EAST STROUDSBURG -- After building a 12-point halftime lead, the East Stroudsburg University men's basketball team held off a Cal U second half rally to pick up its second win in two days.

The Warriors improve to 2-3, 2-1 in PSAC play, while the Vulcans fall to 5-2, 1-1 in conference action.

Holding a lead as large as 16 points, ESU saw its advantage dwindle as low as three points on five occasions in the final 20 minutes, but prevented the Vulcans from getting any closer.  

Justin Paz led ESU with 20 points, making 9-of-11 attempts from the free throw line. He made three of his five shots from 3-point land and grabbed three rebounds and distributed a pair of assists.

Lakeem McAliley contributed 18 points, making seven of 14 of his field goal attempts. He added four steals and five rebounds. Carlos Pepin registered his second consecutive double-double, scoring 15 points and bringing down 10 rebounds. He added three assists, a block and a steal. Marc Rodriguez also contributed to double figures in points with 14 points.

Troy Jones added nine points, including a clutch 3-pointer late to keep ESU ahead.

After shooting 51.28 percent from the floor in the first half, the Warriors saw its offense cool down to a field goal percentage of 29.63 percent in the second half. The Warriors relied on getting to the free throw line in the second half, but converted just 54.17% of its attempts from the stripe. The Warriors' full-court press totaled 12 steals and 22 Cal U turnovers. As a result, ESU outscored the Vulcans 20-4 on points off turnovers.

 

How it Happened

• The Warriors slowly built a double-digit lead at 24-14 and increased it to as high as 16 points at 33-17 with a trey from Rodriguez with 11:52 left. The first half was a half of runs, with ESU going on a 14-2 run, followed by a Cal U 9-0 run, followed by an ESU 11-2 sprint.
• After the Vulcans sliced the deficit to six at 35-29, ESU would once again grab a 16-point advantage at 52-36. The two squads traded points the rest of the first half, for a 56-44 halftime score.
• The Vulcans came out of the locker room fast, slicing the lead to just four points less than three minutes into the contest with an 8-0 run. The two teams continued to trade buckets, with ESU taking a nine-point lead, but saw its advantage sliced to just three points soon after.
• The Warrior lead hovered between three and nine points the rest of the way, not relinquishing its lead to Cal U. Holding a slim three-point lead at 81-78 with less than three minutes to go, a Pepin triple and  Paz free throws would put the game on ice, as ESU picked up its second consecutive victory with an 89-82 win.

Up Next

• The Warriors are back in action on Wednesday, Dec. 8 at Molloy. Molloy has an indoor spectator policy, that all spectators 12 and older must provide a proof of COVID-19 vaccination upon entry to Quealy Gymnasium via CDC vaccination card or the New York State Excelsior Pass. Face coverings must be worn at all time.
• ESU returns to Koehler Fieldhouse on Saturday, Dec. 11 against Georgian Court.