MARAUDERS FALL TO VULCANS IN EAST REGION FINALE

March 18 – The Millersville University men’s basketball team could not hold onto a four-point halftime lead as the Marauders fell to the California of Pennsylvania Vulcans, 64-52, and ended their season with  a 22-10 record.
 
Tournament MVP Ron Banks scored a game-high 27 points and the Vulcan defense held Millersville to just 19.4 percent (6-31) shooting in the second half.  The Vulcans will take on Alaska-Anchorage, winner of the West Region, in the elite eight beginning next week.

The ninth-ranked Vulcans, trailing 33-29 at halftime, used a 9-0 run to start the second half and grabbed a lead they would never relinquish.  The Marauders never came closer than four the rest of the way as the Vulcans hit their final six free throws to seal the win.

Both teams struggled from the floor early and defense kept either team from scoring a field goal until Cal’s Alioune Mbaye hit a short jumper in the lane 3:46 in to give a Cal a 4-0 advantage.

California then jumped out to a 20-12 lead midway through the first half but an 8-0 run by the Marauders knotted the game with 7:48 to play.

Millersville then grabbed their first lead of the game with seven minutes to play when Makal Stibbins (so. Philadelphia/John Bartram) hit a baby hook in the lane and put the Marauders up 22-21.  A steal by guard Charlie Parker (sr. Fawn Grove, Pa./Kennard-Dale) and follow-up slam by forward Bernard Brown (jr. Harrisburg/Harrisburg) cushioned the Marauders lead to three.  Brown dropped in 12 first half points to lead the Marauders hitting on 4-of-6 field goal attempts and knocking down all four of his free throws.

Cal grabbed the lead back from the Marauders, 27-26, with a jumper by guard James Hairston at the 3:53 mark.
The lead changed hands again with a pair of free throws by Stibbins with 59 seconds to play and a three-pointer by Parker at the halftime buzzer set up the 33-29 halftime score.

Stibbins gave the Marauders six points and five rebounds off the bench in the first half after coming into the game averaging just 3.8 points and 3.1 rebounds.

California (Pa.), who earned their spot in the regional tournament by winning the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament, held the regional tournament’s leading scorer Reggie Bates (Chicago, Ill./Hubbard) to just three first half points.  Bates finished the game with 14 points, and his 68 points in three games was good enough to be named to the all-tournament team.

Forward RayQuan Miles (sr. Hampton, VA/Phoebus) spent much of the first half on the bench after picking up his second foul 4:15 into the game.  He played just six minutes in the first half and finished the game with just two points.

The Vulcans came out strong in the second half using a 9-0 run to build a five-point lead just under three minutes in.  Forward Aliouni Mbaye, the Vulcans other all-tournament selection, hit a layup to cut the lead to two and guard Jesse Brooks tied the game with another layup just one minute in.  A three-pointer by Banks on ther next possession gave the Vulcans the lead they never gave back.

Millersville began the second half shooting just 1-of-10 from the field but kept themselves within striking distance with free throw shooting.

Millersville cut the lead to four behind four straight points from Parker.  A pair of free throws and a layup made the score 48-44 with 8:40 to play.

Cal pushed their lead back to eight (56-48) with a layup by Hairston at the 4:57 mark and then pushed it to 12 with free throws down the stretch.

Brown led the Marauders with 16 points while Parker and Bates each pulled down seven boards.

Millersville finishes their season 22-10 and reached the East Region final for the second consecutive year and third time in the last five years.