ABOUT THE GAME

• Millersville is among the most high-powered teams in the PSAC when playing at home, and it has a chance to knock off PSAC East-leading West Chester on Wednesday night. The Marauders are 7-2 with four consecutive home wins, averaging 88.4 points and a 12.2 margin of victory in their nine home games. Millersville has scored at least 92 points in three of the last four home games. West Chester is 16-1 since opening the season with back-to-back losses, and it bounced back from the Jan. 8 loss at East Stroudsburg with four consecutive wins. Millersville has five more losses; the difference between the Marauders and West Chester is performance in close games. Millersville is 0-4 in games decided by five points or fewer and 2-7 in games decided by single digits. West Chester is 7-1 in single-digit games and 4-0 in games decided by five points or fewer. 

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

• Jahme Ested has moved up to eighth in the PSAC in assists at 4.1 per game. He tied a career high with seven at Kutztown on Jan. 17, and a week later, he topped that with eight against Lock Haven. Ested has averaged 4.6 assists over the last 11 games. He is one of only nine players in the PSAC averaging better than four assists per game. Ested is also one of only two players in the PSAC to rank in the top 10 in both assists and steals. 
• The post duo of Drew Stover and Saraj Ali have been outstanding at home, averaging 18.3 and 16.8 points per game respectively. Stover has shot 72.2% from the field and Ali has made 61.9% of his shots. Ested and Aiden Gair are markedly better at home. Ested has shot 31.9% on the road and 45.2% (38.5% from three) at home. Gair has hit 32.5% of his shots (34.5% from three) in 10 road games compared to 44.7% (36.5%) at home. Millersville averages 12.1 points per game more and shoots .62% better at home. The efficiency of Ested and Gair is crucial to Millersville’s success. The duo has combined to shoot 43.5% (39.5% from three) in Millersville’s 11 wins and 32.0% (29.0%) in the team’s eight losses. 
• Ali has been the Marauders’ most consistent performer, scoring in double-figures in 17 of 18 games and in eight in a row. He’s grabbed at least seven rebounds in nine of the last 12 and in four in a row. He is on pace to average career highs in both points and rebounds. 
   

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN RAMS

• West Chester is winning with defense and rebounding. It ranks third in the PSAC in scoring defense, second in field goal percentage defense, and first in 3-point field goal defense, allowing teams to shoot just 29.4% from three. West Chester’s 43.6 rebounds, 16.8 offensive rebounds and 9.9 rebounding margin all rank first in the PSAC. West Chester isn’t particularly effecient on offense, shooting 40.7% from the field and 27.9% from three on the road, but they average 75.8 points per game and are 6-2 because they have out-rebounded teams 44.5-34.6 and grabbed 146 offensive rebounds--60 more than their opponents. Elijah Allen is the team’s top scorer, and he’s averaged 17.1 points per game on the road. 

SERIES HISTORY

• Wednesday is the 211th all-time meeting between the programs. The teams have played since 1903-04 and only two wins separate the teams as West Chester holds a slight 106-104 edge. Home court advantage is everything in the series. Millersville is 26-12 at home since 1983-84 and has won five consecutive match-ups at home. West Chester had a run of 11 consecutive wins between 2014-2019, but since Casey Stitzel’s fourth season on the bench, Millersville is 7-2 against the Golden Rams and has won six of the last seven. The only loss in that stretch was a 96-91 double overtime decision at West Chester in 2023. The winning team has scored at least 80 points in seven of the last 10. Last season, Millersville swept the season series with an 98-86 win on the road and an 83-78 win at home. Millersville made 19 3-pointers in the two games.