Box Score l
Photo GalleryEAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University answered a 14-0 run by Kutztown to start the second half with a 26-4 stretch, as the Warriors pulled away from the Golden Bears for an 86-75 win in PSAC East men's basketball on Saturday afternoon at Koehler Fieldhouse.
Redshirt junior guard
Quindell Brice scored all 13 of his points in the first half, pacing ESU to a 44-33 halftime lead, and was one of six double-figure scorers for the Warriors (13-3, 9-3), who won their seventh straight game and pulled within a game of the PSAC East just past the midpoint of the conference schedule.
Anthony Lee scored 28 points to lead Kutztown (12-4, 9-3) in a match-up of the top two scoring teams in the PSAC. ESU entered as the PSAC leader (89.9 ppg) with KU second (85.5 ppg).
There were just 25 total points scored in the first 10 minutes, with ESU holding a 13-12 lead, before the Warriors posted 31 points over the next 10 minutes and closed the first half on a 19-9 run.
Kutztown answered with a 14-0 stretch to start the second half as Ryan Connolloy (14 second-half points) scored eight straight and Lee had a pair of buckets to put the Golden Bears ahead, 47-44, at the 16:28 mark.
After both teams traded buckets, ESU embarked on a 26-4 run over the next eight minutes. The Warriors shot 6-for-11 from the field and 13-for-15 at the foul line during the spurt, while Kutztown was just 2-for-11 with six turnovers.
The Warriors scored 10 points in a 55-second span to go ahead 56-49 with 13:21 left. A three-point play by senior guard
Jamal Nwaniemeka made it 63-51, and the Warriors extended their lead to 19 (72-53) just under the eight-minute mark.
Kutztown cut a 20-point margin (76-56) to 12 (78-66) with 4:11 left, but ESU responded with five straight points by redshirt senior guard
Will Brown to stay in front.
Senior forward
Wes Cherry had a season-high 11 points and eight rebounds as one of six Warriors in double-figures. Junior forward
Rasheed Moore had 11 points and eight rebounds, Nwaniemeka had 11 points, four rebounds and four assists, freshman guard
Nick Giordano had 11 points in 4-for-4 shooting (2-for-2 from 3) and Brown had 10 points.
Freshman guard
Najee Walls, the PSAC leader in assists (6.1), added eight points and five assists.
ESU held Kutztown to 37.1 percent (23-for-62) from the field and 6-for-18 from the three-point line. Connolly had all 14 of his points in the second half and Anthony Selby had 11 points and six rebounds. Josh Johnson, averaging 14.7 points and 8.9 rebounds entering the game, had four points and five rebounds in the first half before leaving due to injury and did not return.
Brown played in his 100th career game at ESU and finished the afternoon with 198 career three-pointers (3rd at ESU) and 954 career points.
Nwaniemeka has 985 collegiate points (974 at ESU), including 11 as a freshman at Rider in 2012-13, as he and Brown close in on the 1,000-point mark. Moore scored his 1,000th point last week in an 87-60 win at West Chester.
ESU won its ninth straight and 11th in 12 meetings against Kutztown. Saturday's game was just the third of the nine straight wins to be decided by more than 10 points.
ESU travels to Lock Haven (10-7, 6-7) on Wednesday after LHU fell at Bloomsburg, 78-49, on Saturday afternoon.