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

FINAL -- #2 Gannon 67, ESU 48  (Box Score)

EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University led No. 2-ranked Gannon at halftime, 29-28, but the Golden Knights pulled away in the second half for a 67-48 win in non-conference women's basketball on Friday afternoon at Koehler Fieldhouse.


ESU:  Schedule  l  Statistics  l  Roster
Gan:  Schedule  l  Statistics  l  Roster

THE MATCH-UP: East Stroudsburg University hosts No. 2-ranked Gannon in the first half of today's matinee at Koehler Fieldhouse. The Warriors (6-5) enter the new year with a winning record for the first time since 2008-09, when they were 5-4 going into January. They were 2-1 in their last action before the Christmas and New Years break, winning at Slippery Rock (70-68 2OT) on Dec. 17 and beating Mercyhurst (54-47) at home on Dec. 21.

Gannon (12-0) has been ranked No. 2 in Division II in every poll this season, and has been ranked in the Top 25 for 33 consecutive weeks since 2011-12. The Golden Knights advanced to the Elite Eight last year as the Atlantic Region champion, and are slated to host the Elite Eight in March.

LAST TIME OUT: ESU held Mercyhurst to 22.8 percent shooting and led from start to finish in a 54-47 win on December 21 at Koehler Fieldhouse. Jr. F Jessica Martin (9 points, 11 rebounds) and Fr. F Allison Howard (6 points, 11 rebounds) led 6 Warriors who scored at least 6 points. ESU jumped out to an 8-0 lead, led 33-23 at halftime, and used a 7-0 run midway through the 2nd half to stay in front.

WARRIORS NOTES: Howard was named PSAC East Freshman of the Week for the 2nd time, averaging 10.3 ppg and 8.8 rpg over 4 games going into the break ... Howard is 2nd on ESU in scoring (10.5) and rebounding (7.3) ... Martin leads ESU in scoring (12.9) and rebounding (9.1), and leads the PSAC in blocks (2.8) ... So. G Helena Gemmell leads the PSAC in steals (3.3) ... ESU is 2nd in scoring defense (61.2) and field goal % defense (36.0).

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS: Sr. F Jen Papich, last year's PSAC West Athlete of the Year and a 2-time 1st team pick, is 3rd with 12.7 ppg ... Jr. F Nettie Blake (14.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg) is the top scorer and rebounder, and Jr. G Brittany Batts (14.1 ppg) leads the PSAC in 3-point % (51.6) and makes (4.0).



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

FINAL -- ESU 75, Gannon 60  (Box Score)

EAST STROUDSBURG – Sophomore guard Jamal Nwaniemeka scored a season-high 25 points, and No. 10-ranked East Stroudsburg University continued its unbeaten start with a 75-60 win over Gannon in non-conference men's basketball Friday afternoon at Koehler Fieldhouse.

The Warriors (12-0) matched the second-best start to a season in school history and have an opportunity to match the 13-0 start of the 2009-10 team on Saturday, when they host Clarion at 3 p.m. Ten of the 12 wins have come by double figures.


ESU:  Schedule  l  Statistics  l  Roster
Gan:  Schedule  l  Statistics  l  Roster

THE MATCH-UP: ESU (11-0), ranked No. 10 in this week's NABC DII poll, hosts Gannon (6-5) in a key PSAC crossover match-up. The Warriors have won 4 straight against Gannon, including a 52-46 road win last year, after losing the first 7 games of the series.

LAST TIME OUT: ESU opened the 2nd half with a 13-0 run in a 60-54 win over Mercyhurst on December 21. The Warriors overcame a 28-24 halftime deficit and were led by Jr. G Whis Grant (19 points), Fr. F Rasheed Moore (11), So. G Jamal Nwaniemeka (9 points, 8 rebounds) and Sr. F Zechariah Runkle (10 rebounds).

WARRIORS NOTES: ESU is ranked in the top 10 for the 3rd week in school history (9th, 10th in consecutive weeks last February) ... Warriors have been ranked for 18 weeks in school history, including 11 during the 2013 calendar year (went 26-5 with two 10+ game win streaks) ... ESU brings a 36-game home non-conference winning streak into this weekend (since 64-59 L vs. Nyack on Nov. 27, 2007) ... ESU is 2nd in DII in 3-point defense (24.5), 4th in steals (11.5) and 4th in turnover margin (+7.7) entering this week ... Warriors also lead PSAC in scoring (87.7), field goal % (47.7), 3-point % (38.3), scoring margin (+21.0) and assist-turnover margin (1.38) ... Jr. G Matt Tobin leads the PSAC in assists (4.5) and assist-turnover ratio (2.5) ... Grant is 2nd (2.3) and Tobin is t-5th (2.1) in steals ... Moore (13.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg) is a 3-time PSAC East Freshman of the Week ... Grant (18.1 ppg), an All-American and the PSAC East Athlete of the Year last year, has 1,124 career points - 3rd-most among active juniors in DII.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS: Gannon won 3 straight before a 67-64 (OT) loss at Bloomsburg on Dec. 21 ... Jr. G Adam Blazek (16.2 ppg), Jr. F Tee Talley (10.3 ppg) and Jr. F A'Darius Porter (8.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg) are the stat leaders ... Gannon averages 66.2 ppg and allows 61.3 ppg.