ABOUT THE GAME

• Millersville women's basketball is set to face off with Pennsylvania state Athletic Conference (PSAC) East rival, West Chester on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 5:30 p.m. in its second to last game of the regular season. The team is hosting their first “Blackout” game and handing out free “Defend This House” t-shirts to the first 100 students to arrive at Pucillo Gymnasium.
• The Marauders had a rough start to the 2021-22 season, going 2-13. Since then, ‘Ville has recorded a 5-5 record, including knocking off No. 21 Kutztown at home. Head Coach Sharay Hall and her group have came a long way since the start of the year, and Wednesday night's matchup with the Golden Rams is arguably their most important game yet.
• Millersville (6-14 PSAC) currently sits at No. 6 in the PSAC East, which is the final postseason seed available in the division, while Mansfield (6-15 PSAC) and West Chester (5-14 PSAC) follow.
• The Marauders have a chance to take a firm lead over Mansfield and West Chester with a win Wednesday. The Marauders hold victories against Kutztown and Shippensburg, which will help them in a tiebreaker scenario. They'll close out their season Saturday, Feb. 26 in a home rematch with Coach Hall's alma mater, Lock Haven, who they fell to earlier this season.

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

• Millersville has fed off strong defense during its late-season climb back into playoff contention; However, the Marauders have loosened up on the defense end of the floor recently. ‘Ville has given up 60 or more points during its last five games, including a season-high 88 to the league’s top offense, Shepherd. Before that, the Marauders held nine PSAC opponents to under 60 points, four resulting in wins. The Marauders held West Chester to 59 in their previous matchup with the Golden Rams and will look replicate that performance, with additional offense, on Wednesday night.
• Lauren Lister continues to produce Millersville late in the season. Despite the Marauders' most recent loss to Shepherd, Lister managed to put up 22 points off 10-17 shooting from the field, and 2-3 from beyond the arch.
• Makiah Shaw has assisted Lister in the scoring, as the freshman has reached double figures in the las five games. She most recently recorded 11 points offf 5-9 shooting against Shepherd.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN RAMS

• The Golden Rams come into Wednesday's contest having lost five in a row and eight of their last nine. Their most recent loss came on Saturday, Feb. 19, when they dropped a road game 85-59 at Lock Haven. 
• West Chester is led by sophomore guard, Leah Johnson, who averages a team-high 16.3 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game. The sophomore put up 27 of WCU's 59 total points in their 59-54 victory over the Marauders earlier this season. She is joined by Alexa Abbonizio, who averages 10.1 points per game. Abbonizio offered 15 points in the victory over Millersville. 

THE LAST TIME OUT

Millersville: Shepherd 88, Millersville 66 (Feb. 16, 2022) - The Marauders fell behind 24-16 in the first quarter and Shepherd didn't look back, handing Millersville its third consecutive loss and its highest points against this season, 88. Lauren Lister scored 22 points, while Ty Taylor offered 13 for 'Ville. 

West Chester: Lock Haven 85, West Chester 59 (Feb. 19, 2022) - West Chester led after quarter one, 16-15, however, the script changed dramatically after that. Lock Haven outscored the Golden Rams 25-4 in the second quarter, and 23-14 in the third, soaring to a near thirty-point victory and postseason berth. Johnson led WCU with 14 points and six boards. 

THE LAST MEETING

• West Chester 59, Millersville 54 (Jan. 19, 2022) - The Marauders held a  two-point advantage after one half of play curtsey of a balanced offensive attack; however, the Golden Rams fought back in the final two quarters behind Leah Johnson's 27 points to earn a five-point victory. Lister scored 16 points in the loss, while Erika Reed had nine.