ABOUT THE GAMES

• Millersville (with nine) and Shippensburg (with eight) lead all PSAC East teams in total victories, and Saturday marks the first of two regular season meetings between the Marauders and Raiders. The teams last met in the 2020 PSAC Quarterfinals. Shippensburg sits in first place in the Eastern Division with a 5-1 league record while Millersville sits two games back at 3-3. With the women's game postponed, the tip for the men's game has been moved up to 1 p.m. 

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

• Millersville is 7-1 in Pucillo Gymnasium, outscoring opponents by an average score of 83.5-64.9. The Marauders have scored at least 75 points and topped 81 in seven of eight home games while averaging 67.5 points per game on the road. Khari Williams is at his best at home, leading the team with 16.5 points per game while shooting 46.3% from the field, 45.8% from three and 76.6% from the line. He’s scored 20 or more points three times in the team’s eight home games. After going 3-for-25 from three during a five-game stretch in December that included three road games, Williams has hit 9-of-17 threes in the last two games--both at home. 
• James Sullivan played in his 100th consecutive game on Wednesday and will likely make his 100th career start Saturday against Shippensburg. Sullivan has not missed a game in his four seasons and has started all but one. The school record for career games played is 121--held by Charlie Parker (2004-08). 
• Justin Nwosu averaged 11.0 points per game as a freshman and 13.8 points per game as a sophomore, but had started 2021-22 by averaging  7.3 points in his first eight games. However, Nwosu has scored double-figures in four-straight games, including a season-high 19 at Cal U. In the last four games, he’s shot 20-of-38 from the field. He’s also averaging 5.8 rebounds per game during that stretch with 12 of his 23 boards coming on the offensive glass. 
• Ryan Davis’ scoring has picked up over the last two games as well. After not scoring a point in two of his previous three games, Davis poured in a game-high 21 against Penn State Brandywine and added 11 points with a career-high seven free throws against Shepherd. Davis also grabbed six steals in the last two games. 
• Point guard Jaden Faulkner is the tempo-setter for the Millersville offense. In the team’s nine wins, Faulkner leads the team with 16.6 points (45.9% shooting) and 5.0 assists per game while the team averages 83.7 points on 47% shooting. The Marauders have averaged 61.7 points on 36.6% shooting in the three losses with Faulkner averaging 10.3 points on 32.1% shooting. 
   

SCOUTING THE RAIDERS

•  Shippensburg weathered not having 2020 PSAC East Athlete of the Year Jake Biss for the first six games and have now won six in a row--including the five with Biss in the lineup. The recent win streak includes road wins over Pitt-Johnstown and nationally-ranked IUP. The Raiders feature a balanced-scoring lineup with five players averaging between 14.8 and 10.2 points per game. Shippensburg ranks 16th in the 18-team PSAC in scoring average, but the Raiders are solid on defense, holding opponents to just 66 points per game (fourth in the PSAC), and they don’t make mistakes on offense, as their 12.6 turnovers per game rank fourth in the league. Over the last three games, Shippensburg has made 37 3-pointers at 46% clip. This comes after making just 43 in the first eight games. 

THE LAST TIME OUT

• Millersville: Millersville 75, Shepherd 71 (Jan. 5, 2022) - Millersville made a season-high 12 3-pointers on 29 attempts, and its eight threes in the first half helped the Marauders to an early lead, but it was its free throw shooting in the final 10 minutes that truly made the difference. The Marauders went 0-for-9 from the field in the final 10 minutes but sank 17-of-20 foul shots to keep hold of its lead. Millersville trailed for a grand total of just 35 seconds, led by as many as 14 points in the first half and as few as one point, 71-70, with 30 seconds to play. Khari Williams scored a game-high 22 points, sinking 5-of-10 3-pointers and 5-of-7 free throws. 
• Shippensburg: Shippensburg 86, Seton Hill 72 (Jan. 5 2022) - Senior Kiyon Hardy led SU in scoring with a career-high 20 points, surpassing his previous career high of 19 set three games ago at Clarion. Hardy made three three-pointers, his most as a Raider, and a total that ties his career high. He also dished out six assists, grabbed three rebounds and two steals. Redshirt-sophomore Rashon Johnson scored 16 points and was strong at the stripe, knocking down 8-of-9 free-throw attempts. Johnson added three rebounds and one assist.
   

SERIES HISTORY VS. SHIPPENSBURG

• Saturday is the 193rd meeting between Millersville and Shippensburg. The Raiders have won six in a row, eight of the last 10 and two in a row in Pucillo Gymnasium. The common thread for Millersville lately has been an inability to score vs. Shippensburg. Millersville has topped 67 points just once in the last six. Over the last 10 meetings, the only two times Millersville has scored at least 80 points, it has won. 
• The Last Meeting vs. Shippensburg - Shippensburg 69, Millersville 66 (March 4, 2020):  Millersville trailed by as many as 16 points but outscored Shippensbug 46-36 in the second half and held Shippensburg to 32.9% shooting from the field. Millersville held Shippensburg to one field goal over the final seven minutes, but Ship made 11-of-13 free throws down the stretch including four in a row in the last 13 seconds. Millersville’s 3-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out. Caden Najdawi totaled 20 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks.