Matt Durisko

Women's Basketball 2/14/2019 3:59:00 PM Chris Slack, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Edinboro Looks to Secure Tenth Consecutive PSAC Tournament Berth on Saturday at Gannon

Edinboro has won two straight games and six of its last seven contests to close in on a tenth straight PSAC Tournament berth. The Fighting Scots are in a stretch of three road games in four contests, playing at Gannon on Saturday, followed by a game at Slippery Rock on Wednesday, February 20. Edinboro comes in with a 16-6 overall and is 11-5 in the PSAC West. The Fighting Scots are ranked eighth in the latest D2SIDA Atlantic Region poll. Gannon suffered its third straight loss on Wednesday, falling 79-45 at 21st-ranked California(Pa.). That leaves the Lady Knights at 11-14 overall and 7-10 in league play.
The Fighting Scots stand third in the PSAC West, with Indiana(Pa.) first at 16-1 in league play, and California(Pa.) second at 13-3. Edinboro's win over Seton Hill gave the Fighting Scots a sweep of the regular season series and a three-game cushion over the Griffins for the third seed in the Western Division. A win over Gannon will clinch a tenth straight PSAC playoff spot, and the first under first-year head coach Callie Wheeler. Wheeler served as an assistant coach on the previous nine.The top teams in each division receive first round byes, with the third and fourth place teams hosting first round contests. Edinboro looks to defend its 2018 PSAC Championship.
The Fab Four of Michelle Jahn, Jontay Walton, Michaela Barnes, and Ciera Rosten have combined for 4,762 career points at Edinboro. It is the first time an Edinboro team has had four 1,000-point scorers at the same time. Jahn has 1,317 career points, with Walton at 1,224 points, Barnes 1,123, and Rosten 1,098. Jahn ranks 15th in career scoring, Walton is 19th, Barnes stands 28th, and Rosten is 30th. Barnes is averaging a team-leading 20.5 ppg., good for fourth in the PSAC and 18th in Division II, while Walton adds 18.5 ppg., which is seventh in the conference.
The trio of Rosten, Barnes, and Walton contributed 73 points in Edinboro's 88-68 win over Seton Hill on Wednesday. The Fighting Scots outscored the Griffins, 29-8, in the second quarter to spearhead the victory. Rosten posted her sixth double-double with a season-high 27 points and 12 rebounds. Barnes and Walton added 23 points apiece.
Edinboro ranks second in the PSAC in scoring offense, averaging 78.5 ppg., and is ninth in the conference in scoring defense at 69.0 ppg. Gannon comes into the contest ranked 14th in the PSAC in scoring offense at 63.8 ppg., along with sixth in scoring defense at 65.0 ppg.
Edinboro had won four straight games against Gannon before suffering a 71-57 loss on January 16 at McComb Fieldhouse. The Fighting Scots have won the last two meetings at the Hammermill Center, including a 63-43 decision a year ago.

On the Radio/Video

The Edinboro-Gannon game can be heard on WFSE-FM 88.9 with Sydney Dundon and Chris Rosato on the call. The game can also be viewed live as part of the PSAC Network.

All-Time Series vs. Gannon
Edinboro leads 37-23
First Meeting: 1969-70 – Edinboro 29, Gannon 26
Last Meeting: 2018-19 - Gannon 71, Edinboro 57
Current Streak: Gannon won the last meeting.
Wheeler vs. Gannon: 0-1

LAST MEETING
January 16, 2019 – Gannon 71, Edinboro 57 at Edinboro, Pa. -- Box Score | Recap

Edinboro could not overcome an incredibly cold start while seeing a four-game winning streak against Gannon come to an end. The Fighting Scots made just one of their first 22 shots and ended up matching their season low at 31.1 percent (19-of-61). Gannon used a 17-0 run to jump out to a 25-8 lead midway through the second quarter, and Edinboro would play catch-up the rest of the night. The Fighting Scots also had a tough night on the glass, trailing 45-28. Jontay Walton paced Edinboro with 16 points, while Michaela Barnes contributed 12 and Michelle Jahn 11.

Head Coach: Callie Wheeler (Edinboro '06) -- 16-6, 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 used an overpowering second quarter to inch one step closer to playing in its tenth straight PSAC Tournament with an 88-68 win over Seton Hill. The Fighting Scots outscored the Griffins, 29-8 in the second period shooting 68.4 percent (13-of-19) overall and holding Seton Hill to 25 percent (3-of-12) from the floor. Edinboro is now 16-6 overall and 11-5 in the PSAC West. The Scots increased their lead over Seton Hill for the third seed in the division to three games.
A trio of Fighting Scots combined for 73 of the team's 88 points on Wednesday. Ciara Rosten scored a season-high 27 points while collecting 12 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the campaign. In addition, she had four steals, four assists, and two blocks. Michaela Barnes and Jontay Walton each added 23 points. Barnes passed out a team-high five assists, to go with five board and three steals. Walton shot 10-of-14 from the floor and had three steals. The 5'6" guard committed just two turnovers in 34 minutes.
Edinboro showcases two of the top scorers in the PSAC in Michaela Barnes and Jontay Walton. Barnes heads into the weekend ranked fourth (18th in Div. II) at 20.5 ppg., while Walton is averaging 18.5 ppg., good for seventh. The two guard have been frequent visitors at the free throw line, with Barnes making 119-of-142 and Walton 114-of-135 Walton (84.8 pct.) and Barnes (83.8 pct.) are ranked second and third, respectively, in the conference in free throw shooting. A 5'5" guard, Barnes is shooting 52.7 percent from the field (158-of-300), good for fourth in the PSAC. Walton, a 5'6" guard, stands third in the PSAC in steals (2.8 per game), fourth in assists (4.5 per game), and is 12th in 3-point field goals made per game (1.8). Walton has scored in double figures in all 22 games this season, and Edinboro's last 38 games dating back to last season.
Michelle Jahn provides Edinboro with a third standout at guard. The 5'7" senior is averaging 11.3 ppg. and is the team's top 3-point threat with 46 in 134 attempts. She is fifth in the PSAC in 3-point field goal percentage (34.3 pct.) and seventh in 3-pointers made per game (2.1). In addition, she is sixth in free throw percentage (83.3 pct.). Jahn ranks second in career 3-pointers made (242) and career 3-pointers attempted (683), and seventh in 3-point field goal percentage (35.4 pct.).
Ciara Rosten has battled injuries this season, missing four contests, but comes in averaging 13.9 ppg. and a team-leading 8.1 rpg., good for fifth in the PSAC. She stands 11th in career rebounds (714) and second in career-blocked shots (213). The reigning PSAC West Athlete of the Year and Defensive Athlete of the Year ranks second in the PSAC in blocks per game (2.5) and in total blocks (43).
Bridgette Shaffer provides the Fighting Scots with another deadly outside threat, and though just 5'8", is averaging 7.0 rpg., good for 14th in the PSAC. The redshirt junior is averaging 8.0 ppg. and has made 38-of-94 3-pointers.

The Fab Four

The foursome of Michaela Barnes, Michelle Jahn, Ciara Rosten, and Jontay Walton have all scored 1,000 career points at Edinboro. It's the first time an Edinboro team has had four 1,000-point scorers at the same time. All told, they have combined for almost 5,000 points. Here's where they rank in Edinboro's career statistics:

Michaela Barnes
Scoring -- 28th (1,123 points)
Free Throws Made -- 11th (267)
Michelle Jahn
Scoring -- 15th (1,317 points)
3-Point Field Goals Made -- 2nd (242)
3-Point Field Goals Attempted -- 2nd (683)
Games Played -- 13th (112)
Ciara Rosten
Scoring -- 30th (1,098)
Rebounds -- 11th (714)
Blocked Shots -- 2nd (213)
Jontay Walton
Scoring -- 19th (1,224)
Free Throws Made -- 7th (320)
Free Throws Attempted -- 10th (400)
3-Point Field Goals Made -- 12th (112)
3-Point Field Goals Attempted -- 13th (312)
Assists -- 16th (275)

Scouting the Lady Knights

Gannon is on a three-game skid following a 79-45 loss at nationally-ranked California(Pa.) on Wednesday night. The Lady Knights stand at 11-14 overall and 7-10 in the Western Division. Saturday's contest marks the end of a four-game stretch for Gannon, as they have faced the top-four teams in the division over the past two weeks. During that period, they have hosted Seton Hill and Indiana(Pa.), while most recently playing at Cal. Edinboro would be the fourth team, as they rank third in the PSAC West. Gannon is currently one-game back of Slippery Rock for the sixth and final seed in the PSAC Tournament.
Head coach Jim Brunelli is in his sixth season at Gannon after previously serving as the head coach at Anderson. He owns an overall mark of 184-135, including 102-69 at Gannon. He has led the Lady Knights to the PSAC Tournament all five years as head coach, and to the NCAA Tournament twice. At Anderson, the Trojans won three Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference championships and earned three NCAA Tournament bids during his tenure.
The Lady Knights rank 14th in scoring offense at 63.8 ppg., but are sixth in scoring defense, allowing 65.0 ppg. Gannon is one of the top in the PSAC in shooting and defending the ball. The Lady Knights connect on 43.9 percent of their shots, good for second in the conference. They are limiting opponents to 38.5 percent shooting, which is third-best. Gannon ranks 12th in the conference in rebounding at 38.1 rpg., but is one of the better teams at winning the battle of the boards. With a +5.6 rebounding margin, they stand second in the league.
Senior Nicole LaCava is one of two Lady Knights scoring in double figures this year. She is averaging a team-high 13.5 ppg., and is second on the team in rebounding with 5.8 rpg. The 6'0" forward is the niece of Edinboro Associate Director of Athletics Todd Jay and the cousin of Fighting Scot guard Alex Jay.
Junior Chelsea Rourke is the only other Lady Knight to average double figures this season. In addition to contributing 12.0 ppg., she is the Lady Knight's top 3-point threat making 29-of-83 3-pointers. The 5'10" guard has blocked a team-best 36 shots and is one of two players with a team-high 30 steals.

Next for the Fighting Scots

Edinboro heads to Slippery Rock on Wednesday, February 19. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#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

#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 Looks to Secure Tenth Consecutive PSAC Tournament Berth on Saturday at Gannon

Players Mentioned

#2 Michaela Barnes

#20 Michelle Jahn

#15 Ciara Rosten

#1 Bridgette Shaffer

#5 Jontay Walton

Players Mentioned

#2 Michaela Barnes

#20 Michelle Jahn

#15 Ciara Rosten

#1 Bridgette Shaffer

#5 Jontay Walton