Box Score  l  Season Outlook

SPARKILL, N.Y. – All-America junior guard Whis Grant had 18 points and seven assists to lead four players in double figures as East Stroudsburg University rolled to a 90-65 win at St. Thomas Aquinas in its 2013-14 men's basketball season opener on Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore guard Jamal Nwaniemeka (16 points, 8-10 fg), a transfer from Rider, and freshman forward Rasheed Moore (12 points, 5-7 fg, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks) both excelled in their ESU debuts – and redshirt junior guard Will Brown (10 points) hit double figures in his first game after missing the last two years due to injury.

ESU shot 52.9 percent from the field and made 10 three-pointers in reaching the 90-point plateau in its opener, after leading the PSAC with 78.0 points per game a year ago. The Warriors graduated three of their top five scorers last year in 1,300-point career scorers Duane Johnson and Terrance King, along with Gerald Bridges.

The Warriors shot 59.4 percent and hit six three-pointers in building a 47-31 halftime lead, closing the half on a 20-4 run over the final eight minutes to seize control.

Junior guard Matt Tobin added seven points, sophomore guard Malcolm Richardson had five points and four assists and freshman guard Anthony McKie added six points off the bench. Junior forward Lamont Tillery had five points, four rebounds and three assists.

Grant, who averaged 17.6 points per game and was named PSAC East Athlete of the Year and a Daktronics and Division II Bulletin All-America, had 10 points and five assists in the first half. Nwaniemeka had 12 points before the break, while Grant (8), Moore (7) and Tobin (7) shared the scoring load in the second half.

The Warriors led by double figures throughout the second half, leading by as many as 34 points (82-48) with 7:01 remaining.

Aaron Cust (16 points) and Omar Kellman (14) were St. Thomas Aquinas' top scorers, both coming off the bench. The Spartans shot 38.9 percent from the field and just 2-for-13 from the three-point line.

ESU held a 43-30 advantage on the glass and grabbed 16 offensive rebounds. Five Warriors grabbed at least four rebounds, led by Moore with six.

The Warriors, coming off three trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament in four years, have two home games next week – Tuesday vs. PSU-Lehigh Valley and Thursday vs. USciences. Both games tip off at 7 p.m.

GAME NOTES
* Grant scored 30 in the season opener in both of his first two seasons – vs. West Liberty in 2011-12, and vs. Alderson-Broaddus in 2012-13.
* Grant entered the year with 925 career points, the most through a sophomore year in school history. He has 943 career points and can become the 3rd junior in ESU history to score 1,000 career points.