Complete Game Notes

GAME INFORMATION
Millersville (3-9, 1-7 PSAC) vs. Cheyney (3-9, 1-7 PSAC)
Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012 - 8 p.m.
Cope Hall, Cheyney, Pa.

MEDIA INFORMATION
Audio Broadcast (MSBN)

SERIES INFORMATION
Millersville vs. Cheyney: 47-63
Series Streak: Cheyney, 1
First Meeting: 1958 (Ville 87, CU 63)
Last Meeting: 2011 (CU 80, Ville 64)

THE STARTING FIVE
(1) Millersville opens play against the PSAC Eastern Division with a road game against one of its fiercest rivals in Cheyney. The Marauders split with Cheyney last year but lost 80-64 on the road. The last win at Cheyney came by a 61-59 score in 2009. Fred Thompson's teams are 7-6 at Cope Hall.  14 of the last 22 games between the rivals have been decided by fewer than 10 points. While two of Millersville's three wins have come on the road this season, road games have not been kind to Millersville in recent years. Over the last four seasons, Millersville is 9-36 on the road and 6-26 against PSAC teams. This season, Millersville is averaging 78 points per game at home but 65.7 on the road.

(2) With three wins in their first 12 games, Millersville is off to its slowest start  since opening 3-10 under interim head coah Dave Springer in 1996-97. That Millersville team, however, closed the year going 8-5 down the stretch.  To avoid four consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1979-1983, this year's Marauder team must finish 10-4.

(3) Mike Seibert is averaging nearly two 3-pointers per game this season, and dating back to last year, he has made a three in 13 consecutive games. Going back to his sophomore season, Seibert has made a three in 43 of his last 44 games. He had a run of 30 consecutive games until going 0-for-2 against Shippensburg on Feb. 23. The Division II record for consecutive games with a three has stood at 35 since 2002.  In his career, he's made 138 3-pointers and attempted 411 (.336). He ranks 10th in Millersville history in threes made. He's also shot 82.4 percent from the line, which is slightly ahead of Hall of Fame member Lance Gelnett for the best percentage in school history.

(4) Larry Grant is Millersville's top scorer at 15.5 points per game and ranks 13th in the PSAC.  He is also the team's assist leader and ranks 12th in the league with 3.6 assists per game.  he is the only player in the PSAC to rank in the top 15 of both statistical categories. He's scored in double figures in 10 of 12 games and has three or more assists in seven games. His four 20-point games are already the most by a Marauder in a season since Reggie Bates had 15 such games in 2007-08.

(5) Elijah Obade is the top shot blocker in the PSAC by a wide margin. His average of 2.5 per game is nearly a full block better than Bloomsburg's Larry Webster and Edinboro's Cory Sommerville. Obade is on pace to finish the season with 65 blocks, which would set a Millersville record. The Marauders are tied atop the PSAC with Edinboro for blocks at 4.8 per game. Millersville has averaged more than 3.5 blocks per game in five of the last seven seasons.

THE CHEYNEY WOLVES
·    After posting a 19-9 record and reaching the PSAC Championship game a year ago, Cheyney is off to a slow start with just two wins in its first 11 games. Most of the games, however, have been closely contested. Six of the losses have come by fewer than 10 points. Cheyney lost All-PSAC players Sharif Bray (21.6 ppg) and David Burton (17.3 ppg) as well as Rob Townsend (10.2 ppg) and Bruce Kennedy (11.8 ppg). With an entirely new lineup, the Wolves have struggled to find consistent scoring and currently rank 15th in the PSAC ins coring offense and 14th in field goal percentage (41.9).
·    Jason Saab, a junior from Angelina Community College, has stepped into the role of offensive leader. He ranks sixth in the PSAC in scoring at 18.1 points per game. He isn't much of a threat from behind the arc, however, as he is shooting 6-of-31 on the season. He's also turnover prone, committing 41 compared to 26 assists. Most of the scoring comes from four players. Along with Saab, Brandon Baylor (17.0) and Jerrod Johnson (10.1) are all averaging over double figures.
·    Cheyney is 1-3 at home and has not played a home game since falling to Edinboro 90-82 on Dec. 4. Cheyney ranks 14th in the PSAC in defense, allowing 76.9 points per game. It is allowing opponents to shoot 48.4 percent from the field, but oddly, are holding teams to 29.1 percent from three, which is the second best total in the conference.
·    Dominique Stephens is in his fourth season and entered the year with a 53-30 record (.639) and a 27-15 mark in the PSAC East with three playoff appearances.