Complete Game Notes

GAME QUICK FACTS
Charleston (W.Va.) (25-6, #4 Seed) vs. Millersville (23-6, #5 Seed)
Friday, March 13, 2009 — 6 p.m.
Hamer Hall, California, Pa.

COVERAGE
Audio: MSBN

ABOUT THE GAME
•    The Marauders earned at at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament on Sunday evening, when they were announced as the No. 5 seed in the Atlantic Region.
•    Millersville is 7-1 in its last eight games and has won 12-of-14 since January 21.
•    Millersville is making its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and its ninth trip overall. Last season the Marauders entered the Atlantic Regional as the No. 8 seed and had to face No. 1 California (Pa.) in the opening round. The Vulcans ended the Marauders' season with a 70-54 defeat.
•    The Marauders have made seven of their nine NCAA Tournament appearances under current head coach Mary Fleig.
•    The Black and Gold sit just two wins shy of a school record at 23-6. 25 wins in a season is a program-best and they came in 1999-2000 when MU finished 25-7 and reached the NCAA Division II East Region Championship before falling to Slippery Rock 65-45.
•    Friday's game marks the first time Millersville has not opened NCAA Division II Tournament play with a PSAC opponent since 2001-02. That season the Marauders dropped a 64-42 decision to the WVIAC's Glenville State.
•    Charleston enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed after winning the WVIAC regular season and tournament titles. The Golden Eagles have won seven in a row.
•    The Golden Eagles are 2-1 against PSAC opponents this season. Charleston opened its season at the Shippensburg tournament, defeating East Stroudsburg (74-60) and falling to the host Lady Raiders (76-60). The WVIAC champs also met PSAC West foe Edinboro back in December, winning that match-up 85-72.
•    Tournament success is nothing new to Charleston. In 2004-05, the Golden Eagles won the East Region and were one of the final eight teams playing. They ended that season ranked No. 7 in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA national poll. In 2005-06, the squad again won the East Region, made the Elite Eight, and finished No. 6 in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA national poll.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT
•    Charleston has compiled a 25-6 overall record and went 17-3 in the WVIAC to win the regular season title.
•    Charleston boasts the second highest scoring offense in the WVIAC at 73.1 points per game. Only West Liberty State scored at a better clip in the conference than the Golden Eagles.
•    The Golden Eagles also ranked second in the conference in scoing defense, allowing just over 57 points per game. Their +15.6 scoring margin over opponents was a WVIAC-best.
•    The WVIAC Tournament Champions can hit the three, connecting on 34-percent of their attempts. Charleston leads the WVIAC in rebounding, but their vulnerability may be in protecting the basketball. The Golden Eagles are turning the ball over 17.3 times per game this season.
•    Jihan Williams leads a trio of Golden Eagles that average double-figure scoring numbers. Williams, the 11th leading scorer in the WVIAC, averages 14.5 points per game. The senior forward also leads the conference in rebounding at 10.8 per game.
•    A pair of guards, senior Veronica Carman and sophomore Lindsey Kentner, round out the double-figure scorers on Charleston's squad. Carman is averaging 12.3 points per game and leads the team in 3-pointers made (50). Kentner is second on the team in 3-pointers made with 46 and averages 10.3 points per game. Kentner is a player you want to keep off the free throw line, as she has hit on 87.5-percent (56-for-64) of her attempts this season.
•    The Golden Eagles are a deep team, with 10 players averaging 10 minutes or more of run per night. Tarenna Dixon has been a consistent presence off of coach Sherry Winn's bench, averaging 5.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Dixon is the team's second leading rebounder and has played in all 31 games.

THE LAST TIME OUT
•    Senior Gladine St. Julien eclipsed the 1,000 point plateau for her career, but it wasn't enough as California (Pa.) used a big second half to down the Millersville women's basketball team 67-57 in the PSAC Semifinals last Friday.
•    The Marauders (23-6) were ready for the No. 3 Vulcans (26-3). With the game tied at eight and 14:27 to play in the opening stanza, MU grabbed the lead on a Jenna Philo jumper and never trailed throughout the remainder of the half.
•    Millersville had Cal U. on its toes, opening up a double-figure lead, 32-22, with 3:05 to go, but there are plenty of reasons the Vulcans are ranked third in the country. For one, they have the ability to rally at any time, and they did just that on Friday. Brooque Williams, Amber Dubyak, and Kayla Smith helped lead the charge, cutting the Cal U. deficit to two (32-30) at the break. Junior Aiesha Bellamy was outstanding in the first half. Bellamy scored a team-high 10 points, dished out two assists, and came up with a steal in MU's stunning first half.
•    The Vulcans trailed at halftime for only the third time this year and the first time since Jan. 17 against Lock Haven and were in no mood to continue playing from behind. Cal U. opened up the second half on a 21-9 run to extend its lead to 10 with 13:27 to play. With their lead steadying between 10-14 points, the Vulcans had to stave off one more push from the Marauders.
•    St. Julien cut the lead to seven, 59-52, on a jumper in the paint with 4:47 to play that gave her 1,001 career points. With Cal U. missing three free-throws in a row and a Jenna Craig layup, the Black and Gold jumped to within six with 55 seconds to play. The Vulcans, however, nailed their last four attempts at the line to end MU's seven-game winning streak and its PSAC Tournament title hopes.
•    Millersville was once again hampered by its performance at the free throw line. MU shot just 4-of-13 (30.8-percent), while Cal U. shot 14-of-20 (70-percent) on the evening. Williams, the PSAC's leading scorer and third-leading rebounder, put up a game-high 21 points, with 12 coming in the second half. and 11 boards. 2007-08 PSAC West Freshman of the Year Kayla Smith also finished with a double-double scoring 16 points and pulling down 13 rebounds.
•    Bellamy was Millersville's rock on Friday evening. The junior from Harrisburg scored a team-high 16 points, while also collected five rebounds and distributing four assists. St. Juilen and Ashley Moyer each finished with 11 points for the Marauders, who fell to 0-5 all-time against the Vulcans in PSAC Semifinal games.

A GRAND FOR 'G'
•    On her last basket against California (Pa.) in the PSAC Semifinals, senior forward Gladine St. Julien eclipsed the 1,000 point plateau for her career at Millersville. Her 11 points in the game gave her 1,001 for her career. St. Julien is the 17th 1,000 point scorer in program history.

MOVING UP THE LIST
•    Gladine St. Julien sits 17th amongst Millersville's all-time scoring leaders. The Leesport, Pa. native needs just nine points to move into 16th on that list.
•    St. Julien's 429 points this season place her eighth on the Marauders single-season scoring leaders list. She needs just 17 points to leap into third place on that list. Millersville's Director of Athletics, Peg Kauffman ('87), is second on that list with 477 points and current women's basketball assistant coach Darlene Newman ('83) is third with 445 points.

HONOR ROLL
•    Senior Gladine St. Julien was selected to the All-PSAC East First Team for the second consecutive year on Tuesday. St. Julien leads the Marauders in scoring and ranks 14th in the PSAC.
•    Junior Jenna Craig earned a spot on the All-PSAC East Second Team with an outstanding season to date. The Lewistown, Pa. native earned her first collegiate post-season honor of any kind. Craig ranks sixth in the PSAC in rebounding, pulling down 9.5 per game and has 14 double-doubles this season.

THE 700 CLUB
•    Millersville's women's basketball program began in 1918 and since then, it has compiled 706 wins. Win number 700 came in a 69-44 defeat of Shippensburg on February 11, 2009. Under head coach Mary Fleig, the Marauders have compiled almost half of those victories with 346.
•    Mary Fleig coached her 700th career NCAA basketball game on Wednesday, February 4, at East Stroudsburg. The Marauders picked up a 51-47 overtime win in the milestone game for the veteran coach. Fleig is in her 26th season on the sidelines. In 19 seasons at Millersville, Fleig has recorded 346 victories. Her career coaching record is an impressive 468-241 and ranks her among the top 10 winningest coaches in NCAA Division II history.

STARTING STRONG
•    Millersville's 11-2 non-conference record marked its best start to a season since 2000-01, when the Marauders started 13-2. The 2000-01 squad finished with a 21-6 record, but fell in the PSAC Quarterfinals to West Chester.

CHARITY TROUBLES
•    Millersville is looking to change its fortunes at the charity stripe this season. The Marauders are last in the PSAC in free throw percentage at .626. In 2007-08, Millersville finished seventh in the conference, shooting close to 70-percent. Surprisingly, MU has made the third most free throws in the league (421) and attempted a league-high 673.

WORKING OVERTIME
•    Millersville went to overtime in back-to-back games versus East Stroudsburg on Feb. 4, and West Chester on Feb. 7. It marked the first time the Marauders have played in consecutive overtime games since taking Cheyney and Kutztown to the extra session during the 1989-90 season.
•    The Marauders made a bit of school history when their game with West Chester went to overtime on February 7. Millersville had never gone to overtime twice in one season with one opponent. The Marauders and Golden Rams went to overtime in the PSAC East opener back on Jan. 14. West Chester emerged victorious in both overtime contests in 2009.

HIT THE BOARDS
•    Forward Jenna Craig has been a rebounding force for the Marauders this season. The Lewistown, Pa. native grabbed a career-high 16 boards in the Marauders double overtime loss to West Chester on Feb. 7. Craig is averaging 9.5 rebounds per game this season and has 14 double-figure rebound games.

RETURN TO SENDER
•    The Marauders blocked a season-high eight shots against Cheyney on Jan. 28. The last time Millersville blocked eight shots or more was Feb. 22, 2006, when the Black and Gold swatted 10 Kutztown attempts away.
•    Senior Gladine St. Julien recorded five blocks against Mansfield on Jan. 31. St. Julien became the second MU player to record five blocks in a game this season. Gretchen Fricko ('96) holds the record for blocks in a game with 10 (12/7/95 vs. SUNY-Stony Brook).

HOW LOW CAN THEY GO?
•    Millersville allowed just 26 points in its win over Mansfield on Jan. 31, marking the fewest points the school has given up in a game since 1979-80. That season, Lynda Humphreville's squad held Lebanon Valley to just 17 points in a 75-17 win.
•    The fewest points allowed in the Mary Fleig era, prior to Jan. 31, was 28 against Cheyney back in 1992-93 (94-28).

LOFTY EXPECTATIONS
•    After posting a 24-6 overall record and a perfect 12-0 mark in the PSAC East a year ago, MU was pegged to finish second in the PSAC East this season in the preseason coaches poll. 
•    Shippensburg, a newcomer to the PSAC Eastern Division, was picked to finish at the top of the division in 2008. West Chester, who qualified for the PSAC playoffs last season as the second seed, finished the season at 9-3 in the division and is picked to finish one spot behind Millersville in third.  Kutztown, who won just four games in the division last year, is picked fourth, while East Stroudsburg is fifth.
•    Forward Gladine St. Julien, an All-PSAC Eastern Division First Team selection last season, was named to the 2008 Preseason All-PSAC East Team.

POWER FORWARD
•    Forward Gladine St. Julien stepped up in a huge way last season after the loss of Preseason All-PSAC selection Ashley Romanoski due to injury.  St. Julien led the Marauders in scoring average (12.5) and was second on the team in rebounding, averaging 6.7 rebounds per game.
•    The 6-0 forward scored in double figures in 21 of the team's 30 games last season and managed four double-doubles.  St. Julien led MU in scoring 13 times and rebounding 11 times.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
•    Since Millersville began playing its home games in Pucillo Gymnasium in 1982, the Marauders are an impressive 260-78 at home in 26 seasons.  The team has never won less than seven games at Pucillo in a single season and has never had a losing record.  Millersville has recorded three losses or fewer at home in 18 of 26 seasons at Pucillo, including a stretch of seven straight seasons from 1996 to 2002. MU finished 11-2 at home in 2008-09.
   
WHO NEEDS SPRING BREAK?
•    Extending the season into March is becoming commonplace at Millersville. This season, the Marauders earned their 13th straight trip to the PSAC Tournament. MU has appeared in the PSAC Tournament 16 times in Mary Fleig's 19 year tenure.
•    Despite falling in the 2008 PSAC Semifinals to California (Pa.), the Marauders entered the NCAA Division II Tournament as the No. 7 seed in the East Region. Leading with under eight minutes to play in the opening-round contest, the Marauders eventually fell for the third time on the season to California (Pa.) to end their season.
•    The Marauders have competed in the NCAA Tournament five times under the direction of Fleig and have posted a 2-5 record in those appearances. Millersville defeated Pitt-Johnstown, 75-71 to advance to the regional semifinal in 1999 and the 2002 team knocked off Belmont Abbey, 84-60 to advance for the only two victories.

HAPPY NEW YEAR
•    Millersville has compiled a 109-66 record in the month of January since 1990-91. The Marauders own a winning percentage of .623 in the month. The only month the Marauders have performed better in is November (45-22, .672). MU has only had three losing records in the month of January in the 19 season time span. This January the Marauders finished 7-3.

RECORD BREAKERS
•    In the season-opening 101-30 victory over Columbia Union, the Marauders eclipsed the 100-point mark for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.  In that season the Marauders ironically knocked off the same team (Columbia Union) by a score of 102-52.
•    The 101-point effort was helped in large part to the 60 first-half points scored by the Marauders which broke the school record of 54 set by the 1992-93 team in a lopsided win over Holy Family.
•    The 71-point margin of victory also broke the school record set  by the 1992-93 team that defeated Cheyney by a final score of 94-28. 

DEFENSIVE REIGN
•    Millersville allowed only 42 points against Indiana (Pa.) on Jan. 3, 2009, marking the lowest point total by IUP since 2004.
•     Millersville has now held its opponents to less than 50 points in 15-of-29 games this season. The Marauders held PSAC East foes under 50 points on six separate occasions in 2008-09. In 2007-08 they accomplished the feat five times in conference games.

TWICE AS NICE
•     Millersville has put an even greater scoring lockdown on two opponents this season, holding each to just 30 points, a feat never before accomplished by a Marauder team under coach Fleig. 
•     The Marauders opened the season in convincing fashion by downing Columbia Union 101-30. On Nov. 19, just four days later, Millersville pulled the feat off once again, this time in a 69-30 victory over Goldey-Beacom. In the win, the Marauders held the Lightning to just two second-half field goals.