ABOUT THE GAME

• Millersville gutted out a key PSAC East road win at West Chester two days after a road game at East Stroudsburg, but the schedule gets no easier, as the Marauders now play arguably the hottest team in the entire conference. Lock Haven is riding a nine-game winning streak that includes wins over both East Stroudsburg and West Chester. The top four teams in the PSAC East have separated from the pack. Lock Haven is currently tied for first place, and Millersville sits just one game back. 

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

• Millersville made a season-high 11 3-pointers at West Chester, and that came after going 6-for-30 in back-to-back games. Millersville tends to run hot and cold from three but is 8-0 when shooting better at least 37% from three. Day Waters’ six threes against West Chester were the most by a Marauder since November of 2022. Waters is now shooting 44.9% from three, which ranks second in the PSAC. Only nine players in Millersville history have shot over 45% from three for a season and no player has done it since 2005. Since the Dec. 30 win over Gannon, Waters is averaging 14.1 points per game while shooting 52.2% from the field. He’s topped 20 points twice, including a career-high 28 at West Chester. 
  Millersville has turned into one of the top offensive clubs in the PSAC, now ranked fifth in scoring and third in field goal percentage. Three players rank in the top 20 in field goal percentage, including Drew Stover at No. 1 and Matt Dade at No. 6. Millersville is one of five teams averaging at least 80.0 points per game. Millersville has scored 86 or more points eight times already. That’s already matches the most games of 86-plus points by a Millersville team since 2006-07. Millesville has shot over 50% from the field in five of the last nine games and is 10-0 this season when shooting at least 49%. Sharing the ball is also a strength as the Marauders rank fifth in total assists and third in assist/turnover ratio. Jahme Ested, averaging 3.5 assists per game, is up to No. 5 in the PSAC in assist/turnover ratio. He’s recorded at least three assists in eight of the last nine games while committing just 15 turnovers in those nine games. Jaden Faulkner has three or more assists in 13 straight games. 
• Since scoring three points on 0 of 10 shooting at Shepherd, Faulkner has averaged 20.3 points on 60% shooting from the field and 31 of 37 (.838) from the line in the last four games. 
   

SCOUTING THE BALD EAGLES

• Since starting 4-5 and losing to California 93-71 on Dec. 19, Lock Haven has not lost. The Bald Eagles have become accustomed to winning close games as six of the nine wins have been by six points or fewer. They’ve made seven or more threes in five consecutive games. Defensively, Lock Haven has held each of the last nine opponents to under 50% shooting. Lock Haven has moved up to fourth in the PSAC in scoring defense (71.7)--one spot ahead of Millersville. 
   

SERIES HISTORY

•  Since 1984, Lock Haven has won at Pucillo Gymnasium just three times, but Mike Nestor owns all three of those wins (2014, 2016, 2023). Last season’s playoff win for Lock Haven was its first win in Pucillo against a Casey Stitzel-coached team. Millersville won last season’s regular season match-up 78-52, jumping out to a 42-21 lead at the half. Millersville held Lock Haven to 28.3% shooting, and Jahme Ested scored 16 points. The PSAC Tournament game saw Lock Haven jump out to a 33-18 lead at the half. Millersville shot 2 of 11 from three, 54.8% from the line and committed 20 turnovers compared to five assists in the game. Millersville has won 10 of the last 12 against Lock Haven overall.