dinboro comes in with a 4-6 record and is 1-4 in the PSAC West following a 90-66 loss to California(Pa.) on Wednesday. The Fighting Scots are 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 played the last six games without Anthony Coleman. 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.
Jaryn Simpson has emerged as Edinboro's leading scorer at 17.0 ppg., good for 13th in the PSAC, after averaging 3.4 ppg. as a freshman. The sophomore guard has scored in double figures in nine of ten games, with four games of 20-or-more points. That includes a career-best 34-point effort at Bloomsburg, making 10-of-18 field goals, including 5-of-9 3-pointers, and 9-of-10 free throws. He also leads the team with 42 assists, has made a team-high 26 3-pointers in 74 attempts, and is even averaging 4.8 rpg. Simpson ranks first in the PSAC and tenth in Division II in free throw percentage at 93.0 percent (40-of-43).
Simpson is one of two sophomores playing a huge role. Alex Jay has replaced Coleman in the starting lineup, and while not providing a great deal of scoring (5.7 ppg.), the 6'3" guard set a career-high for rebounds in each of his first three starts and has led the team in rebounding in five of the six games he has started. He is averaging a team-high 6.8 rpg.
DeAnthony Owens stands second on the team in scoring at 13.1 ppg. A 6'4" junior guard who previously played at New Mexico JC, Owens has scored in double figures in four of the last five games. He has made 20-of-58 3-pointers and has a team-high 13 steals.
Trey Staunch joined the Fighting Scots in game number two after wrapping up his football career the same day Edinboro was opening the basketball season. The 6'4", 280 lb. senior was named a second team All-PSAC West selection at offensive tackle. He provides the Fighting Scots with plenty of inside muscle. Staunch has scored in double figures in seven of his nine games, and comes in at 12.3 ppg. off the bench. He adds 5.1 rpg. and is shooting 60.3 percent from the floor (44-of-73), bolstered by a 10-for-10 showing against Mansfield. Staunch had not played basketball since high school before joining the team last season.
Daylon Harris comes off the top game of his Edinboro career, dropping in 23 points while making 10-of-18 field goals and 3-of-3 3-pointers against California(Pa.). The junior from Western Nebraska CC boosted his average to 7.5 ppg.

Scouting the Griffins

Seton Hill comes into the contest with a 2-9 overall record and is 0-5 in the PSAC West. The Griffins lost their third straight game on Wednesday, a 71-67 loss in overtime at Slippery Rock. Two of those three setbacks have come in overtime.
Head coach Kendrick Saunders is in his first season at Seton Hill after previously serving as an assistant coach at the United States Naval Academy the last six years. He helped Navy to a 20-12 record in 2017-18. The 20 wins were the most by Navy since the 1999-00 season. Prior to his arrival at Navy, Saunders spent two seasons at Princeton, helping the Tigers to the 2011 Ivy League Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth. He has also served as an assistant coach at the United States Military Academy for five years, and had a two-year stint at Frostburg State.
SHU returns an experienced starting lineup with 4 of the 5 starters returning from last season's team. The team also has 7 players who saw action in at least 10 games. However, they needed to replace Spencer Casson, a two-time PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year who led the PSAC with 102 blocks a year ago.
The Griffins returned their top two scorers from last year's team, including All-PSAC performer Trevor Blondin. After averaging 20.8 ppg. a year ago, good for seventh in the PSAC, the 6'4" senior guard comes in with a team-leading 19.6 ppg. That ranks fifth in the conference. Blondin adds 4.5 rpg. and has made 18-of-53 3-pointers. He spends a great deal of time at the free throw line, making 54-of-73 (74.0 pct.).
Teammate Nathan Davis ranks ninth in the PSAC in scoring at 18.0 ppg. A 6'4" junior guard who averaged 14.0 ppg. a year ago, Davis is the team's leading rebounder (6.9 rpg.) and also the top 3-point threat (29-of-75).
Newcomer Malik McKinney is a third Griffin in double digits. The 6'4" freshman guard comes in at 14.3 ppg. and is shooting 54.7 pct. from the floor (52-of-95).

Next for the Fighting Scots

After playing four straight games at home, Edinboro embarks on a stretch of three straight road games. That begins with a PSAC West encounter at Seton Hill on Saturday, January 5. That contest gets underway at 3 p.m.
The Fighting Scots then play at Kutztown on Wednesday, January 9, and at Pitt-Johnstown on Saturday, January 12.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Jaymon Mason: G; 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior

#4 Anthony Coleman: G; 6' 3"; Junior

#3 Keshawn Liggins: G/F; 6' 5"; Senior

#4 Anthony Coleman: G; 6' 3"; Senior

#15 Alex Jay: G; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#11 Jaryn Simpson: G; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#45 Trey Staunch: F; 6' 4"; Senior

#3 Daylon Harris: F; 6' 5"; Junior

#24 DeAnthony Owens: G; 6' 4"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#5 Jaymon Mason
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior
: G

#4 Anthony Coleman
: 6' 3"; Junior
: G

#3 Keshawn Liggins
: 6' 5"; Senior
: G/F

#4 Anthony Coleman
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G

#15 Alex Jay
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: G

#11 Jaryn Simpson
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: G

#45 Trey Staunch
: 6' 4"; Senior
: F

#3 Daylon Harris
: 6' 5"; Junior
: F

#24 DeAnthony Owens
: 6' 4"; Junior
: G

Edinboro University Athletics

Scoreboard

Scoreboard

Fighting Scots Begin Three-Game Road Trip with Game at Seton Hill

Players Mentioned

#5 Jaymon Mason

#4 Anthony Coleman

#3 Keshawn Liggins

#4 Anthony Coleman

#15 Alex Jay

#11 Jaryn Simpson

#45 Trey Staunch

#3 Daylon Harris

#24 DeAnthony Owens

Players Mentioned

#5 Jaymon Mason

#4 Anthony Coleman

#3 Keshawn Liggins

#4 Anthony Coleman

#15 Alex Jay

#11 Jaryn Simpson

#45 Trey Staunch

#3 Daylon Harris

#24 DeAnthony Owens