Complete Game Notes (includes team capsules) (PDF)

Related: More Tournament information (schedule, tickets)


THE MATCH-UP: ESU (26-1) hosts the PSAC Final 4 for the 2nd time in program history as the Warriors pursue their 3rd PSAC championship this weekend at Koehler Fieldhouse.

Saturday (semifinals) - broadcast live on Blue Ridge TV-13, ESU Warriors "All Access"
1:00 p.m. - Gannon (PSAC West #1, 19-8) vs. West Chester (PSAC East #2, 19-8)
3:30 p.m. - ESU (PSAC East #1, 26-1) vs. Mercyhurst (PSAC West #3, 17-11)

Sunday (final) - 3:30 p.m., broadcast live on PCN

5 TIMES IN FINAL 4: ESU is in the PSAC Final 4 for the 5th straight year - just the 3rd PSAC program in the last 30 years to make 5 consecutive semifinals:

6 straight - California, 1992-97
5 straight - Bloomsburg, 1998-02
5 straight - ESU, 2010-14

PSAC CHAMPIONSHIPS: ESU has won 2 PSAC titles in program history - 1990 and 2012.

Among the other 3 schools in the field - Gannon won the 2009 title, West Chester won its only championship in 1959, and Mercyhurst is seeking its first title. Gannon and Mercyhurst both entered the PSAC prior the 2008-09 season.

ESU HOSTING THE FINAL 4: ESU also hosted the Final 4 in 2010, the first of its 5 straight trips. The Warriors fell to #2 IUP, 67-63, in the semifinals. IUP went on to win the first of 3 PSAC titles in the last 4 years over Kutztown, 84-73. IUP was the NCAA DII runner-up that season.

ESU RANKED #2 IN DII: ESU (26-1) is ranked #2 in this week's NABC DII coaches poll, the highest ranking in program history and the PSAC's highest since IUP on March 9, 2010. The Warriors are nationally-ranked for the 14th straight week (13 weeks in program history entering this season), and in the Top 10 for the 10th straight week (2 weeks prior to this year).

WARRIORS AT KOEHLER FIELDHOUSE: ESU has a 16-game home winning streak at Koehler Fieldhouse, going 14-0 this year and winning the final 2 home games in 2012-13.  ESU has a 59-12 home record in the last 5 years.

REGIONAL RANKINGS: ESU is 2nd and Gannon is 5th in this week's NCAA DII Atlantic Region rankings. The PSAC champion will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 8-team Atlantic Regional will be announced Sunday (10:30 p.m., ncaa.com).

2014 HIGHLIGHTS
* 5th straight PSAC Final 4 and 2nd straight PSAC East regular season title (3rd in 5 years)
* School-record 26 wins (breaking mark of 24-6 team in 2010)
* 20-0 start (last undefeated team in DII among 291 schools)
* 20-game winning streak (school record)
* #2 ranking (highest ever) on March 4
* 1 win from becoming first PSAC team with undefeated regular season since 1966 (Cheyney)

ALL-PSAC EAST HONORS: Jr. G Whis Grant and Jr. G Matt Tobin were both named to the All-PSAC East 1st team, and Fr. F Rasheed Moore was named to the 2nd team and was the PSAC East Freshman of the Year, announced on March 6.

Grant and Tobin are the 4th set of ESU teammates named to the first team, along with tandems in 2013 (Grant and Terrance King), 1994 and 1992.

TOURNAMENT TESTED: ESU has played 13 postseason games over the last 5 years, going 7-6 -- 7-3 in the PSAC Tournament, and 0-3 in the NCAA Tournament.
* Grant, Tobin and Jr. F Lamont Tillery have played in all 8 postseason games in their 3 years at ESU

HEAD COACH JEFF WILSON: Wilson (ESU '86) is in his 12th year as head coach and has a 209-128 record. Including this season, he has been part of the ESU basketball program for 25 of the last 31 years as a player (1983-86), assistant coach (1986-96) and head coach (2002-14).

Career Highlights
* 2010 NABC Atlantic Region Coach of the Year
* 2010, 2013 PSAC East Coach of the Year
* head coach of 2012 PSAC championship team
* head coach of 2010, 2012, 2013 NCAA Tournament teams
* asst. coach of 1990 PSAC championship team
* asst. coach of 1990 NCAA Tournament (East Region runner-up) team
* took over team that was 4-20 prior to his arrival in 2002-03
* has guided ESU to PSAC Tournament in 8 of last 9 years, 3 PSAC East titles in 5 years (2010, 2013, 2014), and 5 straight PSAC Final 4's

WHAT THE WARRIORS DO WELL ...
* 1st in DII in turnover margin (+7.4)
* 2nd in DII in turnovers forced (20.1)
* 3rd in DII in steals per game (10.7) (top 25 for 6th time in 9 years)
* 4th in DII in scoring margin (+18.3)
* 20th in DII in scoring offense (86.5) (leads PSAC)
* 1st in PSAC in assists (17.6) and assist-turnover ratio (1.42)
* school-record 252 3-pointers (shooting 36.8% from 3)

WHIS GRANT - 2-time All-PSAC East 1st team selection
* ESU's leading scorer for 3rd straight year (16.9 ppg)
* 3rd in PSAC in 3-pointers per game (2.7), 4th in 3-point % (40.8)

* 2013 PSAC East Athlete of the Year (17.6 ppg)
* 2013 All-America honorable mention by Daktronics, DII Bulletin
* 2014 DII Bulletin "Super 16" preseason selection
* led 2012 PSAC championship team with 13.9 ppg as a freshman

* 10 games of 20+ points this year (all vs. PSAC East)
* 26 20+ point games in his career (ESU is 21-5)
* 3 30+ games in his career (career-high 31 at West Chester this year)

* 7th in ESU history with 1,381 career points as a junior
* 4th among active DII juniors in career points
* 3rd ESU player to score 1,000 career points during his junior season

GRANT has been part of championship teams in last 5 years (128-29)
* 2010 - 30-2 - PA HS "AAAA" title at Plymouth-Whitemarsh
* 2011 - 30-7 - National Prep title at St. Thomas More (Conn.)
* 2012 - 20-12 - PSAC tournament title
* 2013 - 22-7 - PSAC East regular season title
* 2014 - 26-1 - PSAC East regular season title

MATT TOBIN - leads PSAC in assists, assist-turnover ratio, steals
* Jr. G is in his 2nd season as a starter
* Averaging 6.3 assists, 2.8 assist-turnover ratio and 2.3 steals
* 4 games with 10+ assists this year (3 double-doubles)
* t-5th at ESU in single-season assists (170)
* 6th at ESU in career assists (333)
* 11 points, 14 assists in 78-58 win vs. Millersville in PSAC quarters

* 9.4 ppg this year (8.0 last year, 8.1 as a freshman)
* 745 career points in 88 games
* 2,350 career points in high school (Hopatcong, N.J.)

TOBIN HAS ESU FAMILY LEGACY
* brother Mike was 2nd team All-PSAC East forward in 2011
* 2nd-leading scorer, top rebounder on 2010 and 2011 teams
* 790 career points, 509 rebounds from 2007-11
* father was high school coach of ESU asst. coach Justin Potts

RASHEED MOORE - PSAC East Freshman of the Year
* 2nd-leading scorer (13.7 ppg), top rebounder (6.3 rpg) for Warriors
* 6th in PSAC in field goal percentage (53.3)
* only freshman on PSAC East or PSAC West teams
* 2nd ESU freshman named All-PSAC East
* 5th Warrior named PSAC East Freshman of the Year (1st since 2010 - Terrance King)

* 3 double-doubles, including 20 points/16 rebounds vs. Lock Haven
* 3 games with 20+ points (24 at Slippery Rock, at West Chester)
* 10+ points in 22 of 27 games

JAMAL NWANIEMEKA - 3rd-leading scorer (12.8 ppg)
* So. G Jamal Nwaniemeka is a transfer from DI Rider
* 3 20-point games, including 21 vs. Millersville in PSAC quarterfinals
* 25 points vs. Gannon in 75-60 win on Jan. 3
* 41 3-pointers (3rd on team), 66 FT attempts (4th on team)

WILL BROWN - top bench scorer (9.4 ppg)
* missed last 2 seasons due to injury (8.8 ppg off bench in 2011)
* 103 career 3-pointers (12th at ESU) in just 2 seasons
* 55 3's this year (7 3's, 25 points in 74-71 win vs. West Chester)

RUNKLE, TILLERY MAN "4" SPOT
* Sr. F Zechariah Runkle (graduate student) is ESU's only senior
* Jr. F Lamont Tillery has played in all 88 career games at ESU
* Runkle (4.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg) averages 20.4 minutes
* Tillery (7.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg) averages 18.1 minutes
* combined for 11.7 points, 9.8 rebounds per game this year
* 14 points, 19 rebounds vs. Millersville in PSAC quarterfinals
* Runkle is 16-for-51 from 3; Tillery is 17-for-48

ESU this year vs. the rest of the field:

PSAC East
#2 West Chester - 2-0 ... W 107-94 (A) ... W 74-71 (H)

PSAC West
#1 Gannon - 1-0 ... W 75-60 (H)
#3 Mercyhurst - 1-0 ... W 60-54 (H)

ESU all-time vs. the rest of the field:

Mercyhurst - 5-2 (1-0 Postseason) ... W 66-58 in 2012 semifinals
Gannon - 5-7 (0-1 Postseason) ... L 63-72 in 1990 NCAA 2nd round
West Chester - 63-86 (2-2 Postseason)
* W 70-64 in 1991 quarterfinals
* L 58-80 in 1998 quarterfinals
* L 76-88 in 2006 quarterfinals
* W 90-85 in 2012 finals

ESU vs. MERCYHURST
* ESU holds a 5-2 lead in the all-time series
* 4-1 under Jeff Wilson

W 60-54  - H - 2013-14
W 67-62 - A - 2012-13
W 66-58 - N - 2011-12 (PSAC semifinals at West Chester)
L 65-70 - A - 2011-12
W 88-86 (OT) - H - 2010-11

ESU vs. GANNON
* Gannon holds a 7-5 lead in the all-time series
* 5-0 under Jeff Wilson

W 75-60 - H - 2013-14
W 52-46 - A - 2012-13
W 90-89 - H - 2011-12
W 75-54 - H - 2010-11
W 52-49 - A - 2009-10

ESU vs. WEST CHESTER
* West Chester holds an 86-63 lead in the all-time series
* 15-11 under Jeff Wilson

Last 5 Years (9-2)
W 74-71 - H - 2013-14
W 107-94 - A
L 76-83 - H - 2012-13
W 87-77 - A
W 90-85 - A - 2011-12 (PSAC championship)
L 65-71 - A
W 94-82 - H
W 78-72 - H - 2010-11
W 82-69 - A
W 88-74 - A - 2009-10
W 89-78 - H


PSAC INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

Scoring
t-8. Whis Grant (ESU) - 16.9
11. Troy Hockaday (WCU) - 16.3
12. Adam Blazek (GAN) - 16.1
t-20. Rasheed Moore (ESU) - 13.7
27. Cory Blake (WCU) - 12.8
28. Jamal Nwaniemeka (ESU) - 12.8

Rebounding
14. Matt Wiseley (WCU) - 6.7
16. D'Arius Porter (GAN) - 6.7
19. Rasheed Moore (ESU) - 6.3
22. Cory Blake (WCU) - 5.9
23. Raphell Thomas-Edwards (GAN) - 5.9

Assists
1. Matt Tobin (ESU) - 6.3
13. Jonathan Ouegnin (HURST) - 3.1
14. Shannon Givens (WCU) - 3.0
16. Adam Blazek (GAN) - 3.0

Assist-Turnover Ratio (min. 3 apg)
1. Matt Tobin (ESU) - 2.8
6. Jonathan Ouegnin (HURST) - 1.8
9. Adam Blazek (GAN) - 1.5

Field Goal Percentage (min. 5 fg/g)
6. Rasheed Moore (ESU) - 53.3

Free Throw Percentage (min. 2.5 ft/g)
1. Adam Blazek (GAN) - 87.3

3-Point Percentage (min. 2.0 3pt/g)
3. Adam Blazek (GAN) - 41.5
4. Whis Grant (ESU) - 40.8
5. R.J. Griffin (WCU) - 40.0

3-Pointers per Game
3. Whis Grant (ESU) - 2.7
4. Adam Blazek (GAN) - 2.4
9. Will Brown (ESU) - 2.0
10. R.J. Griffin (WCU) - 2.0

Steals
1. Matt Tobin (ESU) - 2.3
3. Adam Blazek (GAN) - 2.1
6. Troy Hockaday (WCU) - 2.0

Blocked Shots
20. Rasheed Moore (ESU) - 0.8