Box Score

JOHNSTOWN - Sophomore guard Jamal Nwaniemeka scored 20 points and junior guard Matt Tobin had nine points and 13 assists, the most by a Warrior in at least a dozen years, as No. 10-ranked East Stroudsburg University won its program-record 14th straight game to open the 2013-14 season with a 81-68 victory at Pitt-Johnstown on Wednesday night.

Junior guard Whis Grant scored 15 points, freshman forward Rasheed Moore had 13 points and six rebounds, redshirt junior guard Will Brown scored eight points and junior forward Lamont Tillery had seven points and six boards in a well-rounded effort for the Warriors.

ESU hit 12 three-pointers, including three from Nwaniemeka in less than 90 seconds early in the second half, as the Warriors surpassed their 2009-10 team which opened with a 13-0 mark.

ESU also matched a school single-season record with its 14 straight win, equaling the efforts of its teams in 2012-13 and 1940-41. The Warriors host Shippensburg with an opportunity for their 15th consecutive win on Saturday.

Head coach Jeff Wilson's team had another strong defensive effort, forcing 15 turnovers and holding a +8 turnover advantage, just off their season average of +8.7 which ranks fourth in Division II.

Tobin's 13 assists are the most by an ESU player in 12 seasons under Wilson. Robby Pines had 12 assists against West Chester in 2009-10, and Anthony Ross had 12 in a triple-overtime game at California in 2004-05.

Nwaniemeka knocked down six of ESU's 12 three-pointers after the Warriors made 15, their most under Wilson, in a 101-69 win over Clarion on Saturday. Grant added three and Brown hit two , both in the first half. ESU made seven three's in the first half and led 38-32 after a layup by Tobin with less than a second remaining.

Moore was the first Warrior in double figures, scoring ESU's first two baskets of the second half, and a three-pointer by Grant gave ESU a 45-36 lead, its biggest of the game to that point, with 17 minutes to play.

It was 47-38 with 15 minutes to go before Nwaniemeka hit three's at 14:56, 13:50 and 13:30 to stretch the lead to 56-40, and the Warriors led by at least 10 the rest of the way.

Nwaniemeka, ESU's third-leading scorer behind Grant and Moore, scored 20+ points for the second time in three games. He led the Warriors with 25 in a 75-60 win over Gannon last Friday and had 13 against Clarion before dropping 20 against UPJ.

Andrew Cressler scored 19 points, Matt Palo had 14 and Ian Vescovi had seven points and 13 rebounds for Pitt-Johnstown (9-5), which is in its first season as a member of the PSAC after competing in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC).

Tobin's 13 assists are the most in the PSAC this year. UPJ's Nate Snodgrass had 12 at Mansfield on December 21. Tobin leads the PSAC by more than an assist per game, averaging 5.3 apg, and also leads the PSAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7).

ESU hosts Shippensburg on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Koehler Fieldhouse. The Raiders (2-11, 0-3) are coming off an 84-81 loss at Edinboro on Wednesday. ESU was 4-0 against PSAC East schools during the first semester, and starts a 12-game stretch against the East to finish the regular season as the Warriors defend their regular season division title.

GAME NOTES

* ESU is ranked in the top 10 in DII for the 4th week in program history. The Warriors were also ranked No. 10 last week. They were ranked in the top 10 twice during the 2012-13 season.

* Head coach Jeff Wilson improves to 197-127 in his 12th season. He ranks second in school history in career wins behind Ken Sisson (215-245 in 19 years – 1963-78, 79-83).

* ESU surpassed the school record for an unbeaten start (13-0), set in 2009-10.

* ESU tied the school record for single-season winning streak, matching the 2012-13 and 1940-41 teams.

* The Warriors are 41-9 against PSAC West schools in the last 7+ years (since the 2006-07 season), going 21-4 at home and 20-5 on the road.
* Wednesday's game was the final crossover game of the season.

* The Warriors have an all-time record of 993-975 as they approach the 1,000th win in program history.

* When posting +5 turnover margin, ESU is: 11-0 this year, 26-2 the last 2 years, and 46-10 since the start of the 2009-10 season.

* The Warriors are 96-37 since the start of the 2009-10 season.

* Nwaniemeka's 6 3-pointers are ESU's most since Tobin made 6 at Cheyney in 2011-12.

* ESU made 12+ 3-pointers in consecutive games for the 4th time under Wilson - also during the 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2012-13 seasons.

* Grant moved into 17th at ESU with 1,157 career points, passing Andy Heimbach (1,153 - 2006-10) and Todd Painton (1,144 - 1988-92).

* ESU has won 12 of its 14 games by double figures, with an average margin of victory of 20.8 points per game (87.3 ppg to 66.5 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)