Remember all that talk about balance between the West teams and the East?
Me neither.
With the first season of full cross-over play in the PSAC wrapped up, the West thoroughly dominated the East 42-22 in the 64 cross-over games played. Now that the preliminaries are out of the way, it’s time to dive into the first round of divisional matchups.
The big game of the night is at Erie’s Hammermill Center where #5 Edinboro (12-0, 8-0 PSAC West) travels to #21 Gannon (11-1, 8-0) in what will undoubtedly be the first of several showdowns in the PSAC West this season.
The Fighting Scots seem to have picked up where they left off from last season, with four starters averaging at least 10 points per game: Kiara Brown (15.1), Samantha Blazetic (12.9), Renee Brown (12.2) and Raven Metz (11.3). Save for their wins over Shippensburg (65-63) and West Chester (80-76), Edinboro has won all of their games by at least 10 points.
The Golden Knights, meanwhile, are bouncing back from a season that saw them miss the PSAC tournament, just one year removed from a Final Four run. Caitlyn Lowe (12.3 points per game) is the lone senior on a young squad that has surprised the rest of the PSAC. Just ask West Chester about Lowe’s three-point prowess, which was on full display in the closing seconds of the Golden Knights’ 66-64 win over the Golden Rams.
Lowe, however, is not alone, as Jen Papich leads Gannon’s offense (15.6 points), while freshman Nettie Blake is averaging close to a double-double (10.8 points, 8.8 rebounds) this season.
Edinboro is the lone PSAC West team to have a winning record at the Hammermill Center (11-10), although this is the 43rd meeting between these two Erie County rivals. After winning their first five PSAC meetings since joining the league in 2008-2009, Gannon was swept by the Fighting Scots last season.
Expect this to be a close game in which the experience of Edinboro attempts to overcome the toughest venue in the PSAC.
Elsewhere in the West:
California (Pa.) (8-4, 5-3) at Indiana (Pa.) (11-1, 7-1): Amy Johns' injury could prove to be a problem for a Vulcan team in search of an identity. Cal’s leading scorer (18.3 points per game) and rebounder (7.8 per game) injured her right ankle late in the second half of the Vulcans’ 89-66 drubbing at the hands of West Chester Satuday night. The Crimson Hawks, meanwhile, are coming off a 58-55 loss to Millersville at home. Shooting 15-for-28 from the foul line did not help IUP’s cause. Johns’ status could determine, in reality, whether this is a close game or a blowout. IUP head coach Jeff Dow is 2-7 against his Mon Valley rivals.
Mercyhurst (7-5, 5-3) at Clarion (4-8, 3-5): After four straight losses to start the season, the Lakers have won seven of their last eight to crawl back into contention in the West. Mercyhurst could sneak in and steal the 4th seed from Cal. Clarion, meanwhile, doesn’t look like a team that was picked to finish last in the West. That’s not to say they will contend, but the Golden Eagles will give teams headaches, as they did against Bloomsburg on Saturday.
Lock Haven (5-6, 4-4) at Slippery Rock (4-8, 1-7): The Rock was supposed to be vastly improved over last season. So far, their lone win has been against Cheyney. The Bald Eagles, meanwhile, continue to progress and are one game out of the fourth spot in the West.
In the East:
Bloomsburg (11-3, 5-3) at Shippensburg (6-6, 3-5): The Huskies finished 13-1 in PSAC East play last season. That loss came at the hand of a Red Raiders team who sport the most deceptive 3-5 league record in the PSAC. Save for a 66-54 loss to Lock Haven, Shippensburg’s losses have all been in single digits, including last Friday’s 42-40 ugly-fest at Mercyhurst. Do not be shocked if Bloomsburg falls to the Heiges Hex.
West Chester (9-3, 5-3) at Kutztown (4-10, 2-6): Minus Mellisa McQuade, the Golden Bears are in a rebuilding year. Even with Steph Zewe and Ashley Wood heading a young squad that shows signs of improvement with each game, Kutztown will be no match for a Golden Rams team that coaches and more than a few fans believe is the best team in the East.
Millersville (8-4, 5-3) at Cheyney (0-8, 0-12): Just as West Chester bounced back with a huge win at Cal Saturday night, the Marauders recovered from their Friday night fiasco at Cal, in which they were outscored 20-3 in overtime on the way to an ugly 86-69 loss. Carley Gallagher’s three with two seconds left in regulation sent noticed to the rest of the PSAC East that, offensive inconsistency aside, Millersville is not going away quietly. The Wolves, still searching for their first win, are going to find out the hard way at Cope Hall.
Mansfield (4-8, 1-7) at East Stroudsburg (5-7, 2-6): Even if the Warriors miss the playoffs, the fact that they gave IUP all they could handle, albeit in a very ugly game, and pulled off an upset over Philadelphia University at their gym in Roxborough could point to signs of life in the Poconos. The Mounties, on the other hand, are in danger of missing the PSAC post-season for the fifth straight year with few, if any, encouraging signs.
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