Box Score | Photo Gallery

EAST STROUDSBURG – The East Stroudsburg University women's basketball team returned home to Koehler Fieldhouse on Wednesday as the Warriors dropped an 84-75 decision against West Chester University.
 
ESU (8-10, 5-6 PSAC) hit a season-high 10 3-pointers in the contest and tallied 30 points in the fourth quarter but would be unable to overcome a 10-0 run by the Golden Rams to open the third quarter. West Chester (9-10, 5-6 PSAC) won its fifth consecutive matchup and shot 54.4 percent from the field (31-of-57).
 
The Warriors would be guided by a career-high 30 points from junior Tiffany Lapotsky. She also connected on a career-high six 3-pointers on the night for ESU. Lapotsky became the first Warrior to tally 30 points in a contest since Imani Brown (30) on Jan. 27, 2018 against Cheyney. Sophomore Marlene Bassett added 10 points, while sophomore Kaitlyn Swint tallied 10 points for the Warriors. Junior Jordan Hertz finished with seven points, six rebounds, and six assists.
 
The Golden Rams received a game-high 33 points from Destiny Jefferson as she went 10-of-16 from the field. Jefferson also added seven boards and three steals on the night. Gabrielle Troisi paced three other Golden Rams who would notch double-digits in the contest. She tallied 25 points, while Madison Torresin (13) and Justyn Roberts (11) rounded out the other players to cross into double-digits.
 
Lapotsky would sink three shots from downtown in the first quarter but the Warriors would be unable to pull away from the Golden Rams as Jefferson kept her team in the contest early with 10 points. ESU rallied in the second quarter after trailing by as many as five points following a trey from Jefferson.
 
ESU took a 35-34 advantage with 1:26 left on the clock as Swint hit a layup in the paint to give the Warriors momentum. Swint would take a feed from junior Dominique Rayam with 49 ticks left to give the Warriors back the lead at 37-36. The Golden Rams end the quarter on a 4-0 run to take a 40-37 lead in the break.
 
The defining run of the contest would come early in the third quarter for West Chester as the Golden Rams opened with 10-straight points to take a 50-37 advantage with 5:18 remaining. ESU would get its first points of the quarter at the free-throw line as Lapotsky hit a pair of shots.
Lapotsky picked the pocket of Troisi with 6:56 left in the fourth quarter and would convert at the other end of the court to trim the West Chester lead to single-digits (62-53). After trailing by double-digits for a majority of the quarter, Hertz connected on a 3-ball to cut the gap to 80-75. The Golden Rams hit each of their next four free throws to close the contest with an 84-75 victory.
 
The Warriors head to Kutztown on Saturday for a 1 p.m. matchup with the Golden Bears. ESU then returns home for three straight beginning with Millersville on Jan. 30 at 6 p.m.