ABOUT THE GAME

• Millersville and Lock Haven has quickly become a heated rivalry in the last two seasons, and Saturday’s game will play a key role in the seeding of the PSAC Tournament. Millersville and Lock Haven are among the hottest teams in the East with Millersville winning three in a row, five of six and eight of the last 10. Lock Haven is 6-2 since Jan. 22, a stretch that includes a 73-70 win over the Marauders. With three games remaining in the regular season, Millersville trails first place West Chester by three games, but sits just one game behind East Stroudsburg for second place. That No. 2 seed would give Millersville an all-important bye and home game in the quarterfinals. Lock Haven sits two games behind Millersville and Shepherd, and must move past one of those teams to secure a first-round home game. 

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

• Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel is closing in on the 250th win of his career. He sits at 249-195 with 133 of the wins as Millersville’s coach. Stitzel has led Millersville to six consecutive winning seasons--a feat not accomplished at Millersville since John Kochan led the Marauders to 12 in a row beginning in 1984. Stitzel ranks fifth in wins by a Millersville coach and his .573 winning percentage in eight seasons is fourth among coaches with at least six seasons. Only Kochan (.748, 1983-96), Max Bishop (.715, 1948-56), and John Pucillo (.602, 1925-48), rank higher. 
• Millersville has shot better than 50% from the field in three consecutive games and in six of the last seven wins. The Marauders are 11-2 with eight consecutive wins when they shoot at least 50%. Millersville has shot 52.8% from the field and averaged 88.7 points per game in 13 home games. Millersville leads the PSAC in shooting at 49.2%. No Millersville team has led the PSAC in shooting since 2004-05. The 1992-93 club was the last Millersville team to shoot over 50% for an entire season. Drew Stover (.667) and Saraj Ali (.604) rank second and third in the PSAC in field goal percentage. Stover ranks seventh nationally, and is fourth among active Division II players. His .662 career mark will set a Millersville record. 
• Aamir Hurst has been a member of the starting lineup for three consecutive games and has delivered three-straight double-digit scoring performances, averaging 14.3 points per game on 58.6% shooting. Hurst has also made a 3-pointer in seven consecutive games while shooting 40% from behind the arc. Millersville is 13-4 when Hurst makes at least one three.
• From Jan. 3-Feb. 5, Saraj Ali scored 10 or more points in 10 consecutive games, averaging 16.9 points per game in that span. After totaling 12 points in the two games against East Stroudsburg and Kutztown last week, Ali bounced back against Bloomsburg with his fifth 20-point game of the season. 
• Drew Stover enters the final three games of the regular season ranked ninth in the PSAC in scoring (17.4), 13th in rebounding (7.1) and first in blocks (2.0). He also led the PSAC in blocks last season. The last Marauder to average 17 points and seven rebounds in a season was hall of famer Jamal Palmer in 1997-98. 
   

SCOUTING THE BALD EAGLES

• Lock Haven is 5-7 on the road but has won three consecutive road games. No stranger to close games, each of the last four and 17 of the last 18 have been decided by 10 points or fewer. Lock Haven is 2-0 in overtime games and 4-0 in games decided by one score. Isaiah Stewart's 13.7 points per game leads three double-figure scorers. Eli Washington is fourth in the PSAC in assists per game (4.7) and sixth in steals (1.7). Kevin Coleman is fourth in the PSAC in blocks (1.8). Millersville should hold an edge on the glass as the Marauders rank fourth in the conference in rebounding margin while Lock Haven is 12th (-0.9). 

SERIES HISTORY

• Millersville had won six in a row over Lock Haven until the Bald Eagles upset Millersville in the 2023 PSAC Tournament. That win has spurred Lock Haven to wins in three of the last four. The teams split the regular season series last season with Millersville winning at home 91-87 behind 19 points apiece from Matt Dade and Jaden Faulkner. Stover averaged 12.0 points per game against Lock Haven last season but managed 10 points on 4 of 9 shooting in the 73-70 loss at Lock Haven on Jan. 27. Jahme Ested averaged 11.5 points per game against LHU last year, but scored seven on 3 of 11 shooting this season. Millersville shot 40% and scored 27 first-half points in that game.