Chris Slack

Women's Basketball 2/21/2019 8:27:00 PM Bob Shreve, Sports Information Director

Fighting Scots Host Clarion, Look to Extend Winning Streak on "Hoops for Harlie" Day

CLARION Golden Eagles (9-16, 3-15 PSAC West) at EDINBORO Fighting Scots (18-6, 13-5 PSAC West)
Saturday, February 23, 2019, 1:00 PM | McComb Fieldhouse | Edinboro, Pa.
LINKS: LIVE STATS | AUDIO-WFSE 88.9 l WATCH

ADDITIONAL LINKS
EDINBORO: ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS
CLARION: ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS

The Game Story

Edinboro completed the season sweep of Slippery Rock on Wednesday with an 88-77 victory at Morrow Field House. The win boosted the Fighting Scots' win streak to four games, as Edinboro has now won eight of their last nine contests. The Fighting Scots come into the contest with an 18-6 record and are 13-5 in the PSAC West. They are ranked sixth in the Initial NCAA Atlantic Region Rankings, which came out earlier in the day on Wednesday. After winning two of the previous three games, Clarion suffered a 79-62 loss at third-ranked IUP on Thursday night in a contest that was delayed one day. The Golden Eagles had lost 12 straight games before a 73-65 win at Mercyhurst. They have been eliminated from the playoff race and come in with a 9-16 overall record and 3-15 in the PSAC West. They have bettered last year's win total, when they finished at 7-21.
Edinboro will host its Fourth Annual "Hoops for Harlie" contest on Saturday. Harlie Rae Bolt was a former standout at Girard High School and a close friend of the Edinboro program before succumbing to leukemia at a young age. There will be a variety of events going on throughout the afternoon, with all proceeds raised going to the "Halos for Harlie" Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
The Fighting Scots stand third in the PSAC West, with Indiana(Pa.) first at 16-1 in league play, and California(Pa.) second at 15-3. Edinboro sits in third place at 13-5, having clinched a tenth straight PSAC Tournament berth. The Fighting Scots can finish no worse than third in the PSAC West, and are assured of a home game, either in the first round or quarterfinals. The top two 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. Seton Hill (9-9), Pitt-Johnstown (8-10), Slippery Rock (8-11), Gannon (7-11), and Mercyhurst (6-12) are battling for the final three playoff spots.
All four of Edinboro's 'Fab Four' scored in double figures at Slippery Rock. Jontay Walton had a game-high 25 points on 7-of-17 shooting, with 6-of-12 baskets coming from behind the arc. The graduate student moved up one spot on the career points list, as she ranks 18th all-time with 1,266 points. Michaela Barnes also climbed up two lists. Scoring 24 points on 6-of-14 shooting and 12-of-14 free throws, she jumped three spots to 25th on the career-scoring list with 1,168 points. She also passed head coach Callie Wheeler for ninth in career free throws made with 283. Ciara Rosten finished with her seventh double-double of the campaign. The 6'2" forward scored 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds in 22 minutes. Rosten has scored 1,122 points at Edinboro. Michelle Jahn was the final Fighting Scot in double digits. The senior came off the bench to contribute 12 points and five boards. She is now tied for 13th in career scoring with 1,337 points.
Edinboro ranks second in the PSAC in scoring offense, averaging 78.9 ppg., and is ninth in the conference in scoring defense at 69.2 ppg. Clarion comes into the contest ranked 15th in the PSAC in scoring offense at 62.7 ppg., along with fifth in scoring defense at 65.4 ppg.

On the Radio/Video

The Edinboro-Clarion game can be heard on WFSE-FM 88.9, with Madi Gross and Chase Rowland providing the commentary. The game can also be viewed live as part of the PSAC Network.

All-Time Series vs. Clarion

Edinboro leads 55-30
First Meeting: 1969-70 – Edinboro 52, Clarion 25
Last Meeting: 2018-19 – Edinboro 92, Clarion 45
Current Streak: Edinboro has won three straight and 11 of the last 12 contests.
Wheeler vs. Clarion: 1-0

Last Meeting
January 23, 2019 – Edinboro 92, Clarion 45 at Clarion, Pa. - BOX | RECAP

Edinboro never trailed in the contest, as the Fighting Scots scored the first nine points of the game and jumping out to a 23-10 lead after one quarter. Edinboro added an 11-2 run in the second quarter and eventually built the lead to 48-21 at the half. Late in the half, Ciara Rosten became the 34th Fighting Scot to score 1,000 points at Edinboro. The Fighting Scots would build the lead to as much as 49 points in the fourth quarter. Jontay Walton led three players in double figures with 21 points, making 4-of-6 3-pointers. Michaela Barnes added 18 points, while Rosten had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, adding three blocked shots. Edinboro shot 51.5 percent from the floor (35-of-68), including 11-of-22 3-pointers and was 11-of-11 at the free throw line. Clarion was held to 28.1 percent from the floor (18-of-64).

Head Coach: Callie Wheeler (Edinboro '06) -- 18-6, 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

The 'Fab Four' led Edinboro at Slippery Rock on Wednesday night in an 88-77 victory. The win boosts the Fighting Scots record to 18-6 overall and 13-5 in the PSAC West. Edinboro has now won four games in a row now and eight of the last nine contests.
The initial NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rankings were released on Wednesday, with Edinboro sitting in sixth place. The top eight teams in the region following the conference tournaments will comprise the Atlantic Regional.
• Jontay Walton had a game-high 25 points on 7-of-17 shooting, with 6-of-12 baskets coming from behind the arc, and 5-of-6 makes at the foul line. She added eight rebounds and five assists. Walton carried the Fighting Scots in the first half with 20 points, while Michaela Barnes took over in the second half with 17 of her 24 points. She went 6-of-14 from the floor and 12-of-14 at the line while moving up three spots to 25th on the career scoring list with 1,168 points. She also passed head coach Callie Wheeler for ninth in career free throws made with 283.
• Ciara Rosten finished with her seventh double-double at Slippery Rock. The 6'2" forward scored 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds in 22 minutes. In addition to blocking a game-high three shots, she has swatted away two-or-more shots in her last 11 games and has grabbed double-digit boards in three straight. Michelle Jahn was the final Fighting Scot in double digits. The senior came off the bench to contribute 12 points and five boards.
• The Fab Four of Michelle Jahn, Jontay Walton, Michaela Barnes, and Ciara Rosten have combined for 4,893 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 1,337 career points, with Walton at 1,266 points, Barnes 1,169, and Rosten 1,122. Jahn is tied for 13th in career scoring, Walton is 18th, Barnes stands 25th, and Rosten is 29th.
• Edinboro showcases two of the top scorers in the PSAC in Michaela Barnes and Jontay Walton. Barnes, the PSAC West Co-Athlete of the Week this week, heads into Saturday ranked fourth in the conference and 16th in Division II at 20.6 ppg., while Walton is averaging 18.7 ppg., good for sixth in the PSAC. The two guards have been frequent visitors at the free throw line, with Walton making 123-of-145 (84.8 pct.) and Barnes making 135-of-160 (84.4 pct.). They are ranked first and third, respectively, in the conference in free throw shooting. A 5'5" guard, Barnes is shooting 52.4 percent from the field (172-of-328), 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 seventh in 3-point field goals made per game (2.0). Walton has scored in double figures in all 24 games this season, and Edinboro's last 40 games dating back to last season.
Michaela Barnes picked up another honor on Thursday, being named to the Google Cloud Academic All-America All-District 2 Team. Barnes is an HPE – Human Performance major with a 3.51 GPA.
• Michelle Jahn provides Edinboro with a third standout at guard. The 5'7" senior is averaging 11.2 ppg. and is the team's top 3-point threat with 48 in 143 attempts. She is eighth in the PSAC in 3-point field goal percentage (33.6 pct.) and tenth in 3-pointers made per game (2.0). In addition, she is sixth in free throw percentage (82.4 pct.). Jahn ranks second in career 3-pointers made (244) and career 3-pointers attempted (692), and seventh in 3-point field goal percentage (35.3 pct.).
• Ciara Rosten has missed four contests this season due to injuries, but is once again a dominant player in the paint. She comes in averaging 13.8 ppg. and a team-leading 8.3 rpg., good for fifth in the PSAC. She stands ninth in career rebounds (734) and second in career-blocked shots (220). The reigning PSAC West Athlete of the Year and Defensive Athlete of the Year ranks second in the PSAC in blocks per game (2.6) and in total blocks (52).
• Bridgette Shaffer provides the Fighting Scots with another deadly outside threat, and though just 5'8", is averaging 6.9 rpg., good for 15th in the PSAC. The redshirt junior is averaging 7.8 ppg. and has made 39-of-95 3-pointers. Shaffer returned against Slippery Rock after missing the Gannon game due to illness.

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 25^th (1,168)
Free Throws Made – 10^th (283)

Michelle Jahn

Scoring – T-13th (1,337)
3-Point Field Goals Made – 2^nd (244)
3-Point Field Goals Attempted – 2^nd (692)
Games Played – T-12 (114)

Ciara Rosten

Scoring – 29^th (1,122)
Rebounds – 9^th (734)
Blocked Shots – 2^nd (220)

Jontay Walton

Scoring – 18^th (1,266)
Free Throws Made – 7^th (329)
Free Throws Attempted – 10^th (410)
3-Point Field Goals Made – 12^th (121)
3-Point Field Goals Attempted - 13^th (328)
Assists – 16^th (282)

Scouting the Golden Eagles

After winning two of the previous three games, Clarion suffered a 79-62 loss at third-ranked IUP on Thursday night in a contest that was delayed one day. The Golden Eagles had lost 12 straight games before a 73-65 win at Mercyhurst. They have been eliminated from the playoff race with a 3-15 record in league play and 9-16 overall. They have still bettered last year's win total, when they finished at 7-21.
Head coach Jana Ashley is in her fifth season with a 42-97 record. Two years ago, she led the Golden Eagles to a PSAC playoff berth. It was the team's second appearance in 10 years. Prior to arriving at Clarion, she was an assistant coach over 11 seasons with stints at Iona, George Mason, and Radford.
Junior Kadijah Dickson leads Clarion in both scoring (15.6 ppg.) and rebounding (7.7 rpg.). A 5'7" guard, she has scored in double figures in the last six games. Dickson also has 65 assists and 47 steals, both figures second on the team. She is a transfer from Bridgeport, where she led the team in scoring last season with 11.6 ppg., while also collecting 6.5 rpg.
Sophomore Yndiah Bobo is the only other Clarion player in double digits, checking in at 11.0 ppg., along with a team-high 88 assists.
As a team, Clarion has made 85 3-pointers. Jordan Bekelja (35-of-116) and Taylor Moltz (29-of-118) have accounted for 64 of those.

Next for the Fighting Scots

Edinboro wraps up the home portion of its regular season schedule on Wednesday, February 27, hosting third-ranked Indiana(Pa.). Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. at McComb Fieldhouse. Michelle Jahn, Ciara Rosten, Allison Thompson, and Jontay Walton will be playing in their final home regular season game and will be recognized before the game.

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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

#32 Allison Thompson: F; 5' 11"; Senior

#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

#32 Allison Thompson
: 5' 11"; Senior
: F

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

Edinboro University Athletics

Scoreboard

Scoreboard

Fighting Scots Host Clarion, Look to Extend Winning Streak on "Hoops for Harlie" Day

Players Mentioned

#2 Michaela Barnes

#20 Michelle Jahn

#15 Ciara Rosten

#1 Bridgette Shaffer

#32 Allison Thompson

#5 Jontay Walton

Players Mentioned

#2 Michaela Barnes

#20 Michelle Jahn

#15 Ciara Rosten

#1 Bridgette Shaffer

#32 Allison Thompson

#5 Jontay Walton