ABOUT THE GAMES

• Millersville enters Saturday’s game with Mansfield as winners of three in a row and five of the last six. Millersville has already put together a six-game winning streak this season, and the last Millersville team with two streaks of at least four consecutive wins was the 2007-08 club that won 22 games and reached the NCAA Tournament. 

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

• Sullivan has been on fire as of late, averaging nearly 22 points per game over the last three games while shooting 7-of-13 from three and 27-of-41 from the field. He’s the first Marauder since Marcus Adkison in 2018 to score at least 20 points in three consecutive games. More impressively, two of those three performances came on the road. His 22 at East Stroudsburg helped Millersville win there for the first time since 2009, and his 22 at West Chester gave Millersville its first win in that gym since 2013. He also grabbed a season-high seven rebounds in both games. The last Marauder to score 20 or more in four consecutive games was Adkison in November of 2016. 
• The formula for Millersville’s success is becoming clear. The Marauders are 11-1 when scoring at least 70 points and 7-0 when topping 80 points. Millersville is also 7-0 when holding opponents to fewer than 70 points and 11-2 when holding teams to under 50% shooting. 
• Millersville’s defense has been outstanding lately, holding three consecutive opponents to under 40% shooting from the field, and only one of Millersville’s last six opponents have shot better than 30% from three. The Marauders now rank third in the PSAC in scoring defense. field goal percentage defense and 3-point shooting defense. Millersville is also 11-0 when grabbing at least 40 rebounds, and the Marauders rank second in the PSAC in rebounding margin at plus-7.9 per game.  
   

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS

• Mansfield has dropped eight in a row since its 81-61 win over Mercy on Dec. 1. The Mountaineers have shown the ability to score points, topping 80 eight times, and they’ve scored at least 81 points in four of the last five games. The issue is on the defensive end where they’ve surendered at least 85 points in nine-straight games and teams have topped 90 in seven of the last eight. Mansfield has allowed over 100 points five times. On the season, Mansfield ranks eighth out of 18 PSAC teams in scoring offense but last in scoring defense at 92.3 points per game. Opponents are shooting 50% from the field. Justice Smith is the PSAC’s No. 7-ranked scorer, averaging 17.8 points per game. 

THE LAST TIME OUT

• Millersville: Millersville 73, West Chester 72 (Jan. 19, 2022) -  Jaden Faulkner made a free throw on each of Millersville's final two possessions--the second coming with seven seconds left--to erase a late one-point deficit and top West Chester, 73-72. Over the final 10 minutes, neither team led by more than four, the game stood tied three times and the lead changed hands five times. Faulkner's first make from the line came with 42 seconds left and was followed by travel violation on West Chester. With the game tied 72-72, Millersville put the ball in the hands of Faulkner at the top of the key. He let the clock tick until driving toward the hoop where he was fouled. He made the second of two attempts. West Chester had plenty of time for an answer, and the ball found Kyle McGhee open for a 3-pointer in front of his team's bench. The shot hit iron as time expired. 
• Mansfield: Pitt-Johnstown 92, Mansfield 73 (Jan. 19 2022) - Jaz Farrell finished with a team high 24 points after finishing 4-of-7 from 3-point land. Freshman Justice Smith chipped in 12 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists and freshman Idris Ali added 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the floor. Sophomore Marcus Friend plucked a game-high six steals to go with six points and four assists. Freshman Manir Waller scored eight points and hauled in five rebounds.
   

SERIES HISTORY VS. MANSFIELD

• Millersville has won 12 of the last 13 games against Mansfield dating back to 2013-14, and it has won eight consecutive home games against the Mountaineers. Mansfield’s last win in Pucillo Gymnasium came in 2011-12. Millersville has won six in a row in the series and three of the last four have been by decided by at least 11 points. No player on Millersville’s roster has lost to Mansfield. James Sullivan, Caden Najdawi and D’Marco Suggs, who have been with the program since 2017-18, are 6-0 against Mansfield. Sullivan has four games with double figures in points against Mansfield, and in 2019-20, he scored 23 and 25 in the two games, shooting 17-of-30 from the field and 8-of-14 from three. Najdawi has averaged 15.0 points in his last three games against Mansfield. 
• The Last Meeting vs. Mansfield - Millersville 81, Mansfield 74 (Feb. 15, 2020):  James Sullivan scored 25 points and Millersville made the most of its trips to the free throw line to pull away from a feisty Mansfield team 81-74. Millersville did not make a field goal in the final six minutes but sank 13-of-16 foul shots down the stretch to overcome 34.8 percent shooting from the field over the final 20 minutes. Sullivan’s 8-of-14 shooting with five threes led four Marauders in double figures. Caden Najdawi scored all 15 of his points in the first half and did not play in the second.