Box ScoreNEW HAVEN, Conn. - Michael Mallory scored 35 points and preseason All-America selection Tylon Smith had 22 points and 12 assists, leading Southern Connecticut State to a 107-88 win over East Stroudsburg University in non-conference men's basketball on Wednesday night.
Sophomore forward
Rasheed Moore had 23 points and 10 rebounds and junior guard
Jamal Nwaniemeka scored 22 points for ESU (15-8), which returns to PSAC East play for the final four games of the regular season beginning Saturday at 3 p.m. against Cheyney at Koehler Fieldhouse.
SCSU (18-5) won a match-up of two teams ranked in the top five in the NABC DII preseason poll in November, and squads that advanced to the NCAA DII "Sweet 16" last March.
The Owls, 30-3 a year ago, are the defending East Region champion and were the preseason No. 2 pick in the NABC poll.
ESU, 30-2 last winter, was the Atlantic Region runner-up, falling to eventual national runner-up West Liberty in the regional final, and was No. 4 in the NABC preseason poll.
Mallory scored 25 of his 35 points in the second half, going 8-for-11 from the three-point line on the evening and 6-for-8 after halftime. Smith scored 14 points in the second half, and Luke Houston had 13 of his 19 in the first half for SCSU.
Senior guard
Matt Tobin scored eight points for ESU, giving him 998 in his career entering Saturday against Cheyney. He can become the first ESU player and 11th in PSAC history with 1,000 career points and 500 assists.
SCSU entered ranked sixth in DII with 89.1 points per game, while ESU was 16th with 84.4 ppg.
Southern Connecticut led 44-34 after a fast-paced first half in which neither team shot over 50 percent. Both teams eclipsed the 50 percent mark in the second half with SCSU winning the period, 63-54.
SCSU shot 56.3 percent (40-for-71) for the game and 10-for-24 from the three-point line.
ESU shot 42.3 percent (33-for-78) and was 10-for-26 from long distance. The Warriors had 14 offensive rebounds.
ESU falls to 1-4 against teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last year, falling to New Haven (79-71), at Gannon (83-79 2OT), vs. IUP (78-63) and Wednesday night at SCSU. The Warriors beat West Chester, 98-72, on January 17 at Koehler Fieldhouse and travel to West Chester next Wednesday.
GAME NOTES* ESU (15-8, 13-5) holds a 1.5 game lead over Kutztown (15-10, 12-7) and West Chester (14-11, 12-7). The Warriors have 4 divisional games remaining; Kutztown and West Chester have 3.
* Kutztown fell at Lock Haven, 84-82, on Wednesday night.
* ESU is seeking its 3rd straight PSAC East regular season title and 4th in 5 years.
* The Warriors have held at least a share of the PSAC East lead every day since December 1, 2012.
* ESU has reached the NCAA Tournament in 4 of the last 5 years. SCSU's Elite Eight berth last winter was its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2000.
* Moore had his 3rd double-double of the season and the 6th of his career.
* He had his 4th game with 20+ points this season and the 7th of his career.
* Nwaniemeka had his 3rd game with 20+ points this season and the 7th of his career.
