Complete Game Notes (.PDF)
THE MATCH-UP
• Riding a three-game winning streak that includes three wins by double-digit scoring margins, the Marauders are set to embark on the daunting back-to-back road trip to Erie, Pa., to face reigning PSAC champ and Elite Eight participant Mercyhurst and Gannon, which is in its first season under new head coach Kelvin Jefferson.
• Millersville is coming off a 35-point win over Cheyney in which all five starters played 28 minutes or fewer but four still scored in double figures. Millersville has shot at least 45 percent from the field in all four games. The only Millersville loss came in the season opener by one point on the road at Fairmont State when starters
Caden Najdawi and
Justin Nwosu were unavailable. Millersville is plus-57 in scoring in the three wins. Millersville has also scored at least 82 points in all four games, ranking third in the PSAC in scoring. The last team a Millersville team scored 80-plus points in four consecutive games was in December of 2005. That was a team that went 28-5 and won the PSAC Championship.
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Jaden Faulkner was named the PSAC East Athlete of the Week on Monday. It was his first athlete of the week award after winning the freshman of the week award four times last season. Faulkner ranks second in the league in scoring (22.8), second in assists (6.3) and 13th in rebounding.
James Sullivan, the PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week in week one, ranks second in steals per game (2.5).
• Mercyhust and Gannon joined the PSAC in 2018-19. Since then, the Lakers are 5-3 against Millersville, but Millersville has won three of the last four. Millersville has not won in any of its three trips to Mercyhurst. Gannon holds a slight 4-3 edge in the series since joining the PSAC, but Millersville has won three of four. Two of the last six games have been decided in overtime but the last two have been decided by double-digits.
• Mercyhurst returns just four players from last year's team and that includes one starter in MiyKah McIntosh and one senior in Trystan Pratapas. The Lakers were picked fourth in the PSAC West preseason poll. Despite a new-look roster, the Lakers are 2-1 and 2-0 at home with a combined winning margin of plus-88. The lone loss was 67-65 on the road at nationally-ranked Daemen.
• The Marauders won't have much film to work with when scouting Jefferson's first Gannon team. Gannon played an exhibition at Indiana before opening the season with a 66-53 loss at Bowie State on Nov. 16. The team returns 10 players from last season's team.
SERIES INFORMATION
MERCYHURST
Series vs. Hurst: 4-5
Series Streak: Hurst, 1
First Meeting: 1994-95 (W, 93-84)
Last Meeting: 2018 (L, 55-69)
Last 10 Meetings: -
Casey Stitzel vs. Hurst: 1-1
Gary Manchel vs. Millersville: 5-3
THE LAST MEETING (Nov. 19, 2019 - Mercyhurst 69, Millersville 55)
• Playing in the second leg of a road back-to-back, Millersville shot 19 percent from the field in the first half and 30.5 percent in the game.
James Sullivan scored 11 points for the Marauders. They were out-rebounded 41-28.
GANNON
Series vs. GU: 6-11
Series Streak: Ville, 1
First Meeting: 1986 (L, 66-78)
Last Meeting: 2019 (W, 56-46)
Last 10 Meetings: 4-6
Casey Stitzel vs. GU: 1-1
Kelvin Jefferson vs. Millersville: 0-0
THE LAST MEETING (Jan. 26, 2019 - Millersville 56, Gannon 46)
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Justin Nwosu scored 17 of his career-high 19 points in the first half. Millersville shot 48.8 percent from the field and held Gannon to 37.0 percent shoot. Millersville led 30-20 at the half and opened the second on an 11-2, leading by as many as 19 in the second half.
