ABOUT THE GAMES

• Millersville men’s basketball cleared a major road hurdle last week when it won at East Stroudsburg for the first time since 2009. On Wednesday, the Marauders face another historical speed bump as they travel to West Chester’s Hollinger Field House, where the program has not won since 2013. This also starts a busy stretch in which Millersville plays four games games in the next seven days. 

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

•  As a team, Millersville has shot .581 from the field over the last two games, including an incredible .673 against Bloomsburg on Saturday.  It was the first Millersville team since 2006-07 to shoot better than 60% in a game (.613 vs. Morris College) and it was the top shooting performance of the “Statcrew Era” which dates to 2002-03. It is believed to be the top shooting percentage since the school record of .731 was set in 1991 against The College of New Jersey. Millersville is now 8-1 when shooting at least .434 from the field and 8-1 when shooting at least .333 from three.
• James Sullivan has been a big reason for Millersville’s recent shooting improvement. In Millersville’s last two games, Sullivan has averaged 21.5 points while hitting 18-of-27 shots from the field and 5-of-8 from three. He now has eight 20-point games in his career. He’s scored at least 16 points in Millersville’s last three wins. 
• Caden Najdawi’s last three games have been outstanding. After going a span of four games without scoring in double figures, Najdawi has scored 17, 22 and 15 in his last three while also averaging 7.0 rebounds and nearly two blocks per game. On Monday, Najdawi was named PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week for the second time in his career. In Millersville’s two wins, Najdawi averaged 5.5 rebounds with three blocks and a steal. 
• While West Chester is the PSAC’s top rebounding team, Millersville is third in total rebounds and ranked higher (No. 2) in rebounding margin (8.5). WCU has been out-rebounded just once this season, and Millersville is 9-0 with winnng the rebounding battle.
   

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN RAMS

• After starting the season 5-0, West Chester is 3-4 since the calendar flipped to December. West Chester’s 86.5 points per game is within a tenth of a point for the top spot in the PSAC, and it has scored at least 90 points in four of the last five games. The Golden Rams aren’t particularly efficient, shooting .439 from the field as a team and .327 from three, but they hammer the glass and get second-chance points by the bunches. West Chester leads the PSAC in both total rebounding and offensive rebounds. The 17.6 offensive rebounds per game leads the league by almost three. While West Chester is a high-scoring team, it ranks 16th in the 18-team league in scoring defense. It has allowed at least 82 points in six-straight games and five of the last seven foes have shot .462 or better from the field.

THE LAST TIME OUT

• Millersville: Millersville 92, Bloomsburg 60 (Jan. 15, 2022) - The Marauders secured their 100th all-time win against Bloomsburg at home, beating the Huskies by 32 points. Millersville had a comfortable lead at the half with a score of 41-25, but extended their lead even further to put Bloomsburg away by the end of regulation. Millersville shot 67.3% from the field and 10-of-16 from three. James Sullivan led the team with 21 points. 
  Millersville (11-4, 5-4 PSAC) shot an impressive 67.3% from the field, and 62.5% in threes.
• West Chester: Kutztown 94, West Chester 92 (Jan. 17 2022) - Kutztown's Kyree Generett made a layup on a 2-on-1 break at the buzzer to lift homestanding Kutztown to a 94-92 win. West Chester held a 15-point lead with 7:34 left, but went cold from the field down the stretch. West Chester inbounded the ball in Kutztown's end with 24 seconds left and the game tied at 92. However, two missed jumpers from short range, followed by a defensive rebound, left Kutztown with the ball with six seconds left. The Bears' ensuing outlet pass started the game-winning 2-on-1 break.
   

SERIES HISTORY VS. WEST CHESTER

• Hollinger Field House has been a tough place for Millersville to play. Millersville’s last win at West Chester came in 2012-13 (68-64). West Chester has won eight consecutive meetings on its home floor. Millersville has won just three of the last 27 games at West Chester. Millersville has averaged 61 points per game with a high of 70 in its last 18 trips to West Chester. Before Millersville’s convincing 97-71 home win on Jan. 29, 2020, West Chester had won 11 in a row overall. 
• The Last Meeting vs. West Chester - West Chester 86, Millersville 69 (Feb. 26, 2020): Millersville overcame a 23-point first half scoring performance to slash a 24-point deficit down to three. But that's when the Marauders' drive for a comeback ran out of gas. Led by 26 points from Robbie Heath and 20 from Malik Jackson, West Chester pulled away.