MILLERSVILLE at No. 8 INDIANA (Pa.)
	Millersville Marauders 2017-18 Record: 17-11, 12-10 PSAC Coach: Mary Fleig, 28th season Roster | Schedule | Statistics
	No. 8 Indiana (Pa.) Crimson Hawks 2017-18 Record: 26-2, 20-2 PSAC Head Coach: Tom McConnell, 5th season Roster | Schedule | Statistics
	Game Information Date: March 3, 2018 | Start Time: 3:30 p.m. Location: East Stroudsburg, Pa. Live Video | Live Stats | Championship Weekend Tickets: $10 Adults / $5 Students Free - PSAC Stud. w/ ID Series vs. IUP: 12-23 Series Streak: IUP, 3 First Meeting: 1976-77 (L, 59-66) Last Meeting: 2017 (L, 47-61) Last 10 Meetings: 3-7 Mary Fleig vs. East Stroudsburg: 9-15 Tom McConnell vs. Millersville: 3-0

Complete Game Notes (.pdf)

GAME OVERVIEW
• The Marauders head to Indiana, Pa. to play in their first PSAC Semifinal game since the 2012-13 season. Third-seeded Millersville (17-11) is tasked with upsetting No. 8 IUP (26-2) who are the defending PSAC Champions and number one seed in the PSAC West.
• The Marauders are battle-tested and playing their best basketball in the final third of the season. They sport a 9-2 record since Jan. 24 and are on a season-high five game winning streak. During their five game winning streak, the Marauders have won by an average of 12.2 points per game while holding their opponents to only 61.2 points per game. Millersville opened the playoffs with a 51-38 victory over sixth-seeded Mansfield at home before beating second-seeded East Stroudsburg 91-76 in East Stroudsburg this past Wednesday night.
• In its two playoff games, Millersville has dominated the paint. Millersville out-rebounded Mansfield 48-40 and East Stroudsburg 52-32 while outscoring Mansfield 24-8 and East Stroudsburg 42-32 in the paint. Against the Warriors, the Marauders snagged 20 offensive rebounds and scored 24 second chance points to eliminate any chance of the Warriors coming back. 
• Millersville has shown over the season if it reaches key benchmarks during a game, more often than not, they win. The Marauders are 12-1 this season when they snag 40 or more rebounds and 13-6 when they outscore their opponents in the paint. When leading at halftime, Millersville is 16-4 and it is 17-5 when it holds opponents below 80 points.
• Millersville thrives on turning over its opponents. The Marauders force the eighth most turnovers in the PSAC with 17.1 turnovers per game while also averaging 9.1 steals per game which ranks sixth in conference.
• The Marauders' scoring efforts are led by senior guard Alayah Hall and freshman Lauren Lister. Both players have scored 30 or more points in a game this season. Over the last seven games, Hall averaged 18.9 points per game while Lister averaged 17.3 points per game. The duo were pivotal in securing Millersville's blowout win at East Stroudsburg as the pair combined for 52 of Millersville's 91 points. An upset of the Crimson Hawks will require the pair to fire on all cylinders. Hall is playing every game like its her last because each game potentially is her last in the black and gold. Expect Hall to leave it all on the court on Saturday. Lister has the opportunity to top the freshman scoring record if she scores 31 more points before the end of the season.
• Redshirt junior Janelle Robinson will need to continue disrupting the opposing team's rhythm to help Millersville's upset bid. While Robinson's impact on the court isn't always seen in the stats, she's a jack of all trades averaging nearly eight rebounds per game in her last eight games while forcing errant passes as the opposing team tries to advance the ball against the press. On top of her defensive impact, Robinson is more than capable of scoring in bunches, and she has scored in double figures ten times this season.

SCOUTING THE CRIMSON HAWKS
• Millersville will need more than momentum on its side to upset No. 8 IUP on its home court where they sport a 16-0 record this season. The Crimson Hawks rank first in the PSAC with a 22 point per game scoring margin. Their defense holds opponents to 52.8 points per game which ranks first in conference while their offense scores 74.8 points per game which ranks third. The Crimson Hawks are efficient in all aspects of the game and do not make a lot of mistakes thanks to the team's experience. IUP's starting lineup in the PSAC Quarterfinals featured three juniors and two seniors. Millersville's three-point defense has improved considerably during its five game winning streak, but it will face its greatest test against IUP. The Crimson Hawks rank first in the conference shooting 37 percent from the arch and have taken the sixth most three-pointers in the PSAC.
• Despite the challenge that the Crimson Hawks present, there is a blueprint for taking them down. In it's first loss this season against California (Pa.), IUP turned the ball over 20 times and the Vulcans scored 17 points off the turnovers. The Vulcans pushed the pace and added 10 fast break points in addition to their scoring off turnovers. The Vulcans bullied the Crimson Hawks on the glass and out-rebounded them 36-31. In it's second loss this season against Mercyhurst, IUP was sloppy defensively and committed 19 personal fouls as it failed in reigning in Mercyhurst's aggression. The Lakers scored 18 points on 25 attempts at the free throw line. Again, IUP was bullied on the glass as Mercyhurst out-rebounded the Crimson Hawks 40-30 and limited their chances at coming back in the game. Millersville's guards excel at driving the paint and getting free trips to the charity stripe. The Marauders also out-rebounded its two playoff opponents and have the opportunity to bully the Crimson Hawks on the glass and limit their possessions.
• The Crimson Hawks' offense is led by senior hybrid point-forward Megan Smith and junior guard Carolyn Appleby. Smith leads the team and ranks fifth in the conference with 17.7 points per game. Measuring at 6-0, she presents a difficult mismatch as she can play both in the paint and shoot from range. She is shooting 47 percent from the field this season, and she is downright lethal from beyond the three-point line as her 44 percent shooting from downtown is five points better than anyone else in the PSAC. Fouling Smith is ill-advised too as she shoots 85 percent from the charity stripe. Appleby is an equally tough match up as she scored 14.8 points per game on 44 percent shooting. On top of her scoring, Appleby is capable of creating points for her teammates and she has registered 91 assists on the season.

PSAC Playoff Final Four