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EAST STROUDSBURG – Nick Giordano became the 32nd player in school history to reach 1,000 points on his Senior Night, and East Stroudsburg University set a new season scoring high in a 112-92 victory over Kutztown at Koehler Fieldhouse on Wednesday.

Freshman Ryan Smith added a season-best 31 points for the Warriors, who move ahead of West Chester for first place in the PSAC East standings after the Golden Rams dropped a 91-86 decision at Shippensburg. ESU (19-6, 16-3) can clinch the division's regular season title with a win at Millersville on Saturday.

Giordano ended his milestone night with 23 points, including four made 3-pointers. He reached the 1,000-point mark on a 3-pointer with 11:46 remaining in the second half.

The Warriors led for all but three and a half minutes in the contest, though it was only a 50-45 margin at the intermission. Smith and redshirt senior Josh Williams combined for 35 of ESU's points in the opening 20 minutes.

ESU took a double-digit lead for good when a layup by Michal Weiss made it 76-65 with 13:14 left in regulation. The home side was up by as many as 22 points in the closing minutes.

Smith's previous season-high was a 28-point effort against Shippensburg on Feb. 6. He hit 11 of 18 shots from the field and made 7 of 10 free throws. Over the last six games, Smith is averaging 22.5 points while shooting 68.9 percent (51 of 74) from the field.

Williams totaled 19 points, six rebounds and four assists in the victories. He was honored along with Giordano, Jakwan Jones, Steven Stoney and manager TeQuan Quintin Stewart in the pregame Senior Night festivities.

Jakwan Jones supplied a team-high seven assists, while redshirt sophomore Troy Jones chipped in a career-high three blocks.

Anthony Lee led all scorers with 36 points (10-20 FG, 11-11 FT) in a losing effort for the Golden Bears (14-13, 8-11 PSAC).

It was also a productive afternoon for ESU, which moved up four spots to No. 6 in the latest NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rankings. Eight teams from the region will advance to this year's national tournament; the conference champions from the PSAC, CIAA and Mountain East, and five at-large selections.

The Warriors conclude the regular season at Millersville on Saturday, with opening tip-off scheduled for 3 p.m.


NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Atlantic Region Rankings – Feb. 27, 2019
 

Rank	School
1	IUP
2	West Liberty
3	Virginia State
4	Mercyhurst
5	Fairmont State
6	East Stroudsburg
7	West Chester
8	Notre Dame (OH)
9	Slippery Rock
10	Shippensburg