Box Score
CALDWELL, N.J. – Senior guard
Andy Heimbach scored 24 points, junior forward
Mike Tobin set his career-high with 15 and senior guard
Robby Pines had nine points, six rebounds and seven assists to lead East Stroudsburg University to its eighth straight win to open the 2009-10 season with a 78-74 victory over Dominican (N.Y.) on Saturday afternoon.
Heimbach was 5-for-9 from the three-point line for the Warriors and was named the game's MVP in the first of four men's contests at the ECAC Holiday Classic at Caldwell College. He has hit at least four three-pointers in five games this season and was one point off his career-high that he set as a sophomore as ESU is 8-0 for the first time since going 10-0 in 1971-72.
The Warriors led a close game for all but two minutes in the second half, and took the lead for good on a fastbreak layup by Tobin on a pass from Pines with just over 13 minutes left. Pines hit a three-pointer the next time down to make the score 51-47, and ESU stretched its lead to seven points (68-61) over the next six minutes following a three-point play by Tobin with 5:49 left.
Heimbach drilled a pair of three's down the stretch, the second after Dominican (5-4) cut the lead to 71-68 on a three by Gerald Hill with 2:28 remaining, and Pines and junior guard
Micah Covert both made a pair of free throws in the final minute to ice the game.
Tobin was 6-for-7 from the field and pulled down seven rebounds for the Warriors, who owned a 37-27 advantage on the glass and had 18 offensive boards. Pines paced an offense that had 16 assists and just 11 turnovers, and Covert was 7-for-8 from the foul line in the second half to account for all of his scoring. Freshman forward
Duane Johnson also scored seven points for the Warriors.
Dominican put four players in double figures, led by Jamell Cromartie, who had 17 points off the bench and scored his team's final 11 points of the first half. Leon Porter added 14 points and five assists and Cory Quimby had 12 points and eight rebounds.
ESU takes on tournament host Caldwell in the final game of the weekend on Sunday at 6 p.m.
