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Millersville

Morgan Mahoney

Marauders seek season sweep of Mounties on Saturday morning

| By: Wes Champlin, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

COVERAGE LINKS

  • Series vs. Mansfield: 74–7
  • Series Streak: W2
  • First Meeting: W, 72–46 (1981-82)
  • Last Meeting: W, 68–56 (Jan. 15, 2025)
  • Last 10 Meetings: 8–2
  • Most ‘Ville Points: 101
  • Record at home: 42–0
  • Kira Mowen vs. Mansfield: 2–1
  • Amy Senefelder vs. Millersville: 2–5

ABOUT THE GAME

  • The Millersville Marauders (13–10, 8–8) look for the season sweep over PSAC East foe Mansfield (9–14, 5–12) when they host the Mountaineers on Saturday afternoon. Mansfield is 2–7 over its last nine games including a 68–56 loss at the hands of the Marauders on Jan. 15.

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

  • The Marauders are coming off a 54-52 loss to the white-hot Kutztown Golden Bears on Wednesday evening. There were a few positives to draw from that game despite the outcome: against a team with a lot of defensive length in Kutztown, Millersville committed just 11 turnovers to the Golden Bears' 15. Coming into the game, they had been 7–2 when turning the ball over fewer times than their opponent. They also shot a better percentage from the field (35.5% to 30.9%); the Marauders sported a 13–4 mark when doing that entering Wednesday's game. The game was lost at the free throw line, as the Golden Bears had more than double the host's attempts from the stripe.
  • Another positive was the team's defensive effort throughout the game, especially during the first 12 minutes. They held the visitors to just 1-of-16 from the field and forced nine turnovers en route to an 18–4 lead after that stretch. Key to their defensive dominance was the team's physicality and active hands throughout the lineup.
  • No two players embodied those traits more on Wednesday evening than Makiah Shaw and Sophia Elstone. Shaw recorded a career-high four blocks and was outstanding when matched up with two-time first team All-PSAC selection Naia Pulliam. The most impressive defensive stand came with under two minutes to go: Shaw was one-on-one with Pulliam and record back-to-back blocks on the same possession to keep it a one-score game. On offense, she's suddenly become the focal point having taken 44 shots over the last two games and averaging 20 PPG. Her career-high 29 point outing on Feb. 8 against East Stroudsburg combined a solid defensive effort earned her PSAC East Athlete of the Week honors last week.
  • It was Elstone's best showing of the season on both ends of the floor, as she set a season-high in scoring with 14 points and a career-high in steals against the Golden Bears with four. She drew Pulliam on the final possession of the game and secured the steal to put the Marauders in position to tie or go ahead with the final shot.
  • First-year guard Aniya Eberhart started to receive consistent run during the Lock Haven game on Jan. 25 and provided a spark against the Golden Bears, scoring nine points including two momentum-shifting baskets in the second half. She's a capable scorer from all three levels and isn't afraid to let it fly when necessary.

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS

  • Mansfield has scuffled recently and is coming off of its biggest loss of the season in a 93–50 drubbing at the hands of Lock Haven on Feb. 12. A 20–6 Bald Eagle advantage after the first quarter spiraled into a 43-point loss as Lock Haven shot 61.5% from the field for the game. 
  • The bulk of their scoring comes from Katie Sheeler and Danae Ellzy, and that was no different against the Bald Eagles, as they combined for 28 of the Mounties' 50 points. Sheeler, a sophomore guard, averages 16.3 PPG (fifth in the PSAC) and 5.2 rebounds per game and rarely leaves the floor; she's second in the conference in minutes per contest at 35.5. She works mainly from beyond the arc, as nearly 200 of her 318 shot attempts this season have been threes. Ellzy missed a large part of the season including the first meeting between these two teams but returned a few weeks ago. She's been a consistent scoring threat at 13.4 PPG and has reached double digits in 12 of her 14 games played. 
  • On the defensive end, senior six-footer Sarah Hortin has established herself as one of the premier rim protectors and rebounders in the PSAC. She's tops in the conference in total blocks (41) and blocks per game (1.8) while ranking sixth in rebounds per contest at 8.2. 
  • Despite the presence of Hortin, Mansfield's defense has been lackluster this season. The Mounties are in the bottom half of the conference in scoring defense (11th), opponent field goal percentage (10th) and steals per game (10th). The team's struggles have been even more pronounced on the offensive side of the ball, where they rank last of 17 teams in field goal percentage and 13th in scoring offense. 

SERIES HISTORY

  • This is a series that the Marauders have always had the upper hand in, especially when playing at home; Millersville is 74–7 all time against Mansfield (.914 winning percentage) and a perfect 42–0 in Pucillo Gymnasium. The first mark is bolstered by the first 24 years of meetings in which the Mountaineers emerged victorious just once, on Feb. 10, 1990. The 'Ville is 8–2 over its last 10 games against the Mounties including a loss at Mansfield on Jan. 20, 2024. 
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