Complete Game Notes

GAME INFORMATION
Millersville (5-9, 3-7 PSAC) vs. East Stroudsburg (9-7, 5-5 PSAC)
Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012 - 8 p.m.
Pucillo Gymnasium, Millersville, Pa.
Staff Appreciation and Kunzler Dollar Dog Night

MEDIA INFORMATION
All-Access Live Video
Audio Broadcast (MSBN)
Live Stats

TICKET INFORMATION
www.muticketsonline.com
Reserved Seating: $8
General Admission (Doubleheader): $6
General Admission (Single game): $5
Senior Citizen: $3
Visiting Students with ID: $3
Children under 6: FREE
MU Students: FREE with valid ID
Faculty and Staff: FREE with one guest with valid ID

SERIES INFORMATION
Millersville vs. ESU: 94-47
Series Streak: Ville, 1
First Meeting: 1913 (ESU 38, Ville 18)
Last Meeting: 2011 (Ville 76, ESU 69)
Last 10: Tied, 5-5
Fred Thompson vs. ESU: 16-9
Jeff Wilson vs. Ville: 8-10

THE STARTING FIVE
(1) After opening the season with a 1-7 record against the PSAC West, the Marauders have responded with a 2-0 start against the PSAC East for the first time since 2007-08. Just by winning those two games, the Marauders have pulled into contention for a PSAC Tournament spot as four teams in the East are tied with 3-7 conference records. Wednesday's opponent East Stroudsburg currently sits in third place with a 5-5 mark but has lost close games to outstanding teams like nationally-ranked West Liberty and Indiana (Pa.). The Warriors, however, are coming off their most lop-sided loss of the season--75-61 at home to Kutztown.

(2) Millersville won has won two consecutive games for the first time since opening the year 2-0 and the program has not won three straight games since opening the 2009-10 season 3-0. The Marauders have not opened PSAC East play with three consecutive wins since 2002-03. That team went 11-1 in league play and won the PSAC Championship. It's been all about offensive efficiency for the Marauders in the last two wins. The team has averaged 83.5 points per game on 54.9 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent shooting from three. In the first 12 games, Millersville averaged 70.8 points on 44.7 percent shooting and 28 percent shooting from three.

(3) Millersville has managed two wins without its second leading scorer Mike Seibert (11.0), who missed both games with back spasms. Seibert was the iron horse of the Marauders until the last two games. It broke a sreak of 71 consecutive games played and 48 straight starts. Jim Kelleher logged his first career starts in Seibert's place and played 30.5 minutes and shot 4-of-9 from three. He had made just eight appearances and average 6.8 minutes per game in the first 12 games of the season. 

(4) The return of Demond Vance has certainly helped. After missing the first semester worth of action, Vance has made an immediate impact despite having only one week of practice with the team. The leading scorer from 2010-11 scored 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting in his debut against West Chester, and against Cheyney, he made only one shot but it was the game-tying three with 27 seconds left.

(5) Larry Grant is entering rare company. He is the first of the Fred Thompson era to produce back-to-back double-doubles with points and assists, and he is the only player in the PSAC to rank in the top 15 of both statistical categories. Currently, he is averaging 15.6 points and 4.6 assists. The only player to finish the season with averages of 15 points and 4.5 assists in the last 10 years was Charlie Parker (2007-08 and 2006-07). He won PSAC East Player of the Year both years.

THE WARRIORS
·    Jeff Wilson is in his 10th season at East Stroudsburg and has built the program into a perennial PSAC East contender. The program has reached the PSAC semifinals in each of the last two seasons and he has six consecutive winning seasons. Prior to his arrival, ESU had just two winning seasons in the previous eight. Wilson has also coached 11 of the 23 1,000 point scorers in program history.
·    This season's club is 9-7 but 2-4 away from Kohler Fieldhouse. The four losses, however, have come by an average of 5.8 points. Statistically, East Stroudsburg is one of the most well-rounded clubs in the PSAC. It ranks fourth in scoring offense (79.5) and fifth in scoring defense (69.7). No other team in the league ranks in the top five of both categories. With 39.4 rebounds per game, it ranks second in rebounds per game.
·     The offense is balanced with four players averaging double-figures but no player scoring more than 13.8 points per game. Five different players have led the team in scoring this season. True freshman Whis Grant is tops on the team with 13.8 points per game. He's also shooting an accurate 47 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from three. He helped Plymouth-Whitemarsh to a 2010 state championship. Russell Graham III is a senior point guard that has nearly a 2:1 assists to turnover ratio with 86 assists and 47 turnovers. He ranks third in the PSAC in assists. Russell started six games last season before suffering a season-ending injury. He is a transfer from New Hampshire.
·      Wednesday's game is the 142nd between Millersville and East Stroudsburg. The Marauders hold a commanding series lead with 94 wins, but ESU has won five of the last seven dating back to 2007-08. Last season, the two squads split with each team winning at home. ESU won 76-70 on its home floor and Millersville won 76-69 at home.