Box Score

MILLERSVILLE - East Stroudsburg University and Millersville were tied 27-27 with less than eight minutes left in their PSAC women's basketball first-round game, but the third-seeded Marauders created some separation down the stretch for a 42-31 win on Saturday night at Pucillo Gymnasium.

ESU held Millersville, the second-highest scoring team in the PSAC with 71.2 points per game, to almost 30 points below its season average and forced 26 turnovers before the Marauders escaped. They advance to play No. 2 seed Shippensburg in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Millersville (20-7), which had a chance to claim a share of the PSAC East title and the division's No. 1 seed before Wednesday's home loss to Shippensburg, is making its 17th straight PSAC Tournament appearance and has advanced to the semifinals in eight of the last 10 years.

Sophomore forward Jessica Martin led the Warriors with 11 points, nine rebounds and two blocks and forged a 27-27 tie with 7:42 left. Millersville senior Mashira Newman scored the next five points, on two free throws and a three-pointer with 5:30 left, and closed a 13-0 stretch with another three with just under two minutes to play.

ESU finished the first half on a 10-2 run, holding Millersville to one field goal over the final 12:26, to pull within 18-16 at intermission. The Warriors scored the last five points, on a bucket by freshman center Michelle Boggs and three free throws by sophomore guard Ryann Fiascki. The 34 combined points in the first half are the fewest in an ESU game in at least 10 years.

Martin scored the first three points of the second half, with a free throw and a putback bucket, to give the Warriors a 19-18 lead two minutes into the period. After Carly Gallagher scored for Millersville, Fiascki followed her own miss and put ESU back in front, 21-20.

Millersville came back with a 7-1 run to go in front 27-22 with 10 minutes left, but junior guard Andrea Veres hit a three (ESU's only triple of the game) and then Martin scored to tie it and set up the finish.

ESU held Millersville to 23.7 percent shooting (14-for-59) and just 3-for-14 from the three-point line, along with forcing the 26 turnovers. The Warriors had 15 steals - including five by freshman guard Helena Gemmell - and eight blocks.

Fiascki had nine points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals for ESU (7-20), which shot 18.6 percent (11-for-59).

Boggs had two points, eight rebounds and two blocks and senior forward Fayola Moise had seven rebounds before leaving due to injury with 15:29 left in the second half.

Newman had 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists, six steals and three blocks along with six turnovers to lead Millersville offensively. Aurielle Mosley, another All-PSAC East senior, had eight points and 15 rebounds and Miesha Cousins had eight points and seven boards.

ESU was making its first PSAC Tournament appearance since 2008. The Warriors' last three PSAC playoff games have come at Pucillo Gymnasium - a loss to California in the 2007 PSAC semifinals, and a 66-51 loss to Millersville in the 2008 quarterfinals.


GAME NOTES
* Martin, last year's PSAC East Freshman of the Year, led the Warriors with 11.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game this season. She ranked sixth in the PSAC in rebounds and fourth in blocks during the regular season.
* She had 6 double-doubles this season and has 10 in two years. She was one rebound away from a double-double five times this year, including Saturday night.

* She finishes her sophomore year with 550 career points, 420 rebounds and 137 blocks. She ranks tied for 7th at ESU in points, 2nd in rebounds and 1st in blocks through a sophomore season.
* She is the 9th sophomore to score 500 career points, and 3rd with 400 rebounds, joining Lori Pio (439, 1993-94) and Lori Gruver (418, 1980-81).

* Veres averaged 9.0 points per game, Fiascki had 8.2 ppg and a team-high 76 assists, and Moise added 6.4 points and 6.0 rebounds.

* Moise finishes her two-year career at ESU with 373 points and 351 rebounds after transferring from Tusculum (Tenn.). She averaged 8.0 points and 7.5 rebounds as a junior.

* Sr. G Barb Borst had 585 career points and ranks 3rd at ESU in career 3-pointers (122) and 3-point percentage (32.9).
* Sr. C Kelly Sorber is 7th at ESU with 57 career blocks.

* Gemmell was 3rd in the PSAC in steals per game in the regular season and finishes the year with 68 - tied for 12th in school history and 2nd among freshmen. Stacy Perryman holds the freshman record of 75 in 1993.
* Gemmell averaged 4.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

* Boggs had 3.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, along with 30 blocks. She is 3rd on ESU's freshman blocks list. Martin had a PSAC-record 76 last year.