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Complete
Box Score
EDINBORO, PA – Daren Tielsch’s
(McKees Rocks, PA/Montour) layup with six seconds remaining
capped a stirring comeback as Edinboro opened PSAC crossover
action with a 67-66 win over Mansfield. The victory boosted the
Fighting Scots to 4-1, while the Mountainers fall to 3-1.
After suffering a 66-62 defeat to Lake Erie on
Wednesday, shooting just 26.8 percent from the floor, Edinboro
turned in another cold first half, shooting 32.1 percent. The
Fighting Scots trailed, 40-27, at intermission, trailing by as
many as 15 points in the first half. Things didn’t look good
when Mansfield’s Andrae Martin opened the second half with a
three-point play for a 43-27 lead, the largest deficit of the
game.
Edinboro outscored the Mountaineers, 23-8, over
the next six-and-a-half minutes to pull to within 51-50 as Torry
Mitchell (Erie, PA/Central) scored 12 points. The Scots took
their first lead since early in the game with ten minutes on
Mitchell’s free throw for a 55-54 advantage.
The contest was tight the rest of the way,
although Mansfield held a 66-63 lead heading into the final
minute. Tielsch’s jumper with 49 seconds left made it 66-65,
and after Mansfield’s Brandon DeShield’s shot was
blocked by Joe Cephas (Jeannette, PA/Penn Hills), with
Edinboro rebounding, Edinboro called a timeout with 14 seconds
left and set up the final shot. Mitchell drove the lane and dished
off to Tielsch on the left side for the winning layup.
“I thought it was the best half
of basketball we’ve played this season,” related head
coach Greg Walcavich. “We didn’t have a good first half
in any way, shape, or form, and to be honest, that’s really
how we’ve practiced the last few days.”
“In the second half half on both
ends we really played well. We held then to 26 points in the
second half. I felt as though our guys did the things we were
hoping to do in the first half. Our guys defended better, we got
some transition baskets, and we loosened up.”
After scoring 15 points in the first half and
then being held without a basket the entire second half, Tielsch
scored twice in the final minute and finished with 21 points,
adding 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.
Mitchell, meanwhile, scored 17 of his 18 points
in the second half, nailing a pair of three pointers and also
making several twisting moves to the basket.
“Torry Mitchell was superb in
that second half,” Walcavich commented. “I think it
shows he has the willingness to win. He’s all about trying to
win.”
Chris Ravello (Odenton, MD/Archbishop
Spalding) added 12 points while Justin Moore (Canonsburg,
PA/Canon-McMillan) was also in double figures with 11 points.
The Fighting Scots played without Curtis Ingram (Youngstown,
OH/Cardinal Mooney), who was out with an injury.
Mansfield also had four players in double
figures, but DeShield’s, who came in averaging 22.0 ppg., was
held to just 6 points on 2 of 12 shooting as he was hounded by
Mitchell. The Mountaineers came in averaging 89.0 ppg. Martin
paced Mansfield with 15 points, while Carlos Collazo had 14 points
and 11 rebounds. David Hoopes and Kevin Hill added 10 points
apiece.
Thanks to 53.6 percent shooting in the second
half, Edinboro ended the day at 42.9 percent. The Fighting Scots
limited Mansfield to 31.3 percent over the final twenty minutes
and 38.7 percent for the game. Mansfield outrebounded the Scots,
41-36.
Edinboro returns to action on Sunday afternoon,
hosting East Stroudsburg in another PSAC crossover contest. The
Warriors improved to 4-1 with a 74-68 win at Slippery Rock on
Saturday.
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