MANSFIELD – The Mansfield University men's and women's basketball programs host Shepherd University in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 26 for their final games of the 2021-22 regular season.

The event will serve as the Senior Day celebration for the programs as the women will honor Paige Whitfield, Kira Merritt, Hanna Johnson and Sydney Reed, while the men will honor Marcus Friend, Eli Alvin and Jordan Hernandez prior to the game for their contributions to the university and basketball programs.

MEET THE SENIORS

Paige Whitfield: A five-year member of the women's basketball program, Whitfield appeared in 107 games, while starting 82 over four seasons to rack up over 3,100 minutes. As a senior, Whitfield ranks first on the team in assists per game (3.0) and steals (2.0), and minutes (32.3) while ranking second in points (10.4) and rebounds (5.1). Whitfield has also knocked down 39 3-pointers, which ranks 16^th in the conference. Whitfield has scored over 20 points twice this season, including netting a career-high 24 to lead the Mounties to a win over Millersville. The senior has dished out five or more assists in 14 games, including eight twice and a season-best 10 against Kutztown on Saturday. The do-it-all forward is currently ranked 15^th all-time in program history in steals with 158. Native of Altoona, Pa., Whitfield will graduate in May with bachelor of science degree in sports nutrition and dietetics.

Kira Merritt: Also a five-year member of the program, Merritt took over as the Mountaineer starting point guard during her junior season and has since started every game but one. Merritt has appeared in 101 games, made 55 starts, while totaling 2192 minutes, just behind Whitfield for the second on the team in a career. As a senior, Merritt has started all 25 games and is averaging 5.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Merritt scored a season-high 15 points after knocking down a season-high three 3-pointers against Edinboro. Merritt has dished out over five assists in five games this season, including a high of six against Frostburg State. Native of Harrisburg, Pa., Merritt will graduate with a bachelor of science degree in accounting.

Sydney Reed: Native of Alexandria, Pa., Reed has appeared in 79 games and made 52 starts over three seasons. Reed has started 24 of the 25 games she has appeared in this season, averaging a career-high 6.2 points per game and dishing out the third-most assists on the team (53). Reed has become one of the top 3-point threats in the conference, knocking down a career-best 38 this season, the most in her career. Reed poured in her career-high of 19 points against Slippery Rock earlier this year, knocking down three shots from behind the arch, something she has done eight times this season. Reed drilled five trifectas twice this year, while knocking down four shots from deep three other times. Reed will graduate with a bachelor of science degree in biology and will pursue a career in the dental industry.

Hanna Johnson: Native of Trucksville, Pa., Johnson is a four-year member of the women's basketball program, where she has played in 199 minutes in 35 games. Before having her senior season cut short due to injury, Johnson appeared in a career-high 22 games as a sophomore, averaging 6.4 minutes per game. In that same season, Johnson came off the bench to score a career-high eight points in back-to-back games, while hitting 50 percent of her 3-point attempts. Despite missing the 2021-22 season, Johnson has remained a leader within the program and for her teammates. Johnson will graduate with a bachelor of science degree in Nursing in May.

Marcus Friend: Native of Albany, N.Y., Friend joined the Mountaineers prior to the 2019-20 season from Davis and Elkins College and has become one of the top defenders and playmakers in the conference. In his first full season with the Mounties, Friend sits at the top of the conference in total steals with 60, which is tied for 11^th all-time in program history. Friend ranks second in steals and 15^th in assists per game, dishing out nearly four per contest. Friend has appeared in 27 games this season, starting 22, and is third on the team in minutes (27.6) and fifth in scoring (9.6 PPG). Friend will graduate in May with a degree in liberal studies.

Eli Alvin: Native of Philadelphia, Pa., Alvin is a five-year member of the men's basketball program, where he has appeared in 92 games and made 28 starts. As a senior, Alvin is averaging career-highs with 9.7 points per game on 48 percent shooting, while logging 514 minutes and starting the most games of his career. Alvin finished 9-of-19 from the floor on his way to a career-high 23 points in a game against Clarion earlier this season. Alvin will graduate in May with a degree in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations.

Jordan Hernandez: Native of Passaic, N.J., Hernandez has spent two seasons with the Mountaineers, where he has appeared in 10 games and make one start. Hernandez was playing his career-high in minutes this season and made the first start of his career against Nyack before going down with an injury. Hernandez scored a career-high four points and pulled in four rebounds in the Mountaineers opener against Virginia State University. Hernandez will graduate in Liberal Studies.
 
FANS
The MU Athletic Department will be giving out Mountaineer dolls to the first 50 fans in attendance at each game. Back by popular demand, be sure to arrive in a timely manner as the Mountaineer dolls went quickly during football season.
 

WOMEN
The Mountaineer women are playing for their postseason lives, seeking their first PSAC Championship Tournament berth since the 2017-18 season. The Mounties are battling a three-way tie with Millersville and West Chester University and must down Shepherd on Saturday and get some help from around the conference.

TIEBREAKER SCENARIOS
West Chester, Mansfield and Millersville (all win or all lose)
(Apply non-completed season tiebreaker)  - All have same amount of wins

- Head to head to head – WEST CHESTER WINS TIEBREAKER
>>> WC is 3-1 vs. Mans/Mill  |  Mans is 2-2 vs. WC/Mill  |  Mill is 1-3 vs. WC/Mans

West Chester and Millersville
(Apply non-completed season tiebreaker)  - Both have same amount of wins
- Head to head – WEST CHESTER WINS TIEBREAKER
>>> WC is 2-0 vs. Mill

Millersville and Mansfield
- Head to head - split
--- Record vs. top of standings – MILLERSVILLE WINS TIEBREAKER
>>> Mill is 1-1 vs. Kutz  |  Mans is 0-2 vs. Kutz

West Chester and Mansfield (WC wins vs. E. Stroudsburg, Mans wins vs. Shepherd & Mill loses vs. Lock Haven)
(Apply non-completed season tiebreaker)  - Both have same amount of wins
- Head to head – split
--- Win total of conference teams that you defeated – MANSFIELD WINS TIEBREAKER

AROUND THE MOUNTAIN
Record: 7-18, 6-15 PSAC (6^th)
Last Time Out: L, 57-45 at Kutztown
Last Five: 1-4
At Home: 6-6
All-Time vs. SU: 0-3 dating back to 2020
Head Coach: Amy Senefelder (1^st Season, Trine '05)
Leading Scorer: Jasmine Hilton (12.6 PPG)
Leading Rebounder: Hilton (8.3 PPG)

LAST TIME OUT
The Mounties built a first-quarter lead on the road at the PSAC East leader Kutztown University, but the Golden Bears took control in the second quarter and didn't look back on their way to a 57-45 victory on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 19.

Seniors Sydney Reed (11 points) and Paige Whitfield (nine points) each knocked down three 3-pointers to lead the Mountaineers on offense. Whitfield added two assists and a steal to go with her team-high 10 rebounds, finishing one rebound shy of a double-double. Junior Jasmine Hilton scored a team-high 13 points, grabbed five rebounds, blocked two shots and plucked two steals, while sophomore Kenedy Stroup pulled in five rebounds. Hilton finished 4-of-4 from the line.

MEET THE RAMS
Record: 21-6, 15-6 PSAC (3^rd)
Last Time Out: W, 79-73 vs. Shippensburg
Last Five: 3-2
On the Road: 9-4
All-Time vs. MU: 3-0 dating back to 2020
Head Coach: Jenna Eckleberry (8^th Season, Fairmont State '07)
Leading Scorer: Abby Beeman (19.3 PPG)
Leading Rebounder: Sydney Clayton (8.0 RPG)

ON THIS DAY IN MOUNTAINEER HISTORY
2/25/2018: Women's Basketball Face #3 Seeded Millersville in 1st Round of PSAC Playoffs on Monday

For just the third time in history, Mansfield University women's basketball enters the first round of PSAC playoffs against Millersville.

Mansfield, the number six seed in the East, secured the first playoff appearance since 2006-07 season in a wire-to-wire 63-55 win over Cheyney on Saturday. The Mountaineers finished with an 8-20 overall record and a 6-16 conference mark after being picked to finish last in the PSAC preseason poll back in October. A win over Millersville would mark the first time the women's team has won a playoff game in program history.

MEN
AROUND THE MOUNTAIN
Record: 4-23, 3-18 PSAC (9^th)
Last Time Out: L, 116-97 at ESU
Last Five: 0-5
At Home: 4-8
All-Time vs. SU: 1-2 dating back to 2020
Head Coach: John Szentesy (4^th season, Mansfield '98)
Leading Scorer: Justice Smith (21.0 PPG)
Leading Rebounder: Smith (7.0 RPG)

LAST TIME OUT
Freshman Justice Smith because the second all-time single-season scorer in Mansfield University men's basketball history in the Mountaineers, 116-97 loss at East Stroudsburg University in PSAC action on Wednesday night, Feb. 23.

Smith scored 26 points on 12-of-18 shooting, surpassing Mountaineer great Joe Bell (547) for second all-time for points in a single-season with 567. Smith added eight rebounds, six assists and a steal.
The rookie is averaging 29.2 points per game over his last nine games on his way to the top of the Mountaineer scoring list after already becoming the highest scoring freshman in program history.

MEET THE RAMS
Record: 12-15, 8-13 PSAC (5^th)
Last Time Out: L, 79-65 vs. Shippensburg
Last Five: 3-2
On the Road: 3-9
All-Time vs. MU: 2-1 dating back to 2020
Head Coach: Justin Namolik
Leading Scorer: Kyle Daggett (17.3 PPG)
Leading Rebounder: Daggett (7.9 RPG)
 
ON THIS DAY IN MOUNTAINEER HISTORY
2/25/2017: Mounties Close Out 2017 With Big Win Over ESU

Malik Carter and Matt Tamanosky combined for 46 points to lead Mansfield to an 86-81 win over East Stroudsburg in a season-ending PSAC East contest.

Carter scored a game-high 25 points and recorded four steals while Tamanosky had 21 points along with five assists. Jones scored 17 points, 10 of them in the first half, in the final game of his career while Powell added 10 points with a game-high six assists. Jahyde Gardiner scored eight points along with a season-best six blocked shots.

NEXT UP
Saturday concludes the regular season for both the Mountaineer men's and women's basketball programs.