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E. Stroudsburg Wins PSAC Men's Basketball Championship

Sunday, March 9, 2014 11:28 AM

EAST STROUDSBURG CLAIMS PSAC MEN'S BASKETBALL TITLE
Courtesy of East Stroudsburg Sports Information

East Stroudsburg, Pa. – Sophomore guard Jamal Nwaniemeka scored 27 points to earn Tournament MVP honors as No. 2-ranked East Stroudsburg University completed a three-game run to its second PSAC championship in three years with a 92-80 win over West Chester on Sunday afternoon at Koehler Fieldhouse.

ESU (28-1) earns the PSAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament and will play in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five years (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) after advancing just once (1990) previously in school history.

The Warriors won the 2012 trophy with a 90-85 win over West Chester. ESU is now 3-0 against the Golden Rams this season, beating them twice in regular season action. 

Nwaniemeka had a career-high 27 points, junior All-America guard Whis Grant scored 19 points and freshman forward Rasheed Moore had 19 points and nine rebounds for the Warriors, who weathered a West Chester run to open the second half before building an 18-point lead (73-55) with less than eight minutes left.

The Warriors improve to 3-0 in PSAC championship games, winning in 1990 (108-102 in 2OT vs. Millersville), 2012 (90-85 at West Chester) and 2014.

ESU beat Millersville, 78-58, in the quarterfinals on Tuesday night, followed by a 63-55 comeback win over Mercyhurst in the semifinals on Saturday.

ESU extends a school record with its 28th win. The previous record of 24 wins was set in 2009-10, going 24-6. ESU improves to 16-0 at Koehler Fieldhouse this year, and has won 18 straight home games dating to last season.

The Warriors, the Division II leader in turnover margin (+7.4), had a +12 advantage against West Chester (26-14) and +23 advantage for the weekend, holding a 20-9 edge against Mercyhurst.

The NCAA Division II Tournament field of 64 teams, including the eight-team Atlantic Regional, will be announced on Sunday night at 10:30 p.m. here.

Box Score
West Chester Story

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PSAC SEMIFINAL RECAP: WEST CHESTER AND EAST STROUDSBURG TO PLAY FOR CROWN

West Chester Wins in Overtime
 
East Stroudsburg, Pa. – West Chester defeated Gannon 77-76 in overtime on Saturday in Koehler Fieldhouse in East Stroudsburg, Pa. in the 2014 PSAC Men’s Basketball Championship Semifinals.
 
West Chester will now play East Stroudsburg for the league title at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 9 in East Stroudsburg. West Chester is making its second appearance in the PSAC title game in three seasons and is looking for it’s first title since 1959.
 
The Championship game will be broadcast live on PCN TV. Please click here to determine the channel designation of PCN-TV in your area.
 
West Chester’s Shannon Givens led the Golden Rams with 21 points, while Troy Hockaday netted 19.
 
The Golden Rams posted 20 offensive rebounds to account for over half of the team’s total rebounds for the night. West Chester sunk 16 second chance points and 20 points from Gannon’s 19 turnovers.
 
Gannon’s Adam Blazek, the 2014 PSAC West Athlete of the Year, led the game with 22 points.
 
With the West Chester win, the all-time series is tied at four apiece, as West Chester defeated Gannon in PSAC crossover play 73-72 in January.
 
West Chester improves to 20-8 on the year, while Gannon falls to 19-9.
 
Box Score
West Chester Story
Gannon Story
 
East Stroudsburg To Play for League Crown
 
East Stroudsburg, Pa. – East Stroudsburg downed Mercyhurst 63-55 in 2014 PSAC Men’s Basketball Championship Semifinal action on Saturday afternoon in Koehler Fieldhouse in East Stroudsburg, Pa.
 
The Warriors will play West Chester for the conference crown on Sunday, March 9 at 3:30 p.m. in Koehler Fieldhouse. East Stroudsburg will make its first appearance in the Championship game since winning the title in 2012 with a 90-85 win over West Chester.
 
The Championship game will be broadcast live on PCN TV. Please click here to determine the channel designation of PCN-TV in your area.
 
East Stroudsburg, down 33-25 at the half, went on a 17-4 run to erase the halftime deficit and clinch its 27^th win of the season.  
 
Whis Grant scored 16 points to lead the Warriors, while Matt Tobin pitched-in 13 and Jamal Nwaniemeka scored 10.
 
East Stroudsburg forced 20 Mercyhurst turnovers and notched 21 points off those Mercyhurst misfires.
 
The Lakers’ bench put-up 21 points including 10 from James Ewing. Jean Onana also scored 10 points, while Callon Dailey added nine.
 
East Stroudsburg leads the all-time series 6-2 against Mercyhurst, including two PSAC Semifinal wins against the Lakers. East Stroudsburg defeated Mercyhurst in the 2012 Semifinals 66-58.
 
The Warriors are now 27-1 on the year, while Mercyhurst ends its season 17-12.  
 
Box Score
East Stroudsburg Story
Mercyhurst Story

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PSAC SEMIFINAL PREVIEW

East Stroudsburg, Pa. – Following the Quarterfinal round of the 2014 Men’s Basketball Championship, four teams remain to vie for the PSAC crown. East Stroudsburg University will serve as the Final Four host.
 
At 1:00 p.m. in Koehler Fieldhouse on Saturday, March 8, Gannon and West Chester will tip-off in the first semifinal. East Stroudsburg will face Mercyhurst at 3:30 p.m. in the second semifinal on Saturday.
 
The Championship game will be broadcast live on PCN TV and will tip-off at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Production is courtesy of Blue Ridge TV13-Lehighton. Please click here to determine the channel designation of PCN-TV in your area.

In addition to watching the game on television, fans can stream the game online. Click here for more information.

The PCN Mobile App is also available for download so fans can watch the game live via their mobile device. The app is available on the App Store and Play Store. After subscribing for a one day or yearly subscription to PCN on pcntv.com, the PCN Mobile App is then available for download and fans can have access to PCN anytime, anywhere.
 
Please see below for more information about each team competing for the league title this weekend.
 
 
2013-14 Team Rankings (PSAC rank) average

	E. Stroudsburg	Gannon	Mercyhurst	West Chester
Scoring Offense	(1) 86.1	(15) 66.5	(17) 62.6	(2) 80.9
Scoring Defense	(6) 67.8	(2) 59.8	(3) 60.2	(12) 75.0
Scoring Margin	(1) 18.3	(4) 6.7	(10) 2.4	(5) 5.8
Field Goal %	(3) 46.5	(6) 45.5	(11) 44.0	(9) 44.7
3-Point %	(2) 36.8	(3) 36.4	(13) 31.8	(6) 34.9
Free Throw %	(12) 68.9	(1) 78.2	(17) 67.2	(5) 72.8
Field Goal % Defense	(8) 42.5	(3) 41.0	(5) 42.0	(6) 42.2
3-Point % Defense	(2) 29.4	(6) 31.3	(11) 33.8	(5) 30.3
Rebounding Margin	(9) 1.1	(2) 9.0	(5) 3.2	(3) 5.8
Blocked Shots	(11) 3.37	(18) 1.67	(13) 3.04	(16) 2.56
Steals	(1) 10.37	(13) 6.22	(10) 6.50	(2) 9.44
Turnover Margin	(1) 7.37	(11) -0.93	(5) 1.11	(10) -0.41
Turnovers Forced	(1) 19.8	(11) 14.0	(5) 13.9	(10) 16.9
Assist-Turnover Ratio	(1) 1.42	(10) 0.85	(12) 0.84	(14) 0.76
Assists	(1) 17.59	(7) 12.70	(15) 10.68	(5) 13.19

 
 
















EAST STROUDSBURG (26-1, 15-1 PSAC)
Game Notes
 
PSAC Tournament Titles: 2012, 1990
 
• ESU is ranked No. 2 in Division II, the highest ranking in school history and the PSAC’s best since IUP was No. 2 on March 9, 2010.
• ESU is hosting the PSAC Final Four for the second time in program history (2010).
• The Warriors lead Division II in turnover margin (+7.7) and rank third in steals (10.7) entering this week. They also lead the PSAC in scoring (86.1 ppg).
• Matt Tobin, an All-PSAC East First Team pick, set a new PSAC Championships record with 14 assists in ESU’s quarterfinal win vs. Millersville.
• East Stroudsburg is appearing in the PSAC Final Four for the fifth straight year. The Warriors are just the third PSAC program in the last 30 years to make five consecutive appearances.
 
2013-14 Versus Mercyhurst: East Stroudsburg defeated Mercyhurst 60-54 on December 21 at ESU
 
All-Time Versus Mercyhurst: East Stroudsburg leads ­series 5-2
 
2013-14 Statistical Leaders

Points/Game
W. Grant	16.9
R. Moore	13.7
J. Nwaniemeka	12.8
3-Pt FG
W. Brown	55
FT Pct (2m pg)
W. Grant	77.5
Rebounds/Game
R. Moore	6.3
Z. Runkle	5.3
Assists
M. Tobin	170
Steals
M. Tobin	61

 
 















GANNON (19-8, 13-3 PSAC)
Game Notes
 
PSAC Tournament Titles: 2009
 
• This will be Gannon’s first PSAC Final Four appearance since winning the conference title during its inaugural year as a league member in 2008-09.
• Gannon’s 73-69 double-overtime victory against Slippery Rock in the PSAC
Quarterfinals represented the first double-overtime postseason win in school history.
• Junior Adam Blazek moved into 22nd place all-time at Gannon in scoring during the PSAC Quarterfinals. He enters the weekend with 1,068 career points.
 
2013-14 Versus West Chester: West Chester defeated Gannon 73-72 on January 4 at West Chester
 
All-Time Versus West Chester: Gannon leads series 4-3
 
2013-14 Statistical Leaders

Points/Game
A. Blazek	16.1
R. Thomas-Edwards	9.9
A. Porter	8.9
3-Pt FG
A. Blazek	66
FT Pct (2m pg)
A. Blazek	87.3
Rebounds/Game
A. Porter	6.7
R. Thomas-Edwards	5.9
Assists
A. Blazek	81
Steals
A. Blazek	56

 
 















MERCYHURST (17-11, 11-5 PSAC)
Game Notes
 
PSAC Tournament Titles: None
 
• Mercyhurst advanced to its second PSAC Men’s Basketball Championship Final Four in three seasons with a 67-56 win at No. 10 IUP in the Quarterfinals.
• The Lakers won for the first time in 13 all-time games at IUP and also won a road postseason contest for the first time in program history.
• Mercyhurst is allowing 60.2 points per game, fourth-fewest in the nation. It has given up fewer than 60 points 14 times this season.
•The Lakers feature 12 players averaging over seven minutes played per game. They have had 10 different players score at least 10 points in a game this season.
 
2013-14 Versus East Stroudsburg: East Stroudsburg defeated Mercyhurst 60-54 on December 21 at ESU
 
All-Time Versus Mercyhurst: East Stroudsburg leads series 5-2
 
2013-14 Statistical Leaders

Points/Game
J. Onana	10.8
J. Ouegnin	8.9
A. Lytle	8.6
3-Pt FG
J. Onana	44
FT Pct (2m pg)
C. Dailey	83.3
J. Onana	78.0
Rebounds/Game
J. Ouegnin	5.0
A. Lytle	4.7
Assists
J. Ouegnin	83
Steals
J. Ouegnin	45

 

















WEST CHESTER (19-8, 11-5 PSAC)
Game Notes
 
PSAC Tournament Titles: 1959
 
• With a win over Bloomsburg in the Quarterfinals, the Golden Rams improve to 13-18 all-time in the PSAC Tournament.
• West Chester is making its third straight appearance in the conference semifinals.
• Cory Blake has 971 career points in 84 games and is 29 points shy of becoming the 24th player in school history to score 1,000 points in his career.
 
2013-14 Versus Gannon: West Chester defeated Gannon 73-72 on January 4 at West Chester
 
All-Time Versus Gannon: Gannon leads series 4-3
 
2013-14 Statistical Leaders

Points/Game
T. Hockaday	16.3
E. Mitchell	14.6
C. Blake	12.8
3-Pt FG
R. Griffin	50
FT Pct (2m pg)
E. Mitchell	85.5
Rebounds/Game
M. Wisely	6.7
C. Blake	5.9
Assists
S. Givens	76
Steals
C. Blake	47

 

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PSAC QUARTERFINALS

Gannon Defeats Slippery Rock in Double Overtime
 
Erie, Pa.  – It took two overtime periods, but No. 1 Gannon defeated No. 4 Slippery Rock 73-69 in the Hammermill Center on Tuesday night in the 2014 PSAC Men’s Basketball Quarterfinals.
 
Gannon will face West Chester in the PSAC Semifinals at Koehler Fieldhouse in East Stroudsburg, Pa. at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 8. East Stroudsburg will serve as the PSAC Final Four host.
 
Gannon’s Adam Blazek posted 25 points, while A'Darius Porter pitched-in 14. Raphell Thomas-Edwards had 12 points against The Rock and Rogerio Livramento charted 10.
 
A season ago The Rock defeated Gannon in the Quarterfinals in overtime. The Golden Knights have won 13 of its last 14 games and have improved to 3-3 overall in the PSAC Tournament.
 
Gannon is now 19-8 on the season, while Slippery Rock caps its year with a 20-0 mark.
 
Box Score
Gannon Story
Slippery Rock Story
 
 
East Stroudsburg Wins Quarterfinal; Gains Hosting Rights
 
East Stroudsburg, Pa. – No. 1 East Stroudsburg handed No. 5 Millersville a 78-58 loss at Koehler Fieldhouse on Tuesday night in the 2014 PSAC Men’s Basketball Quarterfinals. With the Quarterfinal victory, East Stroudsburg has earned the right to host the PSAC Semifinals and Championship on March 8-9.
 
The Warriors will play Mercyhurst in the PSAC Semifinals on Saturday, March 8 at 3:30 p.m.
 
East Stroudsburg’s Jamal Nwaniemeka posted a team-high 21 points, while Whis Grant tallied 16. Matt Tobin posted 11 points, while setting a new PSAC Championship record with 14 assists.
 
The Warriors have gained entry into its fifth straight PSAC Final Four, and its eighth trip to the semifinals in program history.
 
East Stroudsburg sits with a 26-1 overall record, while Millersville falls to 13-14.
 
 
Box Score
Millersville Story
East Stroudsburg Story
 
Mercyhurst Upsets IUP
 
Indiana, Pa. – No. 3 Mercyhurst was the only team in either the 2014 PSAC Men’s or Women’s Basketball Championship to upset its Quarterfinal opponent, as the Lakers defeated No. 2 IUP 67-56 at Kovalchick Complex on Tuesday night.
 
Mercyhurst advances to face East Stroudsburg in the PSAC Semifinals in Koehler Fieldhouse at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 8.
 
Jean Onana led the contest with 16 points, while Sean Beins and Andy Hoying came-off the bench to score 13 and 12 points, respectively. Hoying fulfilled a double-double with 10 rebounds.
 
Mercyhurst’s win over IUP was its first in 13 all-time games, while the Lakers clinched the program’s first postseason road victory.
 
The Lakers improve to 17-11 on the season, while IUP falls to 23-4.
 
Box Score
Mercyhurst Story
IUP Story
 
West Chester Downs Bloomsburg
 
West Chester, Pa. – West Chester outlasted Bloomsburg 99-89 in Hollinger Field House Tuesday night in 2014 PSAC Men’s Basketball Quarterfinal action.
 
The Golden Rams are slated to play the Golden Knights of Gannon in the PSAC Semifinals on Saturday, March 8. The foes will square-off at 1:00 p.m. at Koehler Fieldhouse on the campus of PSAC Final Four host East Stroudsburg.
 
Troy Hockaday led the West Chester effort with 21 points, while both Cory Blake and R.J. Griffin each posted 17 points. Matt Wisely also reached double-digits with 15 points.
 
West Chester has clinched the second seed in the East for two straight seasons, while the Golden Rams have made 19 appearances in the league championship tournament.
 
West Chester is now 19-8 on the season, while Bloomsburg ends its season with a 16-12 mark.
 
Box Score
Bloomsburg Story
West Chester Story

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PSAC FIRST ROUND

PSAC First Round: Bloomsburg Defeats Kutztown
 
Bloomsburg, Pa. – No. 3 Bloomsburg downed No. 6 Kutztown 82-71 in PSAC Championship First Round action Saturday afternoon at Nelson Field House in order to advance to the league Quarterfinals.
 
Bloomsburg will play No. 2 West Chester in the PSAC Quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. in Hollinger Field House on Tuesday, March 4.
 
Bloomsburg’s Lorenzo Christmas notched a game-high 22 points, while Dontahe Jordan dumped-in 21 points, and pulled-down 12 rebounds to mark his ninth double-double of the season.
 
The 2014 PSAC postseason appearance is the third straight for the Huskies, and the first postseason win for the program since 2010.
 
Kutztown finishes its season with a 10-17 overall record, while Bloomsburg improves to 16-11.
 
Box Score
Bloomsburg Story
Kutztown Story
 

PSAC First Round: Mercyhurst Beats California
 
Erie, Pa. – No. 3 Mercyhurst defeated No. 6 California 54-50 on Saturday afternoon in the 2014 PSAC Men’s Basketball First Round in Erie, Pa.
 
The Lakers will face No. 2 IUP in the PSAC Quarterfinals on Tuesday, March 4 at the Kovalchick Complex in Indiana, Pa. 
 
Jean Onana posted a team-high 19 points for the Lakers, while teammate Anthony Lytle pitched-in 16 points.
 
With the win, Mercyhurst has now won three postseason games under head coach Gary Manchel.
 
Mercyhurst improves to 16-11, while California drops to 11-16 on the year.
 
Box Score
Mercyhurst Story
California Story
 

PSAC First Round: Millersville Upsets Lock Haven
 
Lock Haven, Pa. – No. 5 Millersville upset No. 4 Lock Haven 81-75 Saturday night at Thomas Fieldhouse in the 2014 PSAC Men’s Basketball First Round.
 
Millersville advances to the PSAC Quarterfinals and will travel to No. 1 East Stroudsburg. The game is slated for 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4.
 
Millersville’s Brandon Brown notched a team-high 21 points, while Carl Wallace contributed 18.
 
The Marauders, who are making their 22^nd appearance in the PSAC playoffs since 1984, have won six-straight opening round games of the PSAC Tournament.
 
Lock Haven caps its season with a 17-10 record, while Millersville improves to 13-13.
 
Box Score
Millersville Story
Lock Haven Story
 
 
PSAC First Round: Slippery Rock Downs Seton Hill
 
Slippery Rock, Pa. – No. 4 Slippery Rock handed No. 5 Seton Hill a 68-65 loss in the 2014 PSAC Men’s Basketball First Round Saturday night in Morrow Field House.
 
The Rock will now play No. 1 Gannon on Tuesday, March 4 in PSAC Quarterfinal action at 7:30 p.m. in Hammermill Center in Erie, Pa.
 
Maurice Lewis-Briggs led The Rock with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Matej Delinac contributed 17 points in the win. 
 
With the win, Slippery Rock has clinched its second consecutive 20-win season and improves to 20-9, while the Griffins fall to 15-12.
 
Box Score
Slippery Rock Story
Seton Hill Story

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PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE AIRED LIVE ON PCN
The women's semifinals and finals will be hosted by the highest remaining Western Division seed following the quarterfinals. The men's semifinals and title game will be played at the highest remaining seed from the Eastern Division. 

Re-airs are scheduled for 8:30 p.m. with the women’s final on Monday, March 10 and the men’s on Tuesday, March 11.
Please click here to determine the channel designation of PCN-TV in your area.

In addition to watching the game on television, fans can stream the game online. Click here for more information.

The PCN Mobile App is also available for download so fans can watch the game live via their mobile device. The app is available on the App Store and Play Store. After subscribing for a one day or yearly subscription to PCN on pcntv.com, the PCN Mobile App is then available for download and fans can have access to PCN anytime, anywhere.