ABOUT THE GAME

• With a log jam in the middle of the PSAC East standings, Millersville travels to Lock Haven for a key divisional game on Saturday. Millersville has won its last two trips to LHU.
• Casey Stitzel looking for his 200th career victory. Including his eight seasons at Delaware Valley, Stitzel 199-175 (.532). At Millersville, he inherited a four-win team and in five years has strung together three consecutive winning seasons and four-straight PSAC playoff appearances. Stitzel is 83-79 at Millersville. He ranks sixth all-time among Millersville’s 22 coaches in total wins.

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

• While battling illness, Justin Nwosu endured a three-game stretch in December and totaled just three points in those three games. But in the five games before that, he averaged 16.0 points per game, and in the six games since, he’s averaged 10.3 points with four double-digit scoring performances. In his last game, Nwosu moved up to 34th on Millersville’s all-time scoring list with 1,152 points. He’s three points behind Steve Drummer (1972-75), 10 behind Terry Howse (1995-99) and 19 behind Coach Stitzel’s father, Glenn (1,171). 
• Defense continues to be Millersville’s key to success. The Marauders limited Gannon to 64 points on Wednesday, marking the 10th time they have held a team to fewer than 70 points, and the Marauders are 7-3 in those games. The Marauders are also 8-2 when holding teams under 50% shooting from the field. 
• Matt Dade’s 15 made free throws against Gannon were the most by a Marauder since Anthony Coleman hit 19-of-22 against Bloomsburg in 2013. After a rough start to the season in which he made 17-of-33 (51.5%) free throws, Dade has connected on 72% of his free throws over the last seven games. In need of a consistent scorer, Dade has averaged 15.7 points over his last three games and 13.1 over his last seven. 
• Freshman Keith Mency sank 3-of-3 3-pointers against Gannon and has made his last four and five of his last eight threes after going three games without a 3-pointer. Mency leads the team in 3-point shooting at 43.2%. The Marauders are 5-1 when Mency scores in double figures. 
• Guard Dylin Borden made a big impact in the rally vs. Gannon, hitting a three and recording two steals in the final four minutes--both of which led to Millersville buckets. Borden has been active in his limited minutes, totaling nine steals in seven games played and at least one in six of seven games. He’s averaging a team-high 4.8 steals per 40 minutes. Millersville has recorded eight or more steals eight times and are 6-2 in those games. 
   

SCOUTING LOCK HAVEN

•  Lock Haven has been the surprise team of 2022-23. Picked seventh in the preseason poll, LHU started the season 7-1 and 10-2 before dropping two of the last three. Lock Haven had been undefeated at home before Wednesday’s narrow 73-68 loss to West Chester. Five Bald Eagles averaged between 15.1 (Jayy Davis) and 9.6 points per game. It’s a strong defensive club, ranking fifth in the PSAC in both scoring defense and field goal percentage defense. LHU also creates a PSAC-leading 18.1 turnovers per game.

SERIES HISTORY

• Saturday is the 90th all-time meeting between Millersville and Lock Haven. Millersville has won four in a row and eight of the last nine against Lock Haven, but there have been some close games in that stretch. Five of the nine have been decided by six points or fewer and the game at Lock Haven in 2019 when to overtime. That was Lock Haven's last win over Millersville (73-70). The last three meetings have been one-sided in favor of the Marauders. Last season, Millersville swept the season series, winning the games by an average margin of 28.5 points per game. Millersville limited Lock Haven to 49 and 50 points in the two games. 
• The Last Meeting Millersville 85, Lock Haven 50 (Feb. 26, 2022): Riding an emotional Senior Day wave, the Marauders dismantled visiting Lock Haven 85-50 to win their first PSAC East crown since 2007. D'Marco Suggs scored a season-high 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting off the bench, Khari Williams poured in a game-high 18 points, hitting 4-of-7 3-pointers, and his shooting sparked the Marauders early. Caden Najdawi totaled 13 points and eight rebounds while swatting two shots and handing out a career-high five assists.