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Complete
Box Score
EDINBORO, PA – The Edinboro University men’s
basketball team made it a clean sweep on Friday night, handing
host West Chester a 62-59 defeat to reach the PSAC championship
game.
Earlier in the evening the Edinboro women’s
basketball team defeated Kutztown to reach their finals.
Millersville had both of its team advance to the title game a year
ago, but the same school has not swept both championships since
1987, when Millersville won both.
The victory gives the Fighting Scots, the
second seed out of the Western Division, a 20-8 record, the eighth
twenty-win season under head coach Greg Walcavich. The defending
PSAC champions, Edinboro is trying to do something which hasn’t
been accomplished since 1983 – win back-to-back PSAC titles.
Cheyney was the last team to do it.
Just as it is in for the women, it will be an
all-West final, with the Fighting Scots opposing Shippensburg, the
top seed out of the West. The Red Raiders, ranked 19th nationally
and fifth in the East Region, improved to 24-5 with a 72-65 win
over Mansfield. While Shippensburg has likely secured an NCAA
Division II playoff bid, the Fighting Scots entered the week
ranked ninth in the region and may have to secure the league’s
automatic bid to make the NCAA Playoffs for the second straight
year. Shippensburg won both regular season matchups.
While the women opened up a large advantage and
won by 31 points, the men’s game was a nail-biter and came
down to the final seconds. The first half featured six lead
changes and five ties, with Edinboro holding a 31-30 lead at the
half. Edinboro’s largest lead in the first half was seven
points, while the Golden Rams held a five point advantage at one
stage. Daren Tielsch (McKees Rocks, PA/Montour) and Curtis
Ingram (Youngstown, OH/Cardinal Mooney) led the way, each
scoring nine points.
The Scots led for much of the second half, and
expanded the lead to seven points at 48-41 with 10:44 to play on
Justin Moore’s (Canonsburg, PA/Canon-McMillan) hoop.
But the Golden Rams went on a 10-2 run to take their lone lead of
the half at 51-50 with 6:13 to play on Donnell Butler’s
bucket. Edinboro regained the lead on a three-point play by
Tielsch, and the senior forward then made one of two free throws
for a 54-51 lead with 5:19 to play.
The lead grew to 59-53 with just 2:15 remaining
on Moore’s basket, but the homestanding Golden Rams made one
last run. Shawn Werdt nailed a three-pointer, and when Butler
followed with a basket, the lead was down to 59-58 with 1:13
remaining. Torry Mitchell (Erie, PA/Central), who made
just 1 of 11 field goals after scoring a career-high 35 points in
Tuesday’s quarterfinal win over California(Pa.), made two
free throws with 56 seconds remaining for a 61-58 lead. Aaron
Williams made one free throw to make it 61-59 with 33 seconds to
go.
WCU fouled after the miss, and Chris
Ravello (Odenton, MD/Archbishop Spalding) went to the line
with 21 seconds left, shooting a one-and-one. He missed, and West
Chester rebounded with a chance to tie or even win the game. With
four seconds remaining, Moore blocked a three-point attempt, with
Ingram grabbing the rebounds. His free throw with two seconds left
sealed the win.
Edinboro won despite a poor night at the line,
as the Scots made just 12 of 21 free throws. West Chester didn’t
fare any better, making 9 of 17 from the charity stripe. But the
Scots turned the ball over just five times, a season low. Edinboro
has committed just 12 turnovers in the two playoff wins.
Tielsch led Edinboro with 20 points and 10
rebounds, his 16th double-double of the season and the sixth
straight game with 20-or-more points. Ingram added 16 markers,
going 4 of 8 on three-pointers, while Ravello was also in double
figures with 10 points. Moore came up very big on the boards and
defensively, as the 6’6” sophomore pulled down 10
rebounds and blocked four shots. |
