Box Score

JOHNSTOWN - Freshman forward Allison Howard scored a career-high 20 points, junior forward Jessica Martin had 15 points and 12 rebounds, and East Stroudsburg University finished the game on a 14-5 run to post a 74-65 win at Pitt-Johnstown in non-conference women's basketball on Wednesday night.

Freshman guard Audrey Stapleton added a career-high 11 points for the Warriors (7-7), who even their record at .500 going into the final 12 games of the season, all against PSAC East competition. ESU was 2-2 in division play during the first semester.

Martin and Howard both scored 12 points in the second half as the Warriors came back from a 39-32 halftime deficit. They took their first lead since the midpoint of the first half with 13:30 left, then pulled away from a 60-60 tie in the final six minutes.

Martin had her fifth double-double in the last seven games, her seventh of the season and the 17th of her career. She added four assists and three blocked shots.

Howard had six rebounds, four assists and three steals along with her career-high 20 points, one more than the 19 points she scored in a 66-63 win over Philadelphia University in the Pocono Classic on December 1.

Howard scored six straight points in a 12-2 run early in the second half as the Warriors climbed back in it. ESU took a 50-48 lead with 13:36 left on a bucket by sophomore guard Melissa Poderis, and an 11-minute stretch was played within one possession until two straight baskets by Howard gave the Warriors a 64-60 edge with 5:30 to play.

UPJ (5-9) managed just a three-pointer by Kayla DeCriscio with 3:50 left, pulling the Mountain Cats within 66-63, until Nicole Carman scored the game's final points with 21.0 seconds left.

Howard and Martin scored six points each in ESU's 14-3 run down the stretch.

Junior guard Ryann Fiascki, sophomore guard Helena Gemmell and freshman forward Madison Tamburini all scored six points each for the Warriors. Tamburini's six points are a career-high.

Jasmine Harper scored 16 points, Nicole Carman had 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench and Leah Hansen added 11 points for Pitt-Johnstown, which is in its first year as a member of the PSAC West after previously competing in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC).

ESU shot a season-high 45.3 percent from the field and committed a season-low eight turnovers. The Warriors' +12 turnover margin is tied for their best of the season.

ESU returns to PSAC East play on Saturday, hosting Shippensburg at 1 p.m. at Koehler Fieldhouse. The Lady Raiders (9-4) fell at Edinboro, 94-74, on Wednesday.


GAME NOTES
* ESU's 8 turnovers were its fewest since committing just 7 in a 72-63 win over Mansfield in 2004-05.