Box Score

MANSFIELD – East Stroudsburg University cut more than halfway into a 64-47 deficit with 5:10 remaining, but Mansfield held off the Warriors for a 76-70 win in PSAC East men's basketball on Wednesday night at Decker Gymnasium.

The Mounties (10-5, 2-1 PSAC East) won the first of two meetings between last year's PSAC East co-champions behind 20 points and 14 rebounds from Derrison Anthony, who led four players in double figures. Both teams were 10-4 in the PSAC East last season and have won two of their first three conference games, sitting one game behind Kutztown's 3-0 mark.

Senior forward Mike Tobin scored 17 points and sophomore forward Duane Johnson had 16 for ESU (9-6, 2-1), which went on a frenetic 12-2 run to slash the deficit to seven with 2:34 left before Mansfield went 8-for-10 at the foul line down the stretch.

The Mounties scored the first seven points of the game and led from start to finish, opening a 24-13 lead at the eight-minute mark of the first half before the Warriors scored the next five points and made it a five-point game (36-31) at halftime.

ESU closed to within two points twice early in the second half on a fast-break layup by Tobin and two free throws by Johnson, but Mansfield responded with back-to-back buckets by Yuseff Carr (15 points) to keep the Warriors at arms length.

The deficit was five points (46-41) midway through the second half when Mansfield extended its lead with an 8-0 run, and eventually opened its largest advantage of the game at 17 with the help of three-pointers by Donny Lyons and Lavail Owens.

The Warriors' comeback bid started with four free throws by junior forward Eric Bryan, the second set coming with 4:02 left after Bryan had three straight offensive rebounds. Then the ESU full-court press and scrambling halfcourt defense paid off with three steals in four possessions as Johnson, freshman guard Will Brown (nine points) and Tobin all had steals leading to layups at the other end.

Tobin's layup made it 66-59 with 2:34 left and sophomore guard Blair Ramsey scored in the lane to get ESU within 68-62 with 1:47 to play, but Anthony went 4-for-4 at the line in the next 40 seconds. A three-pointer by Brown cut the lead to six for the final time with 31 seconds remaining before the Mounties held on.

Mansfield's 45-31 rebounding advantage was the only major separation between the two teams in a game that was contested and physical throughout. ESU shot 37.9 percent, had 12 turnovers, made three three-pointers and was 23-for-28 at the foul line; Mansfield shot 38.2 percent, had 15 turnovers, hit four three's and was 30-for-37 at the line.

Anthony was just 4-for-16 from the floor but hit all 12 of his free throws. Carr and Fannick both scored 15 points, Owens had 11 and Kyle Bradley had 10 rebounds (five offensive) for Mansfield.

The Warriors' bench scored 25 points, led by nine from Brown, six from Bryan (all at the foul line) and five from sophomore guard Gerald Bridges, Jr. (all in the first half). Sophomore forward Terrance King scored eight points, six in the first half and the first two points of the second half.

ESU, the PSAC East preseason favorite, heads to Kutztown on Saturday to finish a stretch of four straight games against the No. 2 through No. 5 teams in the preseason poll to open its conference schedule, including three on the road. The Warriors beat Cheyney 78-75 (OT) and won 82-69 at West Chester in their first two divisional games.