Box Score
EAST STROUDSBURG - Junior guard Pat Fleury scored a career-high 18 points and East Stroudsburg University used a 20-2 run early in the second half to beat Slippery Rock 88-77 in PSAC men's basketball crossover action on Wednesday night.
The victory is the sixth straight for ESU, which has put together a six-game winning streak in three of the last four seasons.
The Warriors trailed 42-32 at halftime before Fleury hit a three-pointer to open the second-half scoring. Erroll Robinson (29 points) followed with consecutive three-pointers for Slippery Rock, which led 49-35 with 18:27 remaining.
Two free throws by Robinson provided the only scoring for Slippery Rock over the next five minutes, as the Warriors got three-pointers from Fleury and senior forward Josh Wentz and six points from junior forward Aaron Pinckney in the ensuing run.
Senior forward Channon Easley pulled ESU within 51-50 on an assist by sophomore guard Andy Heimbach with 14:51 left, and Heimbach made a triple on the next possession to give the Warriors a two-point lead.
The lead changed hands six times in the next five minutes before junior forward Chris Bach had an offensive rebound and putback and finished the three-point play to put ESU up 72-69 with 7:46 remaining.
Fleury was 5-of-6 from the foul line and had a layup and an assist to Easley down the stretch the keep the Warriors in front. ESU was 23-of-31 at the foul line for the game and scorched the nets at a 59.3 percent clip from the field in the second half.
Easley (15 points), Heimbach (14), Pinckney (career-high 13) and Wentz (10) gave ESU five players in double figures for the first time this season. Easley also had five rebounds and blocked three shots, giving him 24 blocked shots for the season and at least two in all but one game.
Robinson was 6-of-7 from the three-point line for Slippery Rock and finished with 29 points. Joseph Vines had 14 points and Matt Schaefer and Darnell Johnson (eight assists) both finished with 12.
ESU will return to action after the holiday break when it hosts Clarion on Saturday, Jan. 5 at Koehler Fieldhouse.
