Box Score

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.V. - Sophomore guard Whis Grant tied his career-high with 30 points and made two free throws with 13 seconds left to lift East Stroudsburg University to an 80-79 win over Alderson-Broaddus in the Warriors' men's basketball season opener on Saturday night at Shepherd University.

Grant scored 18 points in the second half, including 11 in a 13-3 run early in the period that gave ESU a 60-47 lead. The Warriors still led by 13 (72-59) with eight minutes remaining before Alderson-Broaddus went on an 18-4 run to go ahead 77-76 with 1:19 left, but ESU held on.

Kurklin Bohanon, a first team All-WVIAC pick, scored all of his 21 points in the second half for the Battlers, and gave them their first lead since a 39-38 halftime advantage with a three-pointer with 79 seconds left.

Senior forward Duane Johnson, ESU's returning All-PSAC East first teamer, put the Warriors back in front with a layup with 54 seconds remaining. Bohanon knocked down a jumper to give A-B a 79-78 lead with 40 seconds left, but Grant was fouled and made both from the line. After a timeout with four seconds left, Bohanon missed the go-ahead jumper as the Warriors opened with a win for the seventh time in 11 seasons under head coach Jeff Wilson.

Grant, the top scorer on last year's PSAC championship team with 13.9 points per game, was 11-for-17 from the field, 4-for-5 from the three-point line and 4-for-4 at the foul line for his second career 30-point game and added four steals. He dropped 30 in his first career game last year against West Liberty, the defending regional champion, in a 96-92 loss.

Johnson had 16 points and five rebounds, sophomore forward Lamont Tillery had 11 points and four rebounds off the bench and sophomore guard Matt Tobin added eight points and four assists in his fourth career start.

ESU shot 49.2 percent (31-for-63) from the field and 54.8 percent (17-for-31) in the second half, and was 14-for-18 at the foul line. The Warriors committed just 11 turnovers while replacing point guard Russell Graham III and forced 16 turnovers by A-B.

Bohanon's 21 points came on 6-for-18 shooting, Eargle O'Dell had 16 points and Roy Brown had 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Battlers, who were 18-10 a year ago.

ESU takes on host Shepherd on Sunday at 6 p.m. in the second game of this weekend's tournament. Shepherd knocked off CIAA power Bowie State, 102-97, in Saturday's second game.