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Complete
Box Score
EDINBORO, PA – The Edinboro University men’s
basketball team came into Wednesday night’s showdown with
PSAC West rival California(Pa.) as the top-ranked defensive team
in the PSAC, giving up 62.0 ppg. and holding opponents to 37.3
percent shooting from the floor. The Vulcans, meanwhile, ranked
second in the league in scoring (80.6 ppg.) and first in field
goal percentage (51.0 pct.).
Obviously, something had to give. On this
night, it was defense that won over offense, as the Fighting Scots
held Cal to 37.3 percent shooting from the floor and did not allow
the Vulcans to score for the last six-and-a-half minutes of the
game. The result, a 49-48 win over the Vulcans, who came into the
game ranked 19th in the NABC Division II national rankings and
second in the East Region.
Edinboro snapped a two-game losing streak while
improving to 14-7 overall and 4-2 in the PSAC West. Cal falls to
16-4 and 5-1, respectively, and saw its ten-game winning streak
come to an end.
The Fighting Scots led the entire game until
Cal took its first lead of the game with 7:44 to play at 43-42 on
Kelvin Green’s layup. When James Hairston followed with a
steal and dunk, the Vulcans led by three at 45-42. Another Boro
turnover led to a three-pointer by Theron Colao and a 48-42 lead
with 6:36 to play.
However, that hoop would be the last points
scored by Cal the rest of the night. The Vulcans missed their
final seven shots, went 0-for-2 from the line, and turned the ball
over three times the rest of the way.
While scoring the final seven points of the
game, Edinboro started its comeback on a layup by Daren Tielsch
with 6:22 left. Ryan McLemore cut the margin to 48-46 with a
rebound dunk with 5:02 left. Tielsch made one of two free throws
to pull the Fighting Scots within a point with 4:19 left.
Neither team would score until less than a
minute remained after that. Edinboro missed three shots, turnover
the ball over once, and came up empty on the front end of a
one-and-one. But with just under a minute to play, Curtis Ingram
tracked down a long rebound and raced downcourt, hitting a
seven-foot jumper from the left side with 46 seconds left to give
Edinboro the 49-48 lead.
The final 46 seconds got more than a little
crazy. With fouls to give, Edinboro fouled twice, and the Vulcans
had the opportunity to take the last shot. But they would turn the
ball over with 1.3 seconds remaining.
Ingram was fouled with .5 seconds to play. The
senior guard missed the free throw, but Cal never touched the
ball. In the meantime, the clock ran off the remaining time. After
huddling to confer, the officials put the .5 seconds back on the
clock and awarded Cal an inbounds pass. The long pass downcourt
was tipped out of bounds as the game finally ended.
Tielsch and Ingram were the lone Scots in
double figures. Tielsch led the way with 17 points, making 7 of 10
field goals, and in the process moved into 11th place in career
scoring with 1,247 points. Ingram, fresh off a career-high
31-point effort in Monday’s loss at Clarion, added 13 points.
In addition, he turned in another effort on the defensive end,
holding Cal’s leading scorer James Petty, to just seven
points on 3 of 12 shooting.
The strong defensive effort helped overcome
another subpar night at the free throw line and from beyond the
three-point arc. Edinboro made just 7 of 14 free throws and was 2
of 14 on three-pointers.
Edinboro begins second half PSAC West action on
Saturday, February 3, playing at Shippensburg. The Red Raiders
were chosen as the preseason favorite in the West. After a slow
start, they have played well of late and are currently tied with
Edinboro for second place with a 4-2 record. Edinboro won the
first meeting between the two, 76-51, on January 10. |
