Gannon to Host PSAC Men's Basketball Tournament Semifinals and Championship Game
PSAC Men's Basketball Weekly Release - Mar. 4
PSAC Men's Championship Headquarters
Some new faces will dot the landscape at this year's PSAC men's basketball tournament semifinals. Unlike the women's tournament, which features the same final four teams as last year, only one team is a returner from last year, that being Cheyney. Of the other three teams, Gannon is making its first-ever appearance in the tournament as a first-year member of the PSAC, while Slippery Rock is making its first tournament appearance since 2000. Kutztown, meanwhile, is back in the semifinals after a four-year absence.
Game Previews
Slippery Rock vs. Kutztown
Friday, March 6 - 5:30 p.m.
Leading Scorers
Slippery Rock - Denell Stephens (19.9 ppg); Michael Evans, Jr. (12.9 ppg); Maurice Douglas (12.1 ppg); Maron Brown (11.8 ppg); Kyle Camper (9.9 ppg)
Kutztown - Dave Ben (21.4 ppg); Stephen Dennis (21.1 ppg); Andre Woodlin (15.0 ppg); Ryan Washington (13.3 ppg)
Leading Rebounders
Slippery Rock - Denell Stephens (9.6 rpg); Maron Brown (9.1 rpg)
Kutztown - Ryan Washington (8.6 rpg); Stephen Dennis (5.9 rpg)
Other Top Performers
Slippery Rock - Kyle Camper (300 asst., 42 steals)
Kutztown - Stephen Dennis (119 asst., 64 steals); Dave Ben (110 asst., 64 steals); Ryan Washington (61 blks.)
2008-09 Meetings
None
PSAC Rankings
Slippery Rock Kutztown
Scoring Off. - 2nd (82.9) Scoring Off. - 1st (87.9)
Scoring Def. - 9th (68.5) Scoring Def. - 10th (70.2)
Free Throw Pct. - 9th (65.7%) Free Throw Pct. - 5th (71.5%)
FG Pct. Off. - 3rd (47.4%) FG Pct. Off. - 1st (49.6%)
FG Pct. Def. - 3rd (40.2%) FG Pct. Def. - 4th (40.2%)
3-pt. FG Pct. - 13th (31.3%) 3-pt. FG Pct. - 1st (39.0%)
3-pt. FG Pct. Def. - 5th (31.6%) 3-pt. FG Pct. Def. - 2nd (30.0%)
Rebounding - 1st (43.8) Rebounding - 2nd (40.1)
Rebounding Margin - 2nd (+8.6) Rebounding Margin - 7th (+1.2)
Game Preview
This will be a battle of the two highest-scoring and rebounding teams in the PSAC, which on paper should lead to the scoreboard being lit up. The teams are relatively even in many offensive and defensive statistical categories. Both teams have four players averaging double figures in points, while The Rock nearly has its entire starting five in double figures, as point guard Kyle Camper averages 9.9 points in addition to 10.7 assists. He has set a new PSAC record with 300 assists this year.
Kutztown will need to exploit the few categories it has an advantage in to extend its current 14-game winning streak. The Golden Bears, who are the only team in the league to have two players averaging over 20 points in Dave Ben and Stephen Dennis, shoot the three better than any team in the league and also defend the three better than all but one team. The Rock, by contrast, shoots just 31.3 percent from three but have made more threes than any team in the league this year, while also having attempted the most. Kutztown also has an advantage from the free throw line, as the Bears have made more free throw than any other team this year, and have made more (508) than Slippery Rock has attempted (505). The Rock has an advantage on the boards, as Rock is outrebounding its opponents by 8.6 boards per game, more than six better than Kutztown.
Cheyney vs. Gannon
Friday, March 6 - 7:30 p.m.
Leading Scorers
Cheyney - Tyrone Smith (16.8 ppg); Dominique Curry (13.2 ppg); Kevin Presbury (9.9 ppg)
Gannon - Kyle Goldcamp (19.6 ppg); Pierre Howard (15.5 ppg); Joe Lindsey (12.0 ppg); Tyler Stoczynski (9.6 ppg)
Leading Rebounders
Cheyney - Dominique Curry (7.6 rpg); Tyrone Smith (5.4 rpg); Kevin Presbury (5.2 rpg)
Gannon - Kyle Goldcamp (9.1 rpg); Dave Wilson (5.4 rpg)
Other Top Performers
Cheyney - Tyrone Smith (97 asst.); Dominique Curry (53 steals)
Gannon - Joe Lindsey (115 asst., 56 steals); Cory Knight (76 asst.)
2008-09 Meetings
None
PSAC Rankings
Cheyney Gannon
Scoring Off. - 11th (68.5) Scoring Off. - 4th (77.2)
Scoring Def. - 3rd (63.7) Scoring Def. - 1st (58.2)
Free Throw Pct. - 15th (59.4%) Free Throw Pct. - 4th (71.6%)
FG Pct. Off. - 9th (43.6%) FG Pct. Off. - 2nd (49.0%)
FG Pct. Def. - 9th (41.6%) FG Pct. Def. - 1st (39.0%)
3-pt. FG Pct. - 15th (29.3%) 3-pt. FG Pct. - 4th (35.5%)
3-pt. FG Pct. Def. - 10th (33.1%) 3-pt. FG Pct. Def. - 4th (31.1%)
Rebounding - 5th (39.6) Rebounding - 4th (39.8)
Rebounding Margin - 1st (+10.5%) Rebounding Margin - 3rd (+7.5)
Game Preview
Gannon holds the advantage in most statistical categories and will also have the advantage of playing in front of a home crowd. However, this is Cheyney’s third straight trip to the semifinals and they have two experienced playoff players in Dominique Curry and Tyrone Smith, who both average double figures in points.
The Golden Knights are the conference’s top defensive team, and the only team in the league that has a field goal percentage defense under 40 percent. They are also holding opponents to a league-low 58.2 points per game. Cheyney is ranked in the bottom half of the league in scoring, field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage, giving Gannon the advantage. The Wolves are being slightly outrebounded by the Knights overall, however Cheyney has the league’s top rebounding margin at +10.5 .
PSAC Tournament Quick Hits
- Slippery Rock is making its first appearance in the PSAC Tournament and the semifinals since the 1999-00 season, when it lost in the championship game to IUP
- This year will mark the first time since the 2004 tournament that the defending champion did not qualify, as last year’s champion California (Pa.) missed the tournament. 2003 champion Millersville did not qualify for the 2004 tournament.
- Cheyney is the only team from last year’s final four to make it back to the semifinals this year. This is the Wolves’ third straight appearance in the semifinals, the longest current streak of any PSAC team.
- This is Kutztown’s seventh straight appearance in the PSAC Tournament but the first in the semifinals since the 2004 season, when it lost in the championship game to IUP. The Golden Bears had made four first-round exits prior to this year.
- The teams matched up the semifinal round did not meet previously this year, however Cheyney defeated Slippery Rock 76-69 on January 3 of this year, while Gannon defeated Kutztown on the same day, 88-58.
- No Eastern Division team except for Millersville in 2007 and 2003 has won a tournament championship since Mansfield won it al in 1997. The Western Division has won nine of the last 11 tournament titles and 12 of the last 15.
PSAC Tournament History (since 1981)
Year Champion Championship Game
2008 California (Pa.) California (Pa.) 73, Edinboro 65
2007 Millersville Millersville 79, Cheyney 68
2006 Edinboro Edinboro 52, Shippensburg 51
2005 Edinboro Edinboro 85, Millersville 76
2004 IUP IUP 83, Kutztown 74
2003 Millersville Millersville 79, California (Pa.) 74
2002 IUP IUP 71, California (Pa.) 68
2001 Clarion Clarion 80, West Chester 77 (ot)
2000 IUP IUP 63, Slippery Rock 50
1999 California (Pa.) California (Pa.) 75, Bloomsburg 64
1998 Edinboro Edinboro 83, West Chester 77
1997 Mansfield Mansfield 94, Clarion 80
1996 California (Pa.) California (Pa.) 87, IUP 84
1995 IUP IUP 87, California (Pa.) 69
1994 California (Pa.) California (Pa.) 78, IUP 76
1993 Millersville Millersville 97, California (Pa.) 84
1992 California (Pa.) California (Pa.) 92, Edinboro 76
1991 Shippensburg Shippensburg 76, Slippery Rock 75 (2ot)
1990 East Stroudsburg East Stroudsburg 108, Millersville 102 (ot)
1989 Millersville Millersville 89, Bloomsburg 85
1988 California (Pa.) California (Pa.) 73, Kutztown 64
1987 Millersville Millersville 100, California (Pa.) 94
1986 Cheyney Cheyney 90, Edinboro 67
1985 California (Pa.) California (Pa.) 81, Millersville 79
1984 Mansfield Mansfield 61, Bloomsburg 54
1983 Cheyney Cheyney 63, Bloomsburg 55
1982 Cheyney Cheyney 68, Bloomsburg 50
1981 Bloomsburg Bloomsburg 72, IUP 63