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Thiel starts 6-0 in men's basketball
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Thiel has gotten off to a fast start in men's basketball, and the Tomcats are doing it with an efficient attack that features four players who average 11 points or more per game.
The Tomcats, who are 6-0, 3-0 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference, are averaging 76.2 points per game and are led by sophomore guard Kamran McCaskill, who averages 18 points per game.
But three other players -- Anthony Harvey, a New Castle graduate (11 ppg), Chace McKinney (13.5) and Ladell Trotty (12.7) -- also average double figures and a fifth player, senior guard AJ Forbes, averages 8.2 points per game. That scoring balance is what makes the Tomcats so difficult to defend.
Perhaps more impressive, the Tomcats have had four different players lead them in scoring in six games and have had at least three players reach double figures in scoring in five of six games.
Once -- in a 91-79 victory against Penn State Behrend -- the Tomcats had all five starters reach double figures.
Harvey isn't the only former WPIAL player who contributes to the Tomcats as senior guard RJ Brownlee (Ringgold) is the sixth man and averages 6.5 ppg.
IUP's football season ended in heartbreaking fashion as the Crimson Hawks fell to Winston-Salem State, 21-17, in an NCAA Division II quarterfinal. But that doesn't put a damper on what was an excellent season for the team.
The Crimson Hawks finished 12-2, won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship and two playoff games and now they are starting to reap some individual accolades as well.
IUP had four players named as honorable mention selections to the 2012 Beyond Sports College Network (BSN) All-American Team, which was announced Wednesday.
The four honored were tailback Harvie Tuck, defensive tackle Carl Thornton (Beaver Falls), safety Johnny Franco and kicker Brett Ullman.
Tuck, who was the PSAC West Division offensive player of the year, finished his career with 4,294 yards rushing and 34 rushing touchdowns. Both rank second in school history.
Former Charleroi standout Elijah Obade is a senior at Millersville University and is enjoying an excellent season for the Marauders as he is the team's second-leading scorer. But this past week was especially good for Obade as he averaged 19 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks per game in two PSAC wins against Lock Haven and Clarion.
Against Lock Haven, he scored 19 points and grabbed 21 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season and then he scored 19 and had a career-high four blocks in the win against Clarion.
Obade is averaging 17 points and 14.5 rebounds per game and has 23 blocked shots in eight games.
Grove City's Winter Invitational is always a showcase for individual swimming talent and generally brings out the best in the participants as competition is fierce.
A number of individuals had big performances at this event, but Washington & Jefferson senior John Szott of Bethel Park might have stood above the rest. As a result, he was named the PAC male swimmer/diver of the week.
Szott won the 1-meter and 3-meter diving competitions though it wasn't enough to help the Presidents as the men finished third in the team competition.
First Published December 7, 2012 12:00 am
