RELEASE DATE: 2/22/10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mansfield first PSAC East team to qualify for PSAC playoff berth

MANSFIELD – The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) announced Monday that Mansfield University was the first team from the PSAC East to qualify for the upcoming PSAC Championship.

“It’s good to be the first one in,” said head coach Rich Miller. “But the goal all season has been to win the PSAC East and we’re two games away from clinching that. This is going to be a tough week for everyone and we need to be ready to play.”

Mansfield has earned PSAC playoff berths in three of Miller's five years at the helm of the program.

Mansfield is currently tied with East Stroudsburg and Cheyney for first-place in the PSAC East with two games remaining in the regular season. All three teams have an 8-4 record.

Kutztown is currently holding on to the fourth and final playoff spot with a 7-5 conference mark with Bloomsburg one game back at 6-6. West Chester, Shippensburg and Millersville have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Mansfield host Bloomsburg on Wednesday with Millersville traveling to East Stroudsburg, Kutztown going to Cheyney and West Chester traveling to Shippensburg. Saturday’s final regular season games have Mansfield traveling to Millersville, Bloomsburg at Kutztown, East Stroudsburg going to West Chester and Cheyney hosting Shippensburg.

The PSAC East champion will host the number four seed on Tuesday, Mar. 2 with the number three seed traveling to the number two seed. The winner of those two first round games advances to the PSAC Championship Tournament where they meet the top  two teams from the PSAC West.

The PSAC Championship Tournament is hosted to the highest seeded team in the PSAC East this year. Mansfield last hosted the PSAC Championship in 1997.

2009-10 PSAC Men's Basketball Standings

() Divisional seed - PSAC playoffs

* Clinched PSAC playoff berth