Box Score

LOCK HAVEN - Wali Hepburn scored 27 points, including the go-ahead layup with 9.2 seconds left, as Lock Haven ended No. 3-ranked East Stroudsburg University's undefeated start with an 82-80 win in PSAC men's basketball on Thursday night at Thomas Fieldhouse.

ESU (20-1, 10-1) was the final undefeated team in Division II after Tarleton State fell in overtime, 77-75, to Midwestern State on Wednesday night. ESU became the first DII team with 20 wins last Saturday with a 75-67 win over Kutztown. The Warriors played with a top-5 national ranking for the first time in program history.

Junior guard Whis Grant scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half and freshman forward Rasheed Moore and sophomore guard Jamal Nwaniemeka both scored 19 points for the Warriors, who host Millersville on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Koehler Fieldhouse.

Grant gave ESU an 80-78 lead with a floater with 1:32 left, but Bootsie Walker had a putback for Lock Haven (14-7, 7-4) to tie it at 80-80 with exactly a minute to go. Moore missed two free throws for the Warriors, and Hepburn scored at the end of the shot clock to put Lock Haven in front.

ESU had three looks at the tying basket, but a layup by Tobin was blocked, Grant's three-pointer wedged in the corner of the rim for a jump ball, and Grant's baseline floater was just strong at the buzzer.

Both teams' largest lead was seven points in the second half - Lock Haven at 48-41 near the start of the period, and ESU at 73-66 on a three-pointer by Grant with 6:44 left. Lock Haven came back with eight straight points to take the lead before redshirt junior Will Brown hit a floater to put ESU back in front.

A three by Nwaniemeka put the Warriors ahead 78-74 with 3:00 remaining, but Brahieme Jackson scored and Hepburn made two free throws to set up the finish.

Walker had 17 points and eight rebounds, Jackson added 12 points and Kasheed Festus had 10 for Lock Haven. The Bald Eagles had a 44-32 rebounding advantage and shot 33-for-65 from the field.

Senior forward Zechariah Runkle scored six points and junior forward Lamont Tillery added five points and five rebounds for ESU.

The loss ends ESU's 20-game winning streak, 16-game PSAC winning streak, 11-game PSAC East divisional winning streak, and 10-game road winning streak. The Warriors' 20-0 start was the best in the PSAC since 1994-95, when IUP opened 21-0.

ESU holds a two-game lead over West Chester (15-6, 8-3) and Bloomsburg (12-8, 8-3) for the PSAC East divisional title. Lock Haven is 4th at 14-7 (7-4), followed by Millersville (9-10, 5-5), Kutztown (6-14, 4-6), Mansfield (5-16, 3-8), Cheyney (3-18, 3-8) and Shippensburg (2-18, 2-10).


GAME NOTES

* ESU's 20-game winning streak was a school record. The Warriors' previous best in a single-season was 14 straight in 1940-41 and 2012-13.
* ESU's longest winning streak spanning two seasons was 18, set from 1941-42 through 1942-43.
* ESU's previous longest unbeaten start was 13-0 in 2009-10.

* The last PSAC team to go undefeated in the regular season was Cheyney (24-0) in 1965-66.

* ESU's 16-game winning streak against PSAC schools was a school record - surpassing 15 straight, set in 1940-41 through 1941-42.

* ESU's 20-0 start was the best in the PSAC since 1994-95, when IUP opened with a 21-0 record.
* The Warriors' 20-game winning streak was also the PSAC's best, regardless of its origin, since 1994-95.

* ESU's 10-game road winning streak was tied for the longest in school history, matching a record set in the first 10 road games in program history (1926-27 through 1927-28).

* ESU won 17 of its 20 games by double figures, and was 4th in DII in scoring margin (+20.1) entering the week.

* The Warriors have won 62 games in the last 3 years, the 2nd-most in school history - the 1970-71 through 72-73 teams won 63 games.

* ESU has 9 seasons with 20+ wins. The others came in 1971, 1972, 1973, 1990, 1992, 2010, 2012 and 2013.

* ESU's 10-0 PSAC East record was the best divisional start in school history. The Warriors opened 5-0 in 2005-06.

* Jeff Wilson, 203-128 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).

* ESU is ranked in the top 10 in DII for the 6th straight week, and the 8th week in program history.

* The Warriors have an all-time record of 999-976 as they approach the 1,000th win in program history.

* The Warriors are 102-38 since the start of the 2009-10 season.

* Grant is 11th at ESU with 1,287 career points, surpassing Al Munford (1,285 - 1994-98)
* Grant had his 23rd career 20-point game. ESU is 18-5 when Grant scores 20 points.

* ESU ranked 2nd in DII in turnover margin (+8.5) entering the week, and had an 18-12 turnover margin vs. Lock Haven.
* ESU is now 30-3 the last 2 years when holding a margin of +5 or greater, and 15-1 this year. They are 50-11 since the start of the 2009-10 season.

* ESU had a margin of victory of +20.1 points per game during its 20-game winning streak.
* 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)