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Related: Morning Call - ESU storms past Mercyhurst against to reach PSAC championship game


Sunday's Championship Game vs. West Chester (3:30 p.m.)
TV: Live on PCN and Blue Ridge TV-13
Live online: pcntv.com
Live stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/esu/mbball/


EAST STROUDSBURG – No. 2-ranked East Stroudsburg University opened the second half on a 17-4 run to erase an eight-point halftime deficit, its largest of the season, as the Warriors advanced to the PSAC championship game for the second time in three seasons with a 63-55 win over Mercyhurst on Saturday afternoon at Koehler Fieldhouse.

The Warriors (27-1) will play for their third PSAC championship in school history on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. against West Chester, which rallied past Gannon for a 77-76 (OT) win in the first semifinal. (WCU recap)

The final – live across the state on PCN, and regionally on Blue Ridge TV-13 – will be a rematch of the 2012 championship game won by ESU, 90-85, at West Chester's Hollinger Fieldhouse as the Warriors have an opportunity to add to their 1990 and 2012 PSAC titles.

Junior All-America guard Whis Grant scored 16 points, junior guard Matt Tobin had 13 points and six rebounds and sophomore guard Jamal Nwaniemeka had 10 points for the Warriors, who finished the game on a 6-0 run after holding a 57-55 lead with 2:07 remaining.

ESU held a 20-9 turnover margin after entering as the NCAA Division II leader at +7.4. The Warriors, third in DII in steals (10.7), had 15 and held a 13-4 edge in turnovers (11 steals) after halftime.

ESU won an almost identical game over Mercyhurst in the 2012 semifinal, 66-58, starting the second half with a 19-2 run after trailing 33-25 at halftime – the exact halftime score of this year's semifinal.

Mercyhurst, third in the PSAC and fourth in Division II in scoring defense (60.2 ppg), held the Warriors to just seven field goals in the first half and led almost the entire period, using a pair of 5-0 runs in the final 10 minutes for its eight-point halftime lead.

ESU trailed at half for just the fifth time this year and faced its largest halftime deficit, previously 28-24 to Mercyhurst in a 60-54 win on December 21 – a game in which the Warrior started the second half with a 13-0 run.

Tobin converted a three-point play eight seconds into the second half and assisted on a three-pointer by senior forward Zechariah that cut Mercyhurst's eight-point lead to just four (35-31) 1:02 into the second half.

Grant split a pair of free throws, then scored a tough bucket, and Tobin made a free throw to tie the game 35-all with 17:45 left and give the Warriors new life.

A layup by Mercyhurst's Anthony Lytle with 15:30 left was the only scoring for either team for almost five minutes – before ESU went on a 7-0 run to take a five-point lead. Runkle scored on a putback, then had a steal and dunk, followed by a jumper by sophomore guard Malcolm Richardson and a free throw by Richardson for a 42-37 advantage with 11:37 to play, capping the 17-4 spurt.

ESU built its lead to 49-41 on a three by Grant with eight minutes left, but Mercyhurst stormed back, scoring eight straight points punctuated by a steal and layup by backup point guard H'ian Hale to tie it at 49-49 with just over five minutes left.

Three's by Grant and Nwaniemeka helped ESU go ahead by four (57-53) at the three-minute mark. Two free throws by Mercyhurst's Jean Onana proved to be the Lakers' final scoring with 2:07 remaining before the Warriors closed it.

Runkle had a steal and pitched ahead for a layup by Tobin with 1:02 left, putting ESU ahead 59-55. After Onana missed a three, Runkle grabbed the defensive rebound and Tobin knocked down two free throws with 28 seconds left.

Tobin had a steal on an Onana turnover and made both for a 63-55 lead with 20 seconds left, and Anthony Lytle missed a three on Mercyhurst's final possession.

Onana (10 points, 8 rebounds) and Ewing (10 points, 4 rebounds) led Mercyhurst in scoring, along with Callon Dailey (9 points, 5 rebounds).

The Lakers shot 25-for-51 (49.0 percent), compared to 18-for-55 for ESU (32.7 percent), but the Warriors made seven three-pointers and were 20-for-28 at the foul line. Mercyhurst made three three-pointers and were 2-for-5 at the line.

ESU's victory sets up just the fourth all-PSAC East finals since 1990, when ESU beat Millersville, 108-102 (2OT), to win its first PSAC title. Others came in 2007 (Millersville over Cheyney, 79-68) and 2012, when ESU topped West Chester, 90-85.


GAME NOTES
* ESU is in the PSAC Final Four for the 5th straight year and the 8th time in program history.
* ESU is the 3rd PSAC school to make 5 consecutive Final 4's in the last 30 years, along with California (6 straight - 1992-97) and Bloomsburg (5 - 1998-02).
* The Warriors are 2-0 in their previous appearances in the PSAC championship game (1990, 2012).

* West Chester (20-8) is in the PSAC Final Four for the third straight year, and will play in the championship game for the fourth time since 1998 (also 2001 and 2012).
* The Golden Rams will play for their 2nd PSAC title in program history and first since 1959.

* ESU extends a school record with its 27th win.

* ESU won both regular season meetings with West Chester – 107-94 at Hollinger Fieldhouse on January 25, closing with a 22-3 run with 5:38 left, and 74-71 at ESU's Koehler Fieldhouse in the regular season finale on February 26.


* ESU's No. 2 ranking is the highest in school history, and the highest for a PSAC school since IUP was No. 2 on March 9, 2010.

* ESU is hosting the PSAC Final 4 for the second time in school history. The Warriors also hosted in 2010, falling to IUP (67-63) in the semifinals.

* ESU improves to 15-0 at Koehler Fieldhouse this year, and has won 17 straight home games dating to last season.

* 21 of ESU's 27 victories have come by double figures. The Warriors were 4th in DII in scoring margin (+18.3) entering the week.

* The Warriors have won 69 games in the last 3 years (69-20), the most in school history. The 1970-71 through 72-73 teams were 63-12.

* The Warriors are 109-38 since the start of the 2009-10 season.

* ESU won its 2nd straight PSAC East regular season title this winter, and the 4th in school history (1992, 2010, 2013, 2014).
 
* ESU has 9 seasons with 20+ wins, including a school-record 27 this year. The previous record was 24-6 in 2010.

* Jeff Wilson, 210-128 in his 12th season, ranks 2nd at ESU in career victories.
* Ken Sisson holds the career record with 215, going 215-245 in 19 years (1963-78, 79-83).

* ESU is ranked in the top 10 in DII for the 10th straight week, and the 12th week in program history.
* ESU is ranked in the top 25 for the 14th straight week, after being ranked for 13 weeks in program history previously.

* ESU has won 7 straight since its only loss of the season, 82-80 at Lock Haven on February 6.
* ESU was the final undefeated team in DII this season.
* ESU's 20-game win streak to start the season was the PSAC's longest since 1994-95, when IUP opened 21-0.
* The last PSAC team to go undefeated in the regular season was Cheyney (24-0) in 1965-66.

* ESU led DII in turnover margin (+7.4) entering the weekend. The Warriors won the turnover margin, 20-9, on Saturday.
* When holding a turnover margin of +5 or greater, ESU is: 19-1 this year, 34-3 the last 2 years, and 54-11 since the start of the 2009-10 season.

* Grant moved into a tie for ESU's single-season record for 3-pointers with 76, matching Andy Heimbach (2009-10).
* Grant ranks 2nd in career 3-pointers with 198, behind Heimbach's record 236 (2006-10).

* Grant is 7th at ESU with 1,397 career points during his junior season. Next on the list is Charley German, who scored 1,412 points from 1954-58.

* Tobin moved into sole possession of 5th on ESU's lists for season (176) and career (339) assists.
* He is tied for 8th with 62 steals this season, matching the total of his brother Mike (2010-11).

* Grant and Tobin were both named to the All-PSAC East 1st team on Thursday. Rasheed Moore was a 2nd team selection and the Freshman of the Year.