SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. –
Amanda Pike and
Marlene Bassett combined to score 37 points as the East Stroudsburg University women's basketball team recorded its first win of the season on Sunday against Bowie State, 74-67.
ESU (1-1) had its 3-point shot working in the opening half of play as the Warriors went 5-of-9 from downtown. Pike, a sophomore, went 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Bowie State (1-1) connected on just 27.8 percent of its shots in the opening half but responded by shooting 44 percent in the second half.
Pike paced the Warriors with a career-high 20-point outing on 7-of-13 shooting, which included a 6-for-10 effort from 3-point range. Bassett, a sophomore, went 5-of-6 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line to record 17 points for ESU. Junior
Tiffany Lapotsky and senior
Noelle Powell also added double-digit performances for the Warriors with Lapotsky tallying 12 points and Powell 13. ESU finished the game 24-of-31 from the charity stripe.
Bowie State was guided by 22 points from Kyaja Williams on 8-of-17 shooting from the field. She also added 13 rebounds for a double-double in the contest. Pere Alexander notched a double-double for Bowie State with 10 boards and 18 points. Chyna Butler paced Bowie State with four assists while adding seven points.
The Warriors had a strong start to the contest for a second straight day and behind the 3-point shooting of Pike held a 36-26 advantage over Bowie State. The Bulldogs attempted to come back from a 17-point deficit late in the third quarter by turning on the offense.
The Bulldogs outscored ESU 26-19 in the fourth quarter as Williams and Alexander combined to score 25 points for Bowie State. ESU connected on just 43.5 percent of its shots in the second half but took advantage of chances at the charity stripe, going 15-of-19 down the stretch. Lapotsky spearheaded the effort at the line for the Warriors with a 6-for-6 effort.
ESU returns to the court on Tuesday as the Warriors host Caldwell University in a non-conference matchup inside Koehler Fieldhouse at 6 p.m. Links for live stats and video can be found on the ESU women's basketball schedule page.
