By: By Kevin Kline, Sports Information Graduate Assistant
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa -- The PSAC playoff-bound Shippensburg University men's and women's basketball teams close out their regular seasons on Wednesday night in a pair of high-stakes PSAC East matchups on the road at Millersville from Pucillo Gymnasium. The women will tip at 6 p.m. with the men to follow at 8 p.m.
WOMEN
• Millersville is a game ahead of SU in the PSAC East standings, and if Bloomsburg beats East Stroudsburg on Wednesday night, the winner of SU-MU will earn an automatic bye on Saturday before hosting a second round game on Tues., March 5.
• If the Raiders lose, or if they win but Bloomsburg loses to East Stroudsburg, the Raiders will earn the No. 3 seed and host a first-round PSAC East playoff game at home this coming Saturday (March 2) against East No. 6 seed East Stroudsburg.
• Shippensburg looks to complete a season-sweep of the division-leading Marauders as SU won 70-58 at home on Jan. 30. Millersville has not lost since and is currently riding a seven-game winning streak.
• With a victory, the Raiders will reach 20 victories in a regular season for the first time since the historic 2000-01 team that went on to advance to the NCAA semifinals. SU's last women's basketball squad to earn 20 victories overall in a season was 2001-02; its 20th and final win that year came in the PSAC playoffs.
• Four players scored in double figures – including seniors
Dana Wert and
Shawna Wert – to push Shippensburg to an 80-62 Senior Day victory over Cheyney from Heiges Field House in Saturday afternoon's regular season home finale.
• Also on Saturday afternoon, after letting an early 18-point lead get trimmed to just six by the end of the first half, the Marauders stepped on the gas in the second half to blow past host Mansfield, 90-59.
MEN
• At the very least, the Raiders will play on the road in the PSAC East first round this Saturday as either a No. 5 or No. 6 seed, but if SU defeats Millersville and both Bloomsburg (at East Stroudsburg) and Mansfield (vs. Kutztown) also lose on Wednesday night, Shippensburg will earn the No. 4 seed and host the No. 5 seed on Saturday.
• In the two teams's earlier season matchup on Jan. 30, a deep three-point attempt from the top of the key by sophomore
Reggie Charles bounced off the back of the rim as the buzzer sounded as Shippensburg let a nine-point second-half lead evaporate and was unable to knock off Millersville in a tight 63-62 loss from Heiges Field House.
• Despite a 79-68 Senior Day loss to Cheyney in the regular season home finale on Saturday, the Raiders clinched a playoff spot by virtue of Kutztown's loss to Bloomsburg. SU will be appearing in the conference tournament for the first time since the 2006-07 season.
• Trailing by three with just over a second remaining in regulation on Saturday afternoon, Millersville's Nate Bollinger rebounded a Mansfield missed free throw and launched a shot from 75-feet away. The heave banked home to tie the game at 62. Mansfield, however, recovered and topped Millersville 82-75 in overtime.