EAST STROUDSBURG - Koehler Fieldhouse will host the 43rd Annual East Stroudsburg University Basketball Tournament this weekend with two full days of basketball on Friday and Saturday.
Dowling, Seton Hill and Shippensburg will join the Warriors in the women's field, while the ESU men will compete against Queens (N.Y.), the University of the District of Columbia and Wilberforce.
The women's side of the tournament will be a "classic" format with preset match-ups each day. ESU will play both of its games at 6 p.m., facing Seton Hill on Friday and Dowling on Saturday. Shippensburg will open against Dowling on Friday and will play Seton Hill on Saturday, with both games starting at 1 p.m.
In the men's bracket, Queens plays UDC on Friday at 3 p.m. and the Warriors will take on Wilberforce at 8 p.m. The men's consolation game will be played at 3 p.m. on Saturday, with the championship contest following the ESU women's game on Saturday night at 8 p.m.
ESU has won 11 championships in tournament history, with the last two titles coming in 2003-04 and 2004-05. Pitt-Johnstown won the title in 2005-06 and defended its crown last year.
The ESU men (2-3) are led by sophomore guard Andy Heimbach and senior forward Channon Easley. Heimbach was named to the All-Tournament team at Bowie State three weeks ago after averaging 21.5 points over two games and is the Warriors' leading scorer with 14.6 points per night. Easley is second with 13.6 points per game and is in the top 10 in PSAC history in career blocked shots.
Wilberforce, the Warriors' first round opponent, enters with a 4-2 record behind the scoring of forward Rawlston Charles, who is averaging 28.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game this season.
Queens is paced by the trio of Mike Liander (20.5 ppg), Kaleef Allicott (19.0 ppg) and Lamont Lans (15.5 ppg), while UDC has five players in double figures this season, led by forward Willie Shaw with 14.3 points per game.
Freshman guard Kristen Murray has led the ESU women (1-4) in scoring in three of their first five games and checks in with 12.6 points per game. Senior forward Monika Fogelsanger and junior guard Jackie Yandrisevits are both returning starters from the Warriors' back-to-back PSAC East championship teams, and Yandrisevits was named first team all-conference last season.
Katie Lintner has posted 17 points and 10 rebounds per game so far this season for Seton Hill, ESU's opponent on Friday. The Warriors will face Dowling and Michelle Yawn (12.3 ppg, 19 steals) on Saturday, while Shippensburg rounds out the field. ESU fell 76-65 at Shippensburg on Sunday as Lauren Beckley scored 30 points and is averaging 22.4 points and 10.4 rebounds to date for the Lady Raiders.
