Box Score

MANSFIELD - Senior guard Jamal Nwaniemeka scored 10 of his 17 points in the second half, leading East Stroudsburg University to a 65-59 win at Mansfield in PSAC East men's basketball on Wednesday night at Decker Gymnasium.

ESU (18-6, 14-6) kept pace in its pursuit of a home game in the PSAC Tournament, either in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, March 1 or the first round on Saturday, February 27.

Nwaniemeka scored ESU's first eight points of the second half, part of a 29-10 run spanning halftime that gave the Warriors their biggest lead (43-27) with 13:36 remaining.

Redshirt junior guard Quindell Brice scored 11 points, junior forward Rasheed Moore scored 10, redshirt senior guard Will had nine and junior forward Steve Harris posted eight points and eight rebounds for the Warriors.

Matt Tamanosky scored 19 points and Thomas Moore had 14 points and six assists for Mansfield (5-19, 3-16).

ESU is ranked No. 8 in this week's first set of NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rankings, released earlier Wednesday. The top eight teams in the final set of rankings in March will represent the region in the NCAA Tournament.

Mansfield led 17-14 at the 5:13 mark of the first half before the Warriors finished the half on a 15-6 run to lead 29-23 at the break.

Nwaniemeka had a three-point play and a three-pointer early in the second half, sparking a 14-4 run and giving ESU its biggest lead of the night.

Mansfield narrowed the Warriors' lead to seven points with seven minutes left, but baskets by Brown and Brice kept ESU in front.

The seven-point margin was the closest that Mansfield would get until the buzzer as Moore and Harris both made a pair of free throws in the final minute.

EUS had a 22-15 edge in turnovers and recorded 11 steals.

The Warriors host Lock Haven in their final home game of the season on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Koehler Fieldhouse, and travel to Millersville next Wednesday to finish the regular season.

 
NCAA DII Atlantic Region rankings (DII record - in-region record)
1. Wheeling Jesuit - 22-1 (same)
2. West Liberty - 22-2 (same)
3. Fairmont State - 21-3 (same)
4. West Chester - 18-4 (same)
5. Kutztown - 16-5 (same)
6. IUP - 19-6 (same)
7. Virginia State - 16-5 (15-4)
8. East Stroudsburg - 16-6 (same)
9. Concord - 16-8 (same)
10. Notre Dame (Ohio) - 16-8 (same)

Updated PSAC East standings
16-4 - West Chester
16-4 - Kutztown
14-6 - ESU
14-6 - Bloomsburg
14-7 - Shippensburg
8-13 - Lock Haven
(all 6 are qualified for playoffs)

top 2 - 1st round bye (home game in quarterfinals Tuesday March 1)
3-4 - 1st round home game (Saturday February 27)
* 3 vs. 6, 4 vs. 5