Complete Game Notes

GAME QUICK FACTS
Millersville (8-3) vs. Slippery Rock (3-8)
Saturday, January 9, 2009 - 1 p.m.
Pucillo Gymnasium, Millersville, Pa.

Millersville vs. Mercyhurst (7-3)
Sunday, January 10, 2009 - 1 p.m.
Pucillo Gymnasium, Millersville, Pa.

COVERAGE
Audio: MSBN
Live Stats: Click Here

THE WEEK AHEAD
•    After going 1-1 in its Western swing of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover games, the Millersville University women's basketball team returns home to Pucillo Gymnasium this weekend to host a pair of crossover games.
•    The Marauders welcome Slippery Rock on Saturday at 1 p.m., before taking on second-year PSAC West member, Mercyhurst, on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
•    Last season during PSAC crossover play, MU faced both squads, emerging victorious each time. The Marauders turned a one-point halftime deficit into a 12-point, 60-48, against SRU on Jan. 10, 2009. The next day Millersville traveled to Erie and opened the game with a 17-2 run, never looking back in a 53-44 victory.
•    Saturday's meeting between Millersville and Slippery Rock will mark the two programs' 20th meeting. Millersville holds a slight 10-9 edge in the series, which they gained with last season's win.
•    On the opposite end of the all-time meetings spectrum is Sunday's opponent, Mercyhurst. The Lakers, a long time member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), will take on the Marauders for just the fourth time in program history. The two schools met once in the 1980's and once in the 1990's, with each registering a victory. Last season's game, won by MU, was the first between the schools in 15 years. The Marauders' 53-44 win gives them a 3-2 series lead heading into Sunday's contest.

SCOUTING SLIPPERY ROCK
•    The Rock comes into play this weekend losers in four of their last five, and eight of 11 overall. SRU's problems start at the defensive end, where it is giving up the second most points per game (67.1) in the PSAC. Only Shippensburg, which is giving up over 70 points per game, is defending teams with less efficiency. SRU has given up 80 or more points in two games this season, and 70 or more in four games.
•    Another area of struggle for Slippery Rock has been games played away from its home court at Morrow Field House. SRU has slumped to a 1-4 record at road/neutral venues.
•    Senior guards Nikki Presto and Julie Molloy are The Rock's go-to scorers, accounting for over a third of the team's offensive production per game. Presto is the team's leader in minutes, averaging nearly 30 per game and has put up 12.1 points per game so far this season. She also leads the team in assists (41) and rebounds, grabbing 6.2 per game. Molloy is putting up 10.8 points per night and is a threat from deep, having made a team-high 15 3-pointers.
•    Outside of Presto and Emilee Vitez, Slippery Rock does not hit the glass very well. Presto and Vitez combine to average 11.5 rebounds per game, while the team as a whole averages just over 34 per game. The Rock is last in the PSAC in offensive rebounds and 12th of 16 in defensive rebounds. They also rank last in the conference in rebounding margin, getting out-boarded by over five a game.
•    When it comes to matching up with the Marauders, SRU holds a distinct advantage from 3-point land. Slippery Rock boasts five players who have hit 10 3-pointers or more this season. Millersville has just two in Ashley Moyer (13) and Sophia Waters (10). SRU, as a team, has hit 66 treys, while MU has just 39.
•    The offenses of Millersville and Slippery Rock match up pretty evenly. SRU is 12th in the conference in scoring, putting up just over 63 per game. MU is right behind The Rock, sitting in 13th at 61.3 points per game. Saturday's game could come down to Slippery Rock's ability to execute against MU's PSAC-best defense, which is allowing just 53 points per contest.

SCOUTING MERCYHURST
•    Mercyhurst has rolled to a 7-3 start this season, but will have its hands full with this weekend's crossover action. Millersville is hoping to be the beneficiary of a weary Lakers squad, as Mercyhurst must first travel to defending PSAC East co-champ, West Chester, on Saturday.
•    Mercyhurst has a reason to be confident against PSAC East opponents, however, as it has gone 3-0 against the East in 2009-10. MC traveled to Mansfield on Dec. 7 and came away with a 69-63 victory. The Lakers also took down Cheyney and Shippensburg on back-to-back days this past weekend, as they hosted crossover play.
•    For a second consecutive season, Mercyhurst is led in scoring by junior forward Amy Achesinski. The 6-foot-1 Achesinski is dropping in 13.8 points per game, after scoring just over 14 a game a season ago. Achesinski was a 2008-09 All-PSAC West Second Team selection and she leads the team in rebounds as well, recording 9.5 per outing.
•    Despite losing its second leading scorer from a season ago, Mercyhurst is actually scoring the ball better in 2009-10. The Lakers graduated Stephanie Prischak, who averaged 12.9 points per game, but last year's squad was not as well-rounded. In addition to Achesinksi and Prischak, MC had just three players averaging five points or more per game. This season the team currently has seven players above that line, and the results can be seen, as the team is averaging 8.2 points more per game.
•    In terms of defensive comparisons, some of the numbers Millersville has put up, to date, are jaw-dropping when placed side-by-side with those of Mercyhurst. The Lakers have 70 steals this season and more astoundingly, just 11 blocks in 10 games. MU, meanwhile, already has 162 steals in 11 games and 53 blocked shots. When it comes to points allowed, however, the Marauders and Lakers are pretty even. MC allows the third fewest points in the PSAC, at 59.3 per game.
•    To stay out of trouble, Millersville will need to protect against the 3-point shot and keep the Lakers away from the foul line. Mercyhurst is extremely proficient from deep, connecting on 34.1-percent of its attempts, which is tied for fifth best in the conference. MC has hit 75 3-pointers this season, fourth most in the PSAC. At the charity stripe, Mercyhurst ranks third in the conference, having knocked down 102-of-137 attempts (.745).
•    In her two-plus seasons of coaching the Lakers, Deanna Richard has led her team to a 12-13 record against PSAC schools (both divisions).

LOOKING BACK
•    Raquel Green posted 19 points and 16 rebounds and Emily Balogh converted the game-winning lay-up with 31 seconds to go, as the Millersville women's basketball team went into Hamer Hall and handed No. 10 California (Pa.) a 53-52 defeat on Sunday afternoon, snapping the Vulcans 26-game home winning-streak.
•    The Vulcans, who hadn't lost at home since absorbing a 70-65 setback against Edinboro back on Feb. 6, 2008, managed to trim the Marauders' first half lead to one on two occasions, but each time Millersville had an answer. Kiara Brown hit a 3-pointer to bring Cal within 10-9, but Mashira Newman hit a jumper at the other end. Brown continued to trade buckets with the Marauders, scoring the next time down, but her next bucket was countered by a Balogh 3-pointer and MU extended the lead from there.
•    With 2:16 to play in the half, Green nailed a shot that pushed the lead to 10, 28-18, Millersville's largest of the game to that point. Cal scored the next five points, but the Marauders went into the half on a high note as Green finished a Newman dish with 11 seconds to play to give MU a 30-23 halftime lead. The offensive output was welcomed, as Millersville had not recorded a 30-point first half in its last five games.
•    The 10th-ranked Vulcans, NCAA Division II Elite Eight participants the last two seasons, gained their first lead since 19:52 of the first half when reigning PSAC West Athlete of the Year, Brooque Williams, finished off a basket in deep to make it 52-51 with 1:01 to play. Having been fouled by Jenna Craig on the play, Williams failed to finish off the 3-point play, putting the game on a seesaw. Balogh missed a 3-pointer with 37 seconds remaining, but Cal's Crystal Andrews had her pocket picked by Bellamy, who quickly got the ball to Balogh for the game-winning bucket. A 3-point attempt by Cal's Megan Kermond was off the mark at the buzzer, giving Millersville its first win over California in three years.
•    Green's 19-point performance was her best since scoring a career-high 26 against West Chester on Mar. 1, 2008, and she set new career-highs in total rebounds (16) and offensive rebounds (11). For a second straight game Newman showed the form that earned her PSAC East Athlete of the Week on Nov. 23. The redshirt freshman scored 14 points and registered seven steals, her third game this season with seven or more steals. Balogh, making her second straight start, netted eight points on the afternoon.
•    Cal was far more efficient from the floor, connecting on over 46-percent of its shots, to just 35-percent for MU. The Marauders dominated the boards, though, by a 48-28 count. 29 of those rebounds were offensive, leading to a lopsided 24-1 advantage in second chance points for MU.

LIFE OUTSIDE THE PSAC EAST
•    Non-conference games have been good to the Black and Gold in recent years. MU was 12-4 outside the PSAC East a season ago. Against non-PSAC West opponents, the Marauders were 8-2. That trend has continued early on in 09-10, as MU is 8-3 in non-conference play heading into the weekend.
•    Millersville has compiled a 40-19 record against non-conference opponents since 2006-07.
•    MU has only had a losing record in non-conference play once in the last seven seasons. In 2005-06, the Marauders were 7-10 outside of the PSAC East.

DOUBLING UP
•    Senior Jenna Craig has increased her double-double total in each of the three seasons she has been in the program. As a freshman, Craig picked up just one double-double. That number jumped to four as a sophomore and nine as a junior. She picked up her first as a senior (13 pts., 10 reb.) in MU's 68-41 victory over Philadelphia.
•    Outside of Craig's 15 career double-doubles, members of the 2009-10 team account for just four more. Raquel Green has registered a double-double three times in her career with the Black and Gold, while Aiesha Bellamy notched her first career double-double last season against Kutztown on March 3.

PRE-SEASON PRAISE
•    The Marauders were picked to finish second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division when the conference's coaches released their pre-season poll on Oct. 29.
•    Millersville received three first place votes, the same amount as division-favorite, West Chester. Last season the Marauders and Golden Rams finished as regular season co-champions of the Eastern Division after compiling 11-3 records in PSAC East play.
•    Craig, a 2008-09 All-PSAC East Second Team selection, was named to the 2009-10 PSAC East Preseason All-Conference Team.

GETTING OFFENSIVE
•    Craig was a dominant rebounder at both ends of the floor last season, but her 100 offensive rebounds marked an impressive feat. She became the first Marauder to register triple-digit offensive boards in a season since Destinne Parker-Stewart and Kristy Garner both pulled down 104 in 2004-05.

HOME COOKING
•    Since Millersville began playing its home games in Pucillo Gymnasium in 1982, the Marauders are an impressive 264-78 at home in 27-plus 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 19 of 27 seasons at Pucillo, including a stretch of seven straight seasons from 1996 to 2002. The team has already registered four more wins and sits at 4-0 in games played at Pucillo in 2009-10.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
•    The Marauders have started the season with a win in 17-of-20 Mary Fleig-coached openers. MU has won its last four openers, including this season's 69-33 blowout win over the University of the District of Columbia. The last season-opening loss for MU came at the hands of the College of St. Rose, 81-75, in 2005-06. The program is 39-15 in openers dating back to the 1956-57 season.

WORTH THE WAIT
•    After redshirting during the 2008-09 season, many Marauder fans didn't know what to expect from 5-foot-7 guard Mashira Newman. Newman burst onto the scene with three strong games to start the season, giving the program just a taste of what's to come. She started her career by posting 13 points and eight steals in the Marauders 69-33 win over UDC. A day later, she followed it up with a 22-point, nine rebound performance, which included five assists and four more steals in a stat-stuffer of a game. Her hot start was recognized by the conference when she was named PSAC East Athlete of the Week on Nov. 23.

SECOND CHANCE
•    Senior forward Raquel Green was in the midst of an impressive 2008-09 season, before having it cut short after 15 games. At the time she was averaging 7.5 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game and was amongst the team leaders in blocked shots. Green has come back strong in 2009-10 and provided much needed depth to this Millersville team. She put together a pair of double-figure scoring, six-rebound games early in the season, before having a monster performance (19 points, 16 rebounds) in MU's 53-52 upset of #10 California (Pa.) on Jan. 3. Green also leads the team in blocked shots with 17.

VARIETY SCORING
•    12 of the 14 players that saw action in Millersville's season-opening win over UDC found their way onto the scoresheet. The trend continued against Lock Haven when all 10 participants scored at least a point. 10 or more players have registered points in 5-of-11 contests this season.

CROSSOVERS
•    The Black and Gold is 12-10 against PSAC West programs during regular season play, dating back to 2006-07. The Marauders were 4-1 against Western Division foes last season and are 2-1 this season.

THE NIFTY FIFTIES
•    Through 11 games, Millersville is once again on pace to hold its opponents' offenses under 60 points per game. The Marauders are currently giving up 53.0 ppg and have not allowed an average of 60 points per game for a season since 2005-06. In fact, Millersville has only allowed its opponents to finish with more than 60 points per game twice in the last seven seasons.

LEVEL 15
•    Raquel Green recorded a Millersville rarity on Sunday with her 19-point, 16-rebound double-double. She became the first Marauder to register over 15 points and 15 rebounds in the same game since Jenna Craig had 16 and 16 against West Chester back on Feb. 7, 2009, a span of 20 games. Craig accomplished the feat twice last season, also going for 15 and 15 on Dec. 18, 2008 vs. Saint Leo. Prior to that, a Millersville player had not pulled off 15 and 15 since Kristy Garner scored 20 points and grabbed 15 boards in an 87-68 win over Cheyney on Jan. 29, 2005.

STEAL STATS
•    The Marauders have already racked up 162 steals this season, for an average of nearly 15 per game (14.7). The school record is held by the 1999-2000 team, which recorded 453 (14.1 per game). With a comparative number of games, this year's squad is on pace to break that record. That will be no easy task, though, as the 99-00 squad played 32 games (25-7). For Millersville to break the record in it's 16 remaining regular season games, it would have to average 18.1 steals per game.
•    Redshirt freshman Mashira Newman already has three games of seven steals or more. The feisty guard  has racked up 37 steals in 11 games and the school record for steals by a freshman, set by Safiyyah Bashir  (71 in 1997-98), could be in jeopardy. Newman has also threatened the school record for steals in a game (10), which has been done by five different players.