PSAC website

Championship - Box Score
No. 5 IUP 84, Kutztown 73

MVP - Thomas Young (IUP)

Semifinals - Box Scores
Clarion 85, Kutztown 79
No. 5 IUP 67, ESU 63

ESU Game Notes / PSAC Blog (updated Sat. PM) - Andy Heimbach

EAST STROUDSBURG – East Stroudsburg University will play host to the PSAC Men's Basketball Final Four for the first time in school history when IUP, Clarion and Kutztown convene at Koehler Fieldhouse for this weekend's conference championship.

The Warriors (24-4), coming off a 76-65 win over Cheyney for their first playoff victory in 19 years, host IUP (26-2), ranked fifth in Division II, in the second semifinal on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. Clarion (18-10) takes on Kutztown (22-6) in the first game at 5:30 p.m.

The championship game will be played on Saturday night at 7 p.m. as the PSAC crowns its 50th champion in conference history. The winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II tournament, with the field slated for a 9:30 p.m. announcement on Sunday night on ncaasports.com.

Ticket prices for the championship are $14 for a two-day pass for adults ($8 for Saturday only) and $5 for children under 12 ($3 for Saturday only). Students from member PSAC institutions will be admitted for free with a valid ID.

Scoring will be at a premium this weekend as ESU (79.7 points per game), Kutztown (79.6), Clarion (78.7) and IUP (77.9) are the top four teams in the conference in scoring offense and are all in the top five in field goal percentage. The Final Four will also feature seven of the PSAC's top 15 scorers, six of the top 10 rebounders and the top four players in assists, one from each team.

ESU leads the PSAC in scoring with just one player (Andy Heimbach, 24th, 13.1 ppg) in the top 30 in the conference rankings. The senior guard scored 20 points, backcourt mate Robby Pines had six points, five rebounds and eight assists and junior forward Mike Tobin had 13 points and eight rebounds in Tuesday night's win over Cheyney to lead the Warriors to their fourth-ever appearance in the PSAC semifinals. ESU made three straight trips from 1990-92 and won the only conference title in school history in 1990.

Pines paces the conference and is in the top 10 in Division II with 6.4 assists per game. His 179 assists this season are fourth in school history, while Heimbach enters the semifinals as ESU's leader in three-pointers in a season (74) and career (234) and shot 6-for-12 from behind the arc against Cheyney.

Junior forward Darryl Webb had 11 points and 14 rebounds and was one of four IUP players in double figures in the Crimson Hawks' 62-53 win over Gannon for their eighth straight victory. Webb is in the top 20 in Division II in rebounding with 9.9 per game and averages 15.4 points per game, with senior guard Thomas Young (16.1) and senior forward Akida McLain (15.3) also over the 15-point per game mark. IUP has won a PSAC-best three conference titles since 2000 (2000, 2002, 2004) and owns five rings in school history. (IUP website)

Clarion has been in the PSAC playoffs in 12 of the past 14 years and is looking for its second championship to join the 2001 squad. A pair of unrelated junior guards, Jamar Harrison (15.6 ppg) and Lloyd Harrison (15.0 ppg), lead the Golden Eagles into the semifinals as their top two scorers after a 76-69 win over Mercyhurst. Junior guard Shameel Carty scored 21 points against the Lakers and checks in with 14.1 points per night. Lloyd Harrison is in the top 10 in the nation with 2.6 steals per game and third in the PSAC in assists (4.6). (Clarion website)

Kutztown was the only team to win on the road in the quarterfinals, posting a 65-61 victory at Mansfield. Senior guard Stephen Dennis, the top scorer in Division II with 27.1 points per game, and junior guard Julius Gray both scored 24 points on Tuesday night for the Golden Bears, who were ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation this season. Junior forward Ryan Washington is third in the PSAC in scoring (18.3 ppg) and rebounding (9.9 rpg). Kutztown fell to Gannon, 80-65, in last year's championship game and is looking for its first-ever PSAC title. (Kutztown website)

PSAC Men's Basketball Final Four Quick Stats

Scoring
1. Stephen Dennis, Kutztown – 27.0
3. Ryan Washington, Kutztown – 18.1
7. Thomas Young, IUP – 16.1
11. Jamar Harrison, Clarion – 15.6
12. Darryl Webb, IUP – 15.4
13. Akida McLain, IUP – 15.3
15. Lloyd Harrison, Clarion – 15.0
18. Shameel Carty, Clarion – 14.1
22. Julius Gray, Kutztown – 13.3
24. Andy Heimbach, ESU – 13.1

Rebounding
2. Darryl Webb, IUP – 10.0
3. Ryan Washington, Kutztown – 9.9
7. Tamir Johnson, Kutztown – 8.3
9. Akida McLain, IUP – 7.8
10. Shameel Carty, Clarion – 7.6
13. Paul McQueen, Clarion – 7.4
14. Mike Tobin, ESU – 7.3

Assists
1. Robby Pines, ESU – 6.4
2. Stephen Dennis, Kutztown – 4.6
3. Lloyd Harrison, Clarion – 4.6
4. Ashton Smith, IUP – 4.3
8. Kevin Stewart, IUP – 3.5
11. Ryan Washington, Kutztown – 3.2
13. Thomas Young, IUP – 3.0

Steals
1. Lloyd Harrison, Clarion – 2.6
3. Robby Pines, ESU – 2.3
4. Stephen Dennis, Kutztown – 2.1
6. Mike Sherry, Clarion – 1.8
7. Jamar Harrison, Clarion – 1.8
8. Darryl Webb, IUP – 1.8

Blocks
2. Ryan Washington, Kutztown – 2.5
t-6. Terrance King, ESU – 1.5
11. Akida McLain , IUP – 1.2
t-12. Stephen Dennis, Kutztown – 1.1
t-12. Darryl Webb, IUP – 1.1

Field Goal Percentage
1. Tamir Johnson, Kutztown - .643
3. Ryan Washington, Kutztown - .606
4. Terrance King, ESU - .570
6. Jamar Harrison, Clarion - .559
9. Darryl Webb, IUP - .543
10. Akida McLain, IUP - .535

Three-Pointers Made
2. Andy Heimbach, ESU – 2.6
5. Julian Sanders, IUP – 2.3
7. Julius Gray, Kutztown – 2.2
11. Mike Sherry, Clarion – 1.9