EAST STROUDSBURG – In the final game of a five-game homestand, the East Stroudsburg University men's basketball remained undefeated in another dominant showing, handing Molloy a 112-80 win on Wednesday night inside Koehler Fieldhouse.
The Warriors (7-0, 2-0 PSAC) picked up its seventh consecutive win to start the campaign, while the Lions (2-8, 2-0 ECC) see its two-game winning streak halted.
ESU dominated the glass, out-rebounding the MU by a mark of 53-31 (+21). The Warriors offense found success both in the paint (48 points in the paint) and from long distance (15-37 3PT), recording a team season-high in points and reached the century mark for the fourth time in seven games this season.
Notables
- Five Warriors reached double-figures, with Justin Paz tying his career high with six 3-point field goals made (6-of-8), pouring in a game and season-high 21 points.
- Lakeem McAliley posted 16 points in 17 minutes, while grabbing six rebounds, posting a pair of assists and three steals. Reigning PSAC East Athlete of the Week Carlos Pepin added 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds, shooting 7-of-12 from the field. Pepin added three assists and two blocks.
- Rider transfer Jaelen McGlone was red hot from the start, finishing with 14 points on four 3-pointers. He tied Paz for the team-lead in assists with four.
- Also reaching double-figures on the evening was Nasir Griffin with 10 points. He added five rebounds and a steal in 10 minutes on the floor.
- Zach Sabol (8 pts., 4 reb.), Mike Millsip (7 pts., 5 reb.), David Duda Jr. (6 pts.) all contributed six-plus points. A total of 13 of 15 Warriors that saw action registered at least one field goal and nine Warriors accounted for 13 steals.
- Pacing the Lions offensively were Darren Fergus (19 pts., 7 reb.) and Jalen Rosemond (17 pts.)
- In the first half, ESU's offense was clicking on all cylinders, with 67 points, drilling 10 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes alone.
- ESU's 15 triples are a season-best and are tied for sixth most (previously done 5x, most recent last season at Lock Haven) under head coach Jeff Wilson.
- The Warriors continued its success getting to and making the most of its free-throw attempts, sinking 15-of-19 attempts. The Warriors are now shooting an impressive 75.6 percent in 2022-23.
- ESU entered the contest ranked third in NCAA Division II with 98.3 points per contest.
- In terms of scoring margin, ESU has now defeated its seven opponents by an average of 27.8 points per game, with an average score of 100.7 to 72.9. In each of the past six games, the Warriors have defeated its foes by at least 10 points.
- At halftime, the East Stroudsburg University athletic department honored the 2022 NCAA Division II National Champion Warrior field hockey team, who defeated Shippensburg, 1-0, last Saturday in Seattle.
How it Happened
- Molloy registered the first field with a trey, before ESU took its first lead at 4-3 and kept it the remaining 39 minutes of action. The two squads traded points, until the Warriors took control with a 23-8 scoring spree, building a 40-21 lead halfway through the half.
- The Warriors built its first-half edge to as high as 31 points at 62-31 following a 3-pointer from Griffin, as ESU and MU entered their respective locker rooms with the Warriors holding a 67-39 lead.
- In the second half, the Lions could only slice its deficit to 24 points at 80-56 with 12 minutes to go, but the Warriors put the game one ice, extending its lead to a game-high 38 points at 104-66. With the game-in hand, the Warriors cruised the rest of the way for the final score of 112-80.
Up Next
- After the season-long five game home stand, ESU hits the road for the first time in nearly a month against Georgian Court on Friday.
- Tipoff against the Lions is set for 6:00 p.m. in Lakewood, N.J.
