ABOUT THE GAME

• Long-time rivals Millersville and West Chester clash in the PSAC Quarterfinals on Wednesday. While the teams have played 212 times since 1903, this is only the fifth PSAC Tournament meeting. It is the first time since 2013 that Millersville has played a postseason game at West Chester. Millersville is 1-2 all-time at West Chester in the postseason, winning 61-57 in overtime in 2005 on its way to a championship game appearance. West Chester won 91-68 in the 2000 quarterfinal and 73-62 in the 2013 quarterfinal. Millersville won the most recent postseason meeting between the teams, 70-54 in the 2022 quarterfinal before advancing to the championship game. 
• The teams split the 2024-25 regular season series with Millersville winning 91-55 at home and West Chester winning 75-70 at home on Feb. 26. West Chester struggled to shoot in both games, especially early, posting first-half shooting percentages of 26.9 and 27.3. They shot 28.8% for the game at Millersville. Their 47.1% shooting in the second half of the game at West Chester turned the game. Elijah Allen, West Chester’s leading scorer, has shot 8 for 29 (.276) against Millersville but has been the team’s leading scorer in both games. Aiden Gair has led Millersville in scoring in both games, scoring 17 at home and 19 on the road. West Chester has had a knack for slowing Millersville’s top scorer, Drew Stover. Stover received just five shot attempts and scored seven points in Millersville’s win and made the most of his five shot attempts at West Chester, making all five for 14 points. 

SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS

• Stover totaled 20 points and 11 rebounds in the first round playoff game against Lock Haven for his sixth double-double of the season. Stover is tied for the PSAC lead in blocked shots and ranks second in field goal percentage after ranking first in both stats in 2023-24. Since PSAC season-by-season stat rankings began in 2000, no Marauder has led the league in either category in back-to-back seasons. Stover ranks third among active Division II players in career field goal percentage (.663). He will break a school record that was established in 1987, and he is on pace to rank third in PSAC history. He is set to become the first Marauder in history to shoot over 62% from the field in two seasons. Last season, he shot 71.5% and he enters Wednesday at 66.9%
• Saraj Ali is six points away from becoming the third Marauder this season to score 1,000 career points. Ali has scored 396 points with 23 double-figure scoring performances this season. He totaled 545 in two seasons at Mansfield. 
• Jahme has played some of his best basketball over the last five games, averaging 14.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He matched a season-high in rebounds and nearly had a triple-double with 13 points, 11 boards and seven assists in the Feb. 26 game at West Chester. He was one board shy of a double-double against Lock Haven Monday, finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds. 
   

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN RAMS

• West Chester has been unbeatable at home, going 14-0 with 18 consecutive home wins dating back to last season. West Chester's success has been built on defense and rebounding. They rank second in the PSAC in scoring defense (71.8), second in field goal percentage defense (.423), and teams attempt just 56 shots per game--the fewest in the PSAC. West Chester does that by causing turnovers (16.0 per game) and dominating the glass. Their 8.4 rebounding margin leads the league, and while they rank 15th in field goal percentage (.425), they make up for it by averaging 16.6 offensive rebounds per game. Millersville, however, has out-rebounded West Chester in both matchups this season. 

SERIES HISTORY

• The series could not be much more closely contested over the course of 212 games. West Chester holds a slight 107-105 edge all-time and a 43-42 edge since 1979. West Chester won 11 in a row between 2014-2019, but since Casey Stitzel has gotten the Marauders’ on track, Millersville is 8-3 against West Chester since 2020.  Making the game high scoring has historically been a key to success for Millersville. Since 1984, Millersville is 22-1 and 22-0 in regulation when scoring at least 82 points. Millersville has scored at least 83 points in its last three wins. West Chester has held Millersville to 75 points or fewer in 23 of its last 24 wins in the series. Five of the last six have been decided by seven points or fewer.