Box Score

MANSFIELD – Senior forward Deanna Rayam scored 18 points to become the 13th 1,000-point scorer in East Stroudsburg University women's basketball history and led the Warriors to a 68-63 win at Mansfield on Wednesday night at Decker Gymnasium.

Rayam was coming off a career-best 32 points on Monday night against Kutztown and scored 11 points in the first half to go over the 1,000-point mark for her career, finishing the game with 1,012 points with three games remaining during her senior season.

Freshman guard Barb Borst scored a career-high 15 points and didn't miss a shot, going 5-for-5 from the field, including 3-for-3 from the three-point line, and made both of her free throws. Sophomore guard Cyara Woodridge was also perfect from the arc at 2-for-2 and scored 12 points, and ESU had season-highs in field goal percentage (47.2) and three-point percentage (53.3, 8-15).

The Warriors led 33-25 at halftime after opening the game on a 13-3 run. Rayam scored four points early in the game, sophomore forward Becky Hayter had a steal and a layup and Woodridge hit a three 5:30 into the contest to open ESU's 10-point lead.

Rayam scored her 1,000th point on a layup with 8:25 left after Mansfield had cut the deficit to 17-13 and knocked down a three-pointer a minute later to stretch the lead to 11 (24-13). ESU held a 33-20 lead late in the half before the Mounties cut the margin to five at halftime.

ESU led from start to finish, with the game's only tie coming at 2-2, and pushed its margin to as many as 16 points in the second half before Mansfield pulled within three points with just under four minutes to go.

Both teams did most of their damage from the three-point line, ESU to build its lead and Mansfield to get back into the game in the final 10 minutes. The Warriors were 5-for-6 from long distance in the second half, hitting four to open a 53-37 advantage following a triple by Woodridge to cap a 9-1 run.

The Mounties were 10-for-19 from behind the arc for the game and hit four straight three's in a four-minute stretch – two each by Mallory Hafer and Tegan Atallah – to close the gap.

Another three by Meredith Hafer made the score 59-56 with 3:52 left but the Warriors responded. Rayam scored on an assist from senior guard Mel Villano on an inbounds play and sophomore forward Jennifer Scherer struck from downtown at the end of the shot clock on ESU's next possession for an eight-point lead (64-56).

Mansfield pulled within three twice in the final 63 seconds and had a shot at the game-tying three-pointer in the last five seconds, but Mallory Moore's attempt didn't go in and Woodridge hit two free throws to seal the victory with one second left.

Moore and Mallory Hafer scored 14 points each to lead five players in double figures as only six players scored for Mansfield (4-19, 1-10). Atallah had 13 points, Nicole Pender and Meredith Hafer scored 10 each and Sydnee Reeves was 2-for-2 at the line for two points.

Scherer had seven points and three assists, senior center Alexa Detzi had five points and five rebounds and redshirt sophomore forward Brittany McClain added five assists for the Warriors (4-20, 2-9).

ESU had a season-high 19 assists and committed just 14 turnovers, tied for its third-fewest of the year. Eight players contributed 14 steals with Detzi, McClain, Rayam, Scherer, Woodridge and sophomore forward Becky Hayter coming up with two each.

The Warriors are back on the floor on Saturday when they host Cheyney at 1 p.m. at Koehler Fieldhouse.