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Related: Morning Call (Tom Housenick) - Wilson, Tobin destined to be part of ESU's success

EAST STROUDSBURG – East Stroudsburg University broke open a close game with a 23-2 second-half run and head coach Jeff Wilson earned his 200th career win as No. 6-ranked East Stroudsburg University remained unbeaten at 17-0 with a 60-44 win over Cheyney in PSAC East men's basketball on Wednesday night at Koehler Fieldhouse.

Junior guard Whis Grant had 14 points and a career-high eight rebounds to lead four Warriors in double figures. Freshman forward Rasheed Moore had 12 points and eight rebounds, junior forward Lamont Tillery had 11 points and sophomore guard Jamal Nwaniemeka added 10.

ESU – playing with the highest national ranking in school history – led 28-20 at halftime, then trailed 35-33 with 10:18 left before breaking the game wide open as Cheyney managed just one field goal in an eight-minute stretch.

Wilson, 200-127 in his 12th season, and assistant coach Justin Potts have put together a 100-39 record since Wilson's 100th win, a 75-71 win over Mansfield on February 18, 2009 at Koehler Fieldhouse.

Since then, the Warriors have played in the NCAA Division II Tournament in three of the last four years, reached four straight PSAC Final Four's and won the second PSAC championship in school history in 2012. Wilson has been named PSAC East Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2013, and was the NABC DII Atlantic Region Coach of the Year with the 2010 team which went 24-6.

ESU has posted 20+ wins in three of the last four years and is three wins from reaching that mark again this winter.

ESU is one of five undefeated teams remaining out of 291 in Division II, along with No. 1 West Liberty (14-0), No. 2 Florida Southern (18-0), No. 4 Tarleton State (16-0) and No. 12 California Baptist (16-0). Florida Southern went to double-overtime to beat Tampa on Wednesday night and maintain DII's longest winning streak.

ESU extended its home winning streak to 11 straight games and is 9-0 at home this season after winning in front of a near-capacity crowd dressed in red and black on "Warrior Wednesday" at Koehler Fieldhouse.

The victory over Cheyney (2-15, 2-5), playing with the PSAC's top scorer Deshawn Curtis (22.1 ppg), was a grind for more than 30 minutes until the Warriors established their first double-figure lead with less than six minutes left.

Grant hit two big three-pointers in the run and scored 10 of his 14 points down the stretch.

A three by Nwaniemeka gave ESU the lead for good (36-35) with 10:13 left, and after Moore hit two free throws, Grant drilled a three for a six-point lead and an 8-0 ESU surge in less than a minute.

Grant added his second three-pointer with 5:37 remaining which gave the Warriors a 47-37 lead. He also set up a long three by Tillery, and had a three-point play that stretched the lead to 19 with less than three minutes to go.

Calvin Brown had a career-high 20 points to go with 10 rebounds for Cheyney before fouling out in the final minute. He scored 11 of Cheyney's 20 points in the first half, as the Warriors led for all but a minute but needed a 4-0 run in the last 40 seconds to take an eight-point lead into halftime.

ESU had 13 steals on 22 Cheyney turnovers, while Cheyney had 11 steals on 19 turnovers by the Warriors.

Cheyney shot just 31.3 percent (15-for-48) and 2-for-16 from the three-point line. ESU used a rare size advantage, besides Curtis' length for Cheyney, for a 47-33 advantage on the glass.

The Warriors were just a point better at 32.8 percent (19-for-58), but made seven three-pointers and were 15-for-21 at the foul line.

ESU travels to West Chester, the PSAC East preseason favorite, on Saturday afternoon. The Golden Rams (12-5, 5-2) were idle on Wednesday night.


GAME NOTES

* Jeff Wilson, 200-127 in his 12th season, ranks 2nd at ESU in career victories
* Ken Sisson holds the career record with 215, going 215-245 in 19 years (1963-78, 79-83).

* Wilson was on the ESU bench for 10 years as an assistant coach – 9 for Sal Mentesana (133 wins from 1987-96), and 1 for Kyle DeGregorio (3 wins in 1986-87).

* He has been part of 336 wins (200 head coach, 136 assistant) in 22 seasons as a coach at ESU.

* ESU's 17-0 start is the best in the PSAC since 1994-95, when IUP opened with a 21-0 record.

* The Warriors' 17-game winning streak is also the PSAC's best, regardless of its origin, since 1994-95.

* ESU's 7-0 PSAC East record is the best divisional start in school history. The Warriors opened 5-0 in 2005-06.

* All 7 of the Warriors' PSAC East wins have come by double figures, with an average margin of victory of 19.4 points per game (86.3 to 66.9).
* Grant (22.0 ppg) and Moore (13.3 ppg, 10.1 rpg) have exceled in ESU's 7-0 PSAC East start.

* ESU is ranked in the top 10 in DII for the 6th week in program history. The Warriors were ranked No. 8 last week, No. 10 the previous two weeks, and were ranked in the top 10 twice during the 2012-13 season.

* ESU's previous record for an unbeaten start was 13-0, set in 2009-10.

* ESU's 17 straight wins marks the longest single-season streak in school history. The Warriors had an 18-game winning streak spanning the 1941-42 and 1942-43 seasons, and a 16-game streak spanning 1931-32 and 1932-33.
* ESU's 1940-41 and 2012-13 teams both had 14-game single-season win streaks.

* ESU's 13 straight wins against PSAC schools this year are the 3rd-most in school history. The Warriors won 15 straight vs. PSAC schools spanning the 1940-41 and 1941-42 seasons, and 14 straight last year (2012-13).

* The Warriors have an all-time record of 996-975 as they approach the 1,000th win in program history.

* The Warriors are 99-37 since the start of the 2009-10 season.

* Grant moved into 15th at ESU with 1,211 career points, passing John Grobelny (1,207 – 1965-68). Eric White is 14th with 1,226 (1990-94 – including 1 year at Cheyney).

* Grant moved into 2nd at ESU with 164 career 3-pointers, breaking a tie with Juwan Justice (162 – 1998-02). Andy Heimbach (2006-10) holds the school record with 236.

* Grant moved into 8th at ESU with 128 career steals, passing Mike Tobin (127 – 2007-11) and John Grobelny (127 – 1965-68).

* ESU has won 15 of its 17 games by double figures, with an average margin of victory of 20.5 points per game (85.7 ppg to 65.2 ppg).
* During ESU's 14-game winning streak last year (2012-13), ESU had an average margin of 15.5 points per game (79.0 to 63.5).
* During ESU's 14-game winning streak in 1940-41, ESU had an average margin of 21.8 points per game (60.3 to 38.5)