Box Score  l  Photo Gallery

WEST CHESTER – Matt Penecale scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half and Matt Wiseley had nine points and 17 rebounds, leading West Chester to an 81-73 win over East Stroudsburg University in the PSAC men's basketball quarterfinals on Tuesday night at Hollinger Field House.

Redshirt junior guard Quindell Brice scored 16 points, matching his season-high, junior forward Steve Harris scored 12 points and junior forward Rasheed Moore had nine points and 12 rebounds for ESU (21-7).

The Warriors end a six-year stretch of reaching the PSAC Final Four, advancing each year from 2010 through 2015, including winning conference titles in 2012 and 2014 – both against West Chester.

ESU's six straight Final Four trips are tied with California (1992-97) for the most in the PSAC in the last 35 years.

WCU (22-5) will host the PSAC Final Four this weekend. The Golden Rams, the PSAC East's No. 2 seed, gained the hosting rights after No. 1 seed Kutztown fell 74-72 to No. 4 Shippensburg earlier Tuesday night.

ESU awaits the announcement of the NCAA Division II Tournament field on Sunday night. The Warriors were ranked No. 8 in last week's Atlantic Region rankings, holding the final spot. They have played in the NCAA Tournament four times in the last six years (2010, 2012-14).

West Chester ended a seven-game losing streak to the Warriors, including both regular season games this year. ESU won 87-60 at Hollinger on January 9 and 88-83 at Koehler Fieldhouse on February 10.

ESU had won 14 of the last 16 in the series with PSAC championship game victories in 2012 at WCU (90-85) and 2014 at ESU (92-80). The Warriors had won five straight at Hollinger Field House.

ESU led 43-34 at halftime, but West Chester pulled back into the game after the Warriors held their largest lead (47-36) at the 17-minute mark.

WCU used a 13-3 run to get even at 52-all on a three-pointer by Penecale with 12:54 left, and took its first lead since early in the first half with 10 minutes remaining.

The Golden Rams stretched their lead to 71-61 with 6:28 left. ESU pulled within six twice, the final time at 76-70 with 1:37 left, but Penecale hit a jumper at the end of the shot clock to stretch the lead.

Freshman guard Najee Walls had nine points and six assists and senior guard Jamal Nwaniemeka added eight points and eight rebounds for the Warriors.

Malik Jackson, the PSAC's leading freshman scorer (15.7 ppg), had 14 and Avery Brown added 13 for West Chester.

GAME NOTES
* ESU finished the season with a 21-7 record (20+ wins for 5th time in 7 years)
* Warriors have 152 wins since start of 2009-10 season (2nd in PSAC, 3rd in Atlantic Region)

* R-Sr. G Will Brown finishes his ESU career ranked 3rd in 3-pointers (219), 6th in 3-point percentage (39.5) and 23rd in points (1,077)
* Brown played in 12 career postseason games (PSAC Tournament/NCAA Tournament), tied for 5th-most in program history
* Brown was named 2nd team All-PSAC East on Wednesday

* Sr. G Jamal Nwaniemeka scored 1,118 collegiate points, including 1,107 in 3 years at ESU (21st in school history)
* Nwaniemeka is 5th at ESU in career 3-pointers (154)
* Nwaniemeka was named 1st team All-PSAC East on Wednesday
* He was preseason All-PSAC East and was the 2014 PSAC Tournament MVP as a sophomore for the Warriors (first year at ESU after transferring from Rider)

* Through 3 years, Jr. F Rasheed Moore ranks 18th at ESU in points (1,155), 12th in rebounds (578) and 8th in free throws (445)
* Moore ranks 4th at ESU in points and 3rd in rebounds through a player's junior season.
* Moore was named 1st team All-PSAC East on Wednesday

* Fr. G Najee Walls set ESU's freshman record for assists (147), ranks t-2nd in steals (40) and t-7th in 3-pointers (29)
* Fr. G Nick Giordano ranks 6th on ESU's freshman list in 3-pointers (33)