Box Score

SLIPPERY ROCK - Freshman forward Rasheed Moore scored a career-high 24 points and No. 12-ranked East Stroudsburg University held a 23-8 turnover advantage, improving to 9-0 with a 76-64 win at Slippery Rock on Tuesday night at Morrow Field House.

Sophomore guard Jamal Nwaniemeka scored 14 points (10 in the second half), junior guard Whis Grant scored 12 and junior guard Matt Tobin had nine point, six assists and five steals to lead the Warriors, who used a 15-2 run midway through the second half to open some breathing room in a very physical game.

Slippery Rock (8-3) held a 53-30 rebounding margin, but ESU had a 24-10 advantage in points off turnovers and turned the Rock over 12 times in the second half.

Redshirt junior guard Will Brown added eight points, including a key three-pointer to start the 15-2 surge, and junior forward Lamont Tillery had seven for ESU.

Brown's corner three with 13:36 left tied the game at 48-48, and after a Rock basket, Nwaniemeka hit a three as the Warriors never trailed again. Nwaniemeka scored eight of ESU's 15 points in the stretch, finishing it with a three-point play and two free throws that put the Warriors ahead 60-50 with 8:22 remaining.

Slippery Rock closed within 62-58, but Brown was fouled on a three-point shot and made two-of-three to stretch the lead back out. Tobin set up a layup by Tillery, and ESU held Slippery Rock to four points over the final 4:30 to close the game.

ESU jumped out to a 12-4 lead, with five points each from Grant and Moore, to set the tone early before Slippery Rock tightened the gap. The Rock's biggest first-half lead was just two points, and the Warriors had a 35-32 advantage at halftime after a three-pointer by Tillery and layup by Moore in the final minute.

Moore had 14 points in the first half and surpassed his career-high of 20 in a 102-87 win over Lock Haven on December 4. He was 9-for-16 from the field, 1-for-2 from the three-point line and 5-for-9 at the foul line for his 24 points.

Grant had eight of his 12 points in the first half, going 3-for-6 from the field (2-for-5 from three) and 4-for-5 at the foul line. He added a team-high five rebounds along with three steals.

ESU was 19-for-22 from the foul line in the second half, while Slippery Rock was just 1-for-7. The Warriors were 24-for-30 at the line on the evening.

The Warriors were fifth in Division II in turnover margin (+7.3) entering the week and were +8 (11-3) in the first half.

Josh Martin had 15 points to lead four players in double figures for Slippery Rock, along with Antonio Butler (11), Kelvin Dixon (11 points, 9 rebounds) and Tabari Perry (11 points, 9 rebounds).

The Warriors are at Edinboro (5-3) on Tuesday night, with the Fighting Scots coming off a 70-61 win over Bloomsburg.


GAME NOTES
* ESU remained No. 12 in this week's NABC DII coaches poll. The Warriors are ranked for the 4th straight week, and have been ranked for 10 weeks since January 29, 2013 - after being ranked for 7 weeks in school history prior to last year.

* ESU's +15 turnover margin is tied for its best against a PSAC opponent under 12th-year head coach Jeff Wilson.
* ESU had a +15 advantage (24-9) in a 75-62 loss to Bloomsburg in 2003 during Wilson's first season.

* Slippery Rock's +23 rebounding margin is the 2nd-highest against the Warriors in the last 12 years. West Chester held a +33 edge (56-23) in an 81-56 win over the Warriors, also in 2003.
* The largest rebounding deficit overcome by the Warriors in a win was previously +17 (46-29) in a 58-53 win at West Chester in 2008.

* Moore is the only Warrior to score in double figures in all 9 games this season. He is ESU's 2nd-leading scorer with 14.9 ppg, and has scored 27 points (19.0 ppg) in the last 3 games.

* Grant leads ESU with 18.7 ppg and ended a streak of 4 straight 20-point games (23 vs. Mansfield, 29 at Kutztown, 24 vs. Lock Haven, 24 at Millersville). He was the 2nd ESU player to score 20+ in 4 straight games under Wilson.

* Grant entered the week as the 2nd-highest scoring junior in Division II with 1,081 career points.

* ESU has scored 76+ points in all 9 games this season, and averaged a PSAC-best 90.9 ppg entering the week.

* ESU has won its last 5 games by double figures (all against PSAC schools), and 8 of its 9 games this season.

* The Warriors 9 wins before the end of December are tied for the most in school history. ESU opened 9-0 in December during the 2009-10 season - part of a school-record 13-0 start.