Box Score

SHIPPENSBURG – Senior guard Andy Heimbach scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half, pulled down six rebounds and handed out six assists to help No. 12 East Stroudsburg University secure its first 20-win season since 1991-92 with an 83-73 win at Shippensburg on Saturday afternoon.

Heimbach moved into the top 20 in career scoring in ESU history, tied his season-high in rebounds and set his career-high in assists as the Warriors (20-2, 7-2) scored 50 points after intermission to overcome a 36-33 deficit at halftime.

ESU has had six 20-win seasons, reaching the mark three straight years from 1970-71 through 1972-73, in 1989-90 when the Warriors won their only PSAC championship, and 1991-92 when they were nationally-ranked for the only other time in school history. Head coach Jeff Wilson was an assistant coach under Sal Mentesana on the 1989-90 and 1991-92 teams; the 1972-73 squad went 23-4 and holds the school record for wins.

Junior forward Mike Tobin led the PSAC East leaders with 16 points and shot 7-for-9 from the field, including 2-for-2 from the three-point line. Senior guard Robby Pines added 11 points, nine assists and four steals and freshman forward Marcus Brown had 10 points and five rebounds.

Shippensburg (10-12, 3-6) also put four players in double figures, led by Craig Van Scyoc (13 points) and Will Royal, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Warriors shot 50.8 percent from the field – 62.1 percent (18-for-29) in the second half – to return to the win column after suffering just their second loss of the season, 59-57 against Bloomsburg on Thursday night.

All nine players who stepped on the floor for the Warriors scored in the second half, part of an impressive offensive performance that included 11 points from Heimbach, eight from Brown, seven from Tobin and six points and seven rebounds (three offensive) by sophomore forward Eric Bryan.

Tobin scored seven of ESU's first 11 points to finish his scoring for the day before Heimbach, Brown and Bryan combined to score 22 of the Warriors' next 26 points as they methodically built their lead from one (44-43) with 15:30 left to 13 (70-57) with seven minutes remaining.

ESU led by double figures for most of the final 10 minutes before Shippensburg made a final push, using a 7-0 spurt to cut the deficit to 78-71 with 1:15 left. Pines made two free throws and had his final assist on a dunk by freshman forward Terrance King as the Warriors put the game away.

Heimbach has scored 1,073 points in his career at ESU, tying Chris Diller for 19th and passing former teammate Channon Easley (1,065 points, 2004-08) for the 20th spot. Heimbach should move to 16th on a very crowded list on Monday vs. Kutztown, as five points separate him from the next three spots.

Pines, the PSAC leader with 6.5 assists per game, moved into ESU's single season and career top 10 lists. He has 142 assists this season, tied with Pat Fleury (2007-08) for eighth in school history, and has 252 for his career to pass Jeff Macko (1990-94) for the 10th spot. Pines is also third in the PSAC with 55 steals (2.5 per game) and is one away from breaking into the Warriors' single season list.

ESU leads the PSAC East with a 7-2 record going into a three-game stretch next week against teams in the top half of the conference standings, beginning on Monday against Kutztown (19-3, 6-3) at 8 p.m. at Koehler Fieldhouse.

The Warriors travel to Mansfield (15-8, 6-4) on Wednesday and face Cheyney (13-9, 6-3) at home next Saturday. Mansfield won 81-80 at Cheyney on Saturday to knock the Wolves from a share of the top spot.

Monday's game against Kutztown, rescheduled from February 6, will be the first meeting between ranked teams at Koehler Fieldhouse in school history. ESU was No. 12 and Kutztown was No. 21 in this week's NABC Coaches Poll, which won't be released again until next Tuesday.