WOMEN -- 1:00 PM  (Live Stats  l  Twitter)

FINAL - ESU 54, Mercyhurst 47  (Box Score)

EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University held Mercyhurst to 22.8 percent shooting and the Warriors led from start to finish, grinding out a 54-47 win in non-conference women's basketball on Saturday afternoon at Koehler Fieldhouse.

The Warriors (6-5) closed the calendar year with a winning record for the first time since 2008-09 (5-4), thanks to a strong defensive effort and balanced scoring, with six players scoring at least six points.

Junior forward Jessica Martin had nine points and 11 rebounds before fouling out, freshman forward Allison Howard had six points and 11 boards, and junior guard Ryann Fiascki (8 points), freshman guard Audrey Stapleton (8 points, tied career-high), sophomore center Michelle Boggs (7 points) and sophomore guard Helena Gemmell (6 points) also contributed offensively.

Natalie Piagessi had 10 points and seven reobunds, Alayna White scored 10 points and Jessica Bell had eight points and 13 rebounds to lead Mercyhurst (2-8).

ESU jumped out to an 8-0 run in the first 3:30 and never trailed. The Warriors led 33-23 at halftime and 40-29 with 14 minutes left before the Lakers closed the margin to a single point (42-41) at the 10-minute mark.

Freshman guard Jackie Hillson gave ESU breathing room with a three-pointer and Boggs scored four straight points for a 7-0 run, and the Warriors held a 50-43 lead with 6:23 remaining.

ESU didn't score for almost six minutes, but kept Mercyhurst at bay on the defensive end. Fiascki made 2-of-3 free throws after being fouled on a three-pointer with 16.4 seconds left following an offensive rebound by Howard, and Gemmell made 2-for-2 with 2.5 seconds left for the final margin.


ESU:    Schedule  l  Statistics  l  Roster
Hurst:  Schedule  l  Statistics  l  Roster

THE MATCH-UP: East Stroudsburg University hosts Mercyhurst in its final action of 2013, opening a 3-game homestand against PSAC West foes, in the first half of today's non-conference doubleheader at Koehler Fieldhouse. The Warriors opened their 6-game crossover schedule with a road split earlier this week, winning 70-68 (2OT) at Slippery Rock and falling 66-56 at Edinboro.

Mercyhurst (2-7) was 1-2 vs. the PSAC West before going 1-1 against East teams this week, beating Lock Haven (78-65) and falling to Bloomsburg (71-63). The Lakers are 3-0 against ESU since joining the PSAC in 2008, including a 63-49 home win vs. the Warriors last winter.

LAST TIME OUT: Jr. F Jessica Martin had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocks, Jr. G Ryann Fiascki scored 15 points and Fr. F Allison Howard had 14 points and 6 rebounds in a 66-56 loss at Edinboro on Wednesday night.

Martin had 14 points and 12 rebounds, 3 Warriors set or tied their career-highs in scoring, and Howard blocked a game-tying layup at the buzzer in ESU's 2OT win at Slippery Rock Tuesday. Jr. F Kelsey Murray and So. G Tyeca Reviere scored 10 points each, and Fr. G Audrey Stapleton had 8.

WARRIORS NOTES: Martin is the first Warrior since 2009 (Jackie Yandrisevits) with 3 straight double-doubles (21 pts, 11 reb at Virginia Union) ... she has 15 career double-doubles, including 7 with 5+ blocks ... Martin leads PSAC in blocks (3.0), So. G Helena Gemmell in steals (3.4).

SCOUTING THE LAKERS: Sr. F Alayna White leads MU with 15.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and shoots 50.9% from the field ... So. G Adrienne Kloecker (12.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and Fr. F Natalie Piaggesi (10.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg) are also in double figures ... Lakers average 63.8 points, allow 68.2 points per game this year.



MEN -- 3:00 PM  (Live Stats  l  Twitter)

Final - ESU 60, Mercyhurst 54  (Box Score)

EAST STROUDSBURG – No. 12-ranked East Stroudsburg University opened the second half with a 13-0 run which proved to be the difference in a 60-54 win over Mercyhurst on Saturday afternoon at Koehler Fieldhouse.

The Warriors remain unbeaten (11-0) entering the holiday break after coming back from a 28-24 halftime deficit, forcing 11 second-half turnovers, including six in the decisive stretch after intermission.

Junior guard Whis Grant scored 19 points, going 12-for-15 from the free throw line, freshman forward Rasheed Moore scored 11, sophomore guard Jamal Nwaniemeka had 9 points and eight rebounds and senior forward Zechariah Runkle grabbed 10 boards as the Warriors outrebounded the bigger Lakers, 41-40.

ESU's 11-0 start is the fourth-best in school history, and second-best in the last 70 years. The Warriors opened 13-0 in 2009-10 (finishing 24-6), and 12-0 in both 1942-43 (entire season) and 1941-42 (18-1).

The Warriors also extended their home non-conference winning streak to 36 (since November 2007), and improved to 38-9 against the PSAC West in the last seven-plus years – including 19-4 at Koehler Fieldhouse.

ESU, the PSAC leader in scoring with 90.5 points per game entering the weekend, was held under 75 points for the first time this year – but relied on its defensive effort to earn its 11th straight win.

Mercyhurst (5-5) had just four turnovers in the first half, but struggled with ESU's pressure in the first six minutes of the second half.

Grant scored six of his 13 second-half points in the run, and Moore scored the go-ahead points with a steal, layup and three-point play for a 31-28 advantage 2:36 into the period.

Grant knocked down a jumper after an offensive rebound, then hit two free throws, and junior guard Matt Tobin (5 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists) set up a layup by redshirt junior guard Muhamadou Kaba for a 37-28 lead.

ESU's lead remained between five and nine points until late in the contest, when Jean Onana (15 points) hit a three-pointer to bring Mercyhurst within 54-51 with 51 seconds left.

Grant went to the foul line, made the first and missed the second, but tracked down his own miss to get the Warriors an extra possession. Nwaniemeka made 1-of-2, then Onana missed a three-pointer and Nwaniemeka pitched ahead to Moore for a transition dunk for a 58-51 lead with 20 seconds left.




ESU:    Schedule  l  Statistics  l  Roster
Hurst:  Schedule  l  Statistics  l  Roster

THE MATCH-UP: ESU, ranked No. 12 in DII, is 10-0 entering today's game vs. Mercyhurst (5-4), which has won 4 of its last 5 with the loss by a single point. The Warriors have 6 straight wins by 10+ points for the 4th time in the last 70 years, coming off wins at Slippery Rock and Edinboro this week.

LAST TIME OUT: ESU opened the 2nd half with a 13-2 run, blowing past Edinboro for a 102-69 win Wednesday night after leading 43-37 at halftime. Jr. G Matt Tobin (18), Jr. G Whis Grant (12) and So. G Jamal Nwaniemeka led 9 Warriors who scored at least 6 points each.

The Warriors had a 23-8 turnover advantage and Fr. F Rasheed Moore had a career-high 24 points in a 76-64 win at Slippery Rock on Tuesday night. Nwaniemeka scored 14, Grant had 12 and Tobin added 9 points, 6 assists and 5 steals. ESU had a 15-2 surge midway through the 2nd half.

WARRIORS NOTES: ESU is 3-1 vs. Mercyhurst since 2008, including an 88-86 (OT) win in 2010-11, overcoming an 11-point deficit in the last 57 seconds of regulation with 3 3-pointers by Will Brown ... Warriors beat MU, 66-58, in PSAC semifinals in 2012 PSAC championship season ... ESU is 37-9 vs. PSAC West in the last 7+ years ... Warriors have won 35 straight home non-conference games since November 2007 ... ESU leads PSAC in scoring (90.5 ppg), field goal % (49.3) and 3-point % (40.4) ... Warriors are 5th in DII in turnover margin and 4th in steals ... Grant, an All-American, has 1,105 career points as a junior ... So. G Malcolm Richardson had career-high 9 assists at Edinboro ... ESU's 10 wins are its most ever before January 1.

SCOUTING THE LAKERS: Mercyhurst, 3rd in the PSAC in scoring defense (62.0 ppg), has 4 primary scorers in Sr. G Jonathan Ouegnin (12.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.0 apg), So. G Jean Onana (9.8 ppg), Jr. G Callon Dailey (9.1 ppg) and Gr. F Anthony Lytle (8.9 ppg) ... Onana scored 29 vs. Seton Hill this year.