Box Score

LOCK HAVEN - East Stroudsburg University overcame a 22-point deficit to take a six-point lead midway through the second half, but Lock Haven prevailed with an 89-82 win in PSAC East men's basketball on Saturday afternoon at Thomas Fieldhouse.

Senior guard Ryan Krawczeniuk scored 18 of his career-high 20 points in the second half, redshirt senior forward Steve Harris had 16 points and seven rebounds and senior forward Ralik Wise had 11 of his 14 points in the second half for ESU (9-3, 6-2), which was coming off a 90-79 win over defending PSAC champion Shippensburg on Wednesday.

Lock Haven (5-7, 3-5) won its second straight after a four-game slide in conference action. Sophomore Amir Hinton, who led the PSAC in scoring as a freshman, had 23 points (21 in the second half) and 13 rebounds, freshman Matt Cerruti scored 20 (16 in the first half), Tarojae Brake had 16 points including a key late three-pointer and Ra'eese Hunt had 11 points and 12 rebounds.

ESU trailed 40-18 with four minutes left in the first half, and 43-26 at halftime - then started the second half with a 15-1 run and eventually led 57-51 with 11:45 remaining. The Warriors outscored LHU 39-11 in a 12-minute stretch.

LHU responded with a 17-3 stretch to go in front 68-60 with 6:57 remaining. ESU scored the next six to get within 68-66, before Lock Haven scored nine points in a 14-second span, including an intentional foul and one of the game's four technical fouls, to go in front 77-66 with 5:18 left.

ESU, which entered third in NCAA Division II with 96.5 points per game, climbed back to close within a single possession with 57 seconds left. After trailing 82-74, Harris had a putback, the defense got a stop and junior guard Nick Giordano hit a three to pull the Warriors to 82-79.

Brake's three-pointer as the shot clock expired gave LHU a six-point lead (85-79) with 27 seconds left.

The game included 63 personal fouls and 88 free throw attempts.

Lock Haven was 39-for-49 at the foul line, led by Hinton's 13-for-17 mark - all in the second half. ESU was 22-for-39 at the stripe.

ESU held LHU to 41.8 percent (23-for-55) from the field and forced 21 turnovers for a +9 turnover margin - just above its season average of +8.2 which ranks second in DII.

LHU had a 53-31 rebounding advantage as ESU shot 43.5 percent (27-for-62) overall and 24.0 percent (6-for-25) from long distance. The Warriors are 9-0 when making at least nine three's in a game, and are averaging 10.2 per game for the season, and 0-3 when making eight or less.

Junior guard Kitt Najee Walls and Giordano had eight points each, and sophomore forward Kobi Nwandu had seven points and seven rebounds.

Giordano hit two three's, giving him 101 in his career. He entered second in the PSAC in three-point percentage (46.0) and finished the afternoon at 44.3 percent (31-for-70).

Nwandu, Harris and Wise all fouled out, and five other Warriors had at least three fouls.

Hunt, Jesse McPherson (8 points, 6 rebounds) and Marques Jackson (2 points, 5 rebounds) all fouled out for LHU.

Lock Haven has won three of the last five meetings at Thomas Fieldhouse, including the last two by identical 89-82 scores.

ESU has topped LHU in the first round of the PSAC Tournament each of the last two years, including 106-87 last season behind 33 points and 16 rebounds from four-time All-PSAC East selection Rasheed Moore.

ESU will play the middle game of a three-game road trip on Monday night, taking on Cheyney in a game that has been moved to West Chester's Hollinger Fieldhouse.