EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University will host the 44th Annual ESU Basketball Tournament featuring four games both Friday and Saturday at Koehler Fieldhouse.
This year's tournament is presented by the Lehigh Valley International Airport and North Pole Express. Tickets are $10 daily, but admission is free with the donation of an unwrapped present for a child ages 5 to 12 in conjunction with Dream Come True and LVI.
Dream Come True is a non-profit organization which fulfills the dreams and wishes of children who are seriously, chronically, or terminally ill between the ages of 4-18 and living in the Greater Lehigh Valley area. The Warriors' basketball programs will hand out gifts on Sunday, Dec. 14 as 75 children board a plane and fly to the North Pole.
The women's field is comprised of ESU, Georgian Court, Post, and Queens, while the ESU men will be joined by Chestnut Hill, Shippensburg, and Queens.
This year both the men's and women's tournament will be a "classic" format with preset matchups already determined for both days of action. The tournament tips off with a women's matchup between Queens and Georgian Court at 1 p.m. on Friday with ESU battling Post at 6 p.m. The men's schedule offers Chestnut Hill vs. Shippensburg on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. with ESU facing Queens in the nightcap at 8 p.m.
The action continues at 1 p.m. Saturday with a women's matchup between Queens and Post. The ESU women will play Georgian Court at 6 p.m. to conclude the women's tournament. On the men's side, the day opens with Queens vs. Shippensburg at 3 p.m. and closes with ESU vs. Chestnut Hill at 8 p.m.
The Warriors men (3-1) have been led by senior forward Chris Bach and sophomore guard Mike DeMarco early on this season. Bach, a preseason All-PSAC East selection, leads ESU in both scoring (21.0 ppg) and rebounding (9.0 rpg) through the first four contests. DeMarco enters the weekend averaging 14.8 points per game and is coming off a career-high 20 point performance in a win at Nyack on Tuesday.
Point guards Pat Fleury and Robby Pines run the offense and are both averaging more than three assists per game through the first four contests. Junior guard Andy Heimbach, last year's tournament MVP with 42 points over the two games, is scoring 9.0 points per game. Senior guard Dawud Lyons scored 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting off the bench Tuesday night.
Chestnut Hill College (0-4) plays Kutztown on Wednesday night prior to traveling to ESU to face Shippensburg in their first round game. The Griffins are led by junior Julian McFadden's 15.3 points per game, with sophomore Brandon Williams adding 12.0 points per contest.
Shippensburg (4-0) brings a perfect record into the tournament, having overcome an eight point second half deficit in their last outing to defeat No. 20-ranked Pittsburgh-Johnstown, 71-70. The Raiders are led in scoring by Stephon Draper who is averaging 14.5 points per game. Also important to their attack is Derrick Graff who is second in scoring with 13.5 points per game and leads the team with 11.5 boards a night.
Rounding out the men's field is Queens College (1-2) who will face C.W. Post tonight before heading to ESU. The Warriors beat the Knights 89-55 in last year's championship game behind 23 points from tournament MVP Andy Heimbach. Khaleef Allicott and Mike Liander represented Queens on last year's All-Tournament team, and Allicott leads the Knights with 15.0 points per game this season.
The ESU women (3-2) have won three straight after dropping their opening two games of the season in a tournament at Shippensburg. Senior forward Jackie Yandrisevits leads the team with 18.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest, was on the Shippensburg All-Tournament team, and has been a two-time member of the All-Tournament team in her first three years at ESU.
Yandrisevits is joined in double figures by sophomore guard Kristen Murray at 11.2 points per game. Senior guard Keri Cahill leads the Warriors with 5.8 assists per night and is coming off of a career high eight assists against Felician. Junior forward DeAnna Rayam is a solid contributor with a team high 3.0 steals per game to add to her 8.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, and sophomore forward Rachel Grimes has already passed her freshman season point total with 8.2 points per game.
The Georgian Court Lions (3-2) have posted back-to-back victories to rebound from a tough start to their season when they traveled to Alaska. They are led in scoring by Tiffany Brown who is putting up 12.4 points a game, followed closely by Lauren Staats' 11.8 points per game.
Post University (1-5) enters the tournament having lost four straight, but with the last three defeats by no more than six points. Sophomore Mallorie Michalak leads the Eagles at 12.7 points per contest, while senior Stephanie Goss adds 9.5 points and a team-high 5.8 rebounds a game.
Queens College (1-4) has one more game on Wednesday night against C.W. Post before traveling to ESU. The Knights are led by a trio in double figures with sophomore Amanda Bartlett averaging 16.4 points per game to lead the way. Junior Kara Otterbine is averaging a double-double with 15.0 points and 11.2 boards a contest, while graduate student Jennifer DiChiara adds 11.2 points a game.
