THE MATCH-UP
• Saturday's game is big for both Millersville and East Stroudsburg as teams try to break out of the logjam that is the PSAC standings. Millersville and East Stroudsburg are two of the three teams currently tied for second, and Kutztown is just a half-game behind that trio. Millersville won the first meeting between the teams in January (82-79), so a win for the Marauders on Saturday would give them the all-important tiebreaker.
• On Wednesday, Millersville's winning streak was snapped at four by Kutztown. Millersville has gone 7-3 in its last 10 games, and those three losses have come by a total of six points. That loss dropped Millersville to 3-8 on the road. Before Wednesday, Millersville had won three of four road games. Millersville hasn't had much success at East Stroudsburg in recent history, losing 12 in a row at Koehler Fieldhouse. Millersville's last win at East Stroudsburg came in 2009--an 81-79 double overtime thriller. Millersville is just 2-15 at East Stroudsburg since 2005. Millersville's home win in January snapped East Stroudsburg's nine-game winning streak in the series. Overall, ESU has won 20 of the last 24 match-ups.
• Millersville has become one of the most efficient offensive teams in the PSAC, ranking third in team field goal percentage (.474) and third in free throw percentage (.759). All five starters are currently averaging between 11.3 and 14.8 points per game. Of the seven players playing at least 15 minutes per game, six are shooting at least 44.3 percent from the field. Millersville's top three 3-point shooters--
James Sullivan (.398),
Mekhi Hendricks (.379) and
Khari Williams (.371)--are all shooting above 37.0 percent.
Justin Nwosu is up to ninth in the PSAC in field goal percentage at .489, and
Caden Najdawi's .572 would rank third but with 16 games played he does not qualify for the league leaders chart.
• Nwosu has been playing at a different level since the start of the new year. He has scored at least 13 points in 11-straight games, and the reigning PSAC East Player of the Week has averaged 24.3 points per game over his last three outings. Twice in the last three games he has matched his career high of 26 points. He's been efficient too, making 18 of his last 19 free throws while knocking down nine of his last 17 threes and shooting at least 50 percent from the fied in seven of his last 10 games. He'll be shooting for four consecutive 20-point games on Saturday, and the last Marauder to do that was
Marcus Adkison between Nov. 26 and Dec. 4 in 2016.
•
James Sullivan has recorded five assists in back-to-back games and has four or more in 13 of 22 games and in eight of the last 10. He has climbed to eighth in the PSAC in assists per game (3.9). He is 14th in assist/turnover ratio (1.5) and is fifth in minutes played.
EAST STROUDSBURG (13-8, 9-7 PSAC)
SERIES INFORMATION
Series vs. ESU: 100-63
Series Streak: Ville, 1
First Meeting: 1912-13 (L, 18-38)
Last Meeting: 2020 (W, 82-79)
Last 10 Meetings: 1-9
Casey Stitzel vs. ESU: 1-6
Jeff Wilson vs. Millersville: 24-14
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
• East Stroudsburg has won three in a row and five of the last six. The recent winning streak includes a 66-63 win at division-leading Shippensburg. The Warriors are also 7-2 at home. Traditionally a high-scoring, up-tempo team, ESU is winning with its defense this season. While ranking 10th in the PSAC in scoring offense, it ranks fifth in defense, holding teams to 69.8 points per game. The ESU press generates a PSAC-best 19.5 turnovers per game, and the Warriros are plus-5.95 in turnover margin. They also lead the PSAC with 10.8 steals per game--three more than any other team.
THE LAST MEETING (Jan. 6, 2020 - Millersville 82, ESU 79)
• Millersville hit 60.4 percent of its shots and 8-of-11 threes including a pair of clutch makes from
James Sullivan late in the second half. Millersville had fewer turnovers (15 to 16) and more steals (nine to seven) than the Warriors, who lead the PSAC in steals and turnovers created. Sullivan made 9-of-11 from the field, 3-of-4 from three for 26 points while also adding a team-high five assists.
Justin Nwosu hit 9-of-12 shots for 21 points.
LAST 10 MEETINGS
1/6/2020 (at Millersville - Millersville 82, ESU 79
3/2/2019 (at Millersville) - ESU 85, Millersville 77
1/30/2019 (at East Stroudsburg) - ESU 78, Millersville 62
2/24/2018 (at East Stroudsburg) - ESU 73, Millersville 63
1/24/2018 (at Millersville) - ESU 97, Millersville 77
2/4/2017 (at East Stroudsburg) - ESU 92, Millersville 58
1/6/2017 (at Millersville) - ESU 119, Millersville 87
2/24/2016 (at Millersville) - ESU 80, Millersville 75
1/27/2016 (at East Stroudsburg) - ESU 94, Millersville 51
3/4/2015 (at East Stroudsburg) - ESU 79, Millersville 62
