The past week of PSAC West basketball saw a lot of action.
IUP, which was previous undefeated, lost its first two games of the season and fell two spots in the PSAC West standings. Slippery Rock took over the top spot as a result. As for the rest of the standings, here’s how it panned out:
PSAC West Standings
1. Slippery Rock (14-4, 5-1 PSAC)
2. Gannon (10-7, 5-2 PSAC)
3. IUP (14-2, 4-2 PSAC)
4. Mercyhurst (8-8, 4-2 PSAC)
5. Seton Hill (11-5, 3-3 PSAC)
6. Pitt-Johnstown (10-6, 3-3 PSAC)
7. Cal U (8-9, 3-4 PSAC)
8. Clarion (3-11, 1-5)
9. Edinboro (7-9, 0-6)
Let’s take a look at how the action went last week:
Slippery Rock won its only game this past week, 64,43 over Mercyhurst at home. Josh Martin had 14 points and six rebounds in the win.
Gannon gave IUP its first loss of the season, 67-61 in overtime, at home. They followed that up with a 71-59 victory over Edinboro on the road. Gibran Smith led the Golden Knights with 18 points in the win over IUP while Adam Blazek had 18 points in the win over Edinboro.
IUP, as mentioned, lost to Gannon but then lost in surprising fashion to Cal U, 59-56, at home. In the first loss, Mathis Keita had 21 points, five rebounds and six assists. He also had 20 points and six rebounds in the loss to Cal U.
Mercyhurst beat Edinboro, 77-65 in overtime, before losing to Slippery Rock later in the week. In the win, Anthony Lytle had 17 points, six rebounds and three assists. He also had a team-high 10 points in the loss to the Rock.
Seton Hill picked up an 83-80 win over Pitt-Johnstown but lost, 64-61, to Clarion later in the week. In the win, Max Kenyi had 15 points. In the loss, Malachi Leonard had a double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.
Pitt-Johnstown’s only game came in the loss to Seton Hill. Bill Luther had 24 points and six rebounds in the game.
Cal U picked up two wins, beating Clarion, 71-58, before toppling IUP. Jake Jacubec had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists in the team’s first win and 15 points in the win over IUP.
Clarion went 1-1, beating Seton Hill but losing to Cal U. In the loss, Mike Kromka had 13 points and eight rebounds. In the win, Marques Jones scored 17 points.
Edinboro’s rough week continued as they dropped two games. In the loss to Mercyhurst, Henri Wade-Chatman had 22 points. In the loss to Gannon, Bryan Theriot had 17 points and five rebounds.
CONFERENCE LEADERS: Pitt-Johnstown leads the PSAC West in scoring, scoring 77.2 points per game, while IUP has the conference’s best defense, only allowing 57.4 points per game. Slippery Rock leads the conference in rebounding, grabbing 43.8 boards per game.
Seton Hill’s Malachi Leonard continues to lead the PSAC West in scoring. His 19.7 points per game are good enough for fifth in the conference. Edinboro’s Bryan Theriot is right behind him with 18.6 points per game. Leonard is also averaging 10.0 rebounds per game, making him the only player in the conference to average double-digit boards and a double-double. Theriot also leads the conference in field goal percentage, shooting 63 percent. Edinboro’s Jonny Marsh leads the PSAC West in 3-point shooting. He’s drained 41 deep balls and is shooting 41.4 percent on the year. Gannon’s Adam Blazek leads the conference in foul shooting, shooting a blistering 88.5 percent from the line. IUP’s Devante Chance is the PSAC West’s best passer, averaging 4.1 assists per game. Ian Vescovi of Pitt-Johnstown leads the PSAC West in blocks, swatting 2.2 shots per game.
Photo Credit: Slippery Rock Athletics
