Game Notes (PDF)

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WEDNESDAY'S MATCHUP
ESU, the No. 2 seed in the East, begins PSAC postseason play at 7 p.m. on Wednesday with a home quarterfinal contest against sixth-seeded Millersville. The Marauders upset No. 3 Kutztown by a 69-65 final in the first round on Monday after entering the playoffs on a six-game losing streak. Wednesday's winner will play either No. 1 California or No. 4 Edinboro from the PSAC West bracket in the semifinals on Saturday.

BACK IN THE POSTSEASON
The Warriors return to the PSAC playoffs for a fifth consecutive season, receiving a bye into the quarterfinals for the first time during that span. ESU went 1-1 in the postseason last winter, defeating Bloomsburg 79-69 (OT) in the first round before falling 70-65 at No. 1 West Chester in the quarterfinals. The Warriors are hosting a quarterfinal for the first time since 2007, when they topped Mansfield 66-45 to make their most-recent appearance in the semis. ESU's lone PSAC title in program history came back in 1995. 

OTHER PLAYOFF MATCHUPS/TIMES
No. 1 Shippensburg will host No. 5 Bloomsburg at 5:30 p.m. in the other East quarterfinal. The Huskies knocked off No. 4 West Chester by a 79-71 margin on Monday. California and Edinboro will square off at 6 p.m., while No. 2 IUP will take on No. 3 Mercyhurst at 5:30 p.m. on the West side of the bracket. The highest remaining seed in the East will host the Final Four on Saturday and Sunday this weekend.

SERIES HISTORY
Millersville leads 52-27 in a series which began in 1951. The Warriors have won five of the last 8 meetings. This is the fifth PSAC tournament meeting, with the teams splitting the first 4 contests. ESU won 49-48 at Millersville in a first round game on March 1, 2014, avenging a 42-31 first round loss in the previous season on March 2, 2013.

SCOUTING MILLERSVILLE
Leading scorer Celeste Robinson (16.8 ppg), a first team All-PSAC East selection last winter, left the team after a Feb. 8 loss to Bloomsburg. Jr. G Alayah Hall has led the way in the five games since Robinson's departure, averaging 17.8 ppg, including a 29-point effort at Kutztown on Monday which matched a career-high. All six of the Marauders' losses to end the regular season were by 10 points or fewer. Millersville and Lock Haven had matching 7-15 conference records, but the Marauders earned the No. 6 seed by virtue of their 56-53 win over No. 2 ESU on Jan. 6 (Lock Haven was swept by the Warriors).

REGULAR SEASON MEETINGS
ESU's lowest scoring output of the season came in its 56-53 loss to the Marauders, with the Warriors shooting a season-worst 27.0 percent from the field. ESU led 24-19 at halftime, but Millersville took control with a 15-0 midway through the third quarter. Sr. F Allison Howard had 16 pts and eight rebounds to lead the Warriors, while Jade Farquhar had a game-high 17 pts in 28 minutes off the bench for the Marauders.
  
Offense was much more prevalent in the second meeting, as ESU was one point shy of its season high in a 90-81 victory at Koehler Fieldhouse on Feb. 4. So. G Noelle Powell had 22 pts, Jr. G Imani Brown tallied 19 and Howard added 17 for the Warriors. Aunjel Van Brakle and Alayah Hall led Millersville with 21 pts apiece. The two teams combined for 49 fouls and 62 free throw attempts.

POWELL FROM LONG DISTANCE
Noelle Powell went 4 for 6 from 3-point range at Mansfield on Saturday, and she is currently  ranked third in the PSAC in FG% from long distance (40.7, 55-135). Her 55 made 3's are third in ESU single season history, behind only Katie Wear (56 in 2002-03) and Maryellen Onofre (63 in 2005-06). Powell has multiple 3's in 19 of 26 games on the year. She is averaging 12.8 ppg in her second season for the Warriors after supplying 4.5 ppg as a freshman. Powell has 10+ points in 19 games, and she has 20+ points in four contests.

I. BROWN LEADING LATE SEASON SURGE
The Warriors went 9-1 in their final 10 games of the regular season, with Imani Brown averaging a team-high 16.0 ppg and 5.8 rpg during that stretch. She shot 50.8% from the field, 40.4% from 3-point range and 77.3% from the free throw line in those 10 contests. Brown ranks second on the team overall on the year in both points (13.2) and rebounds (5.4) per game.

CONSISTENT PRODUCTION FROM HOWARD
Leading ESU in both of those categories is Allison Howard, who has contributed 13.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in 22 contests this season. Howard also leads the team in blocks (22), and she is shooting 76.7% (92-120) from the free throw line. The Aurora, Ohio, native has scored 10+ points in 19 of 22 games on the year, and she has reached double figures 66 times overall in her career (tied for the second most at ESU since 2002-03). Howard has 12 career games with 20+ points and 16 career double-doubles.

LAPOTSKY STEPPING UP OFF BENCH
Fr. G Tiffany Lapotsky is averaging 7.3 ppg off the bench in ESU's last 10 games, and she is shooting 68.0% (17-25) over the past four contests. Lapotsky leads a group of reserves which has outscored opponents in 23 of 26 games on the year (by 20+ points in 10 of those contests). Her overall FG% (48.0, 49-102) is tops on the team.

HARD TO BEAT AT HOME
ESU is 10-3 at Koehler Fieldhouse this season, earning the program's most wins at home since the 2006-07 squad finished a perfect 14-0 (25-4 overall). Seven of those 10 victories have been by double digits.