EAST STROUDSBURG – Despite leading by as many as nine points in the fourth quarter, the East Stroudsburg University women's basketball team dropped a 67-62 decision to Shepherd on Senior Day at Koehler Fieldhouse.
Prior to today's game the Warriors honored senior #33 Maggie Wigoda and two-year team manager Meaghan Hyer.
The Warriors fell to 3-20 on the season and 2-18 in the conference while the Rams improved to 20-6 overall and 14-6 in the PSAC.
After a layup by Cassie Ksiazek put the Warriors ahead 50-41 with 8:24 remaining, Shepherd answered with a 10-0 run over the next two minutes to regain a 51-50 lead. The Warriors responded with four straight points to regain a 54-51 advantage but from the 3:24 mark on, the Rams outscored ESU 16-8 to secure the win.
Ryan Weise was just shy of her second triple-double of the season as she finished with 21 points, nine rebounds and nine assists
Notables
- Across two games this week, Weise averaged 25.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 40 minutes per game
- Carley Adams added a career-high 14 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field
- Ksiazek added 11 points, a career-high five assists and two steals
- Leah Pishock and Izzy Vogel each scored six points
- The Warriors finished the game with a season-best 49.1% field goal percentage from the floor but were just 3-of-10 (30.0%) from the three point line
- ESU's two-best shooting performances of the season came against the Rams
- Shepherd was led by their big-three with Abby Beeman finishing with 21 points, seven rebounds and eight assists while, Sydney Clayton added a double-double on 17 points and 11 rebounds. Marley McLaughlin had 15 points, three steals and two assists.
- The Rams were 27-of-62 (43.5%) from the field and went 5-of-18 (27.8%) from the beyond the arc
- At the free throw line, Shepherd finished 8-of-13 (61.5%) while ESU went 5-of-7 (71.4%)
How It Happened
- It was back-and-forth to begin the game as the score was knotted at 6-6 headed into the media timeout. Over the final 4:38 of the opening period, the Rams edged the Warriors 8-4 to take a 14-10 lead after the first 10 minutes.
- Three and half minutes into the second quarter, ESU tied the game at 16-16 following a Weise layup but Shepherd responded with a quick 7-0 spurt to regain the lead. From the 4:14 mark on, ESU would slightly outscore Shepherd, 8-6, to find themselves trailing 29-25 at the break.
- ESU came out of half time red hot, using a 13-4 run with the help of three-pointers from Weise and Vogel to regain a 37-33 advantage over the Rams. Following the media timeout, the Warriors kept their foot on the gas as their lead grew to 46-38 headed into the fourth quarter.
- In that third quarter, ESU scored 22 points on 9-of-15 (60.0%) from the field, which including knocking down a trio of three pointers.
- The Warriors were able to answer any buckets from Shepherd to start the final 10 minutes, but an 8-0 sprint over the next 2:04 forced ESU into a timeout with the score 50-49 in their favor. From the 5:22 mark until 3:24, the score changed time twice and was tied at 54-54 before a MacKenzie Freeze three-pointer gave Shepherd the lead. The Rams were able to ice the game from that point on using five free throws to secure the 67-62 victory.
Up Next
ESU hits the road for their final two games of the regular season next week, beginning on Wednesday with a trip to Lock Haven at 5:30 p.m.
