LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- Behind five double-figure scorers and a season-best 29 assists, the East Stroudsburg University men's basketball team picked up an 100-81 road victory over Lock Haven on Monday evening inside Thomas Fieldhouse.

The Warriors (17-7, 15-5 PSAC) extend their winning streak to four and is now tied for first place in the PSAC East with Millersville with two games remaining. Lock Haven falls to 11-14, 8-13 in PSAC action.

Notables

• Justin Paz put together a career game to date, leading the Warriors and matching his career-high with 20 points (7-11 FG, 6-8 3PT) and distributed 11 assists. He became the first Warrior to register back-to-back 10-plus assist performances since Jakwan Jones accomplished the feat in 2017-18 against Kutztown and Millersville. Paz tallied 10 assists against Shepherd on Saturday. His six treys are the most by a Warrior this season and are the most since Marc Rodriguez tallied six triples against Cheyney on Nov. 16, 2019. No Warrior has had more than six 3-pointers in a single game since Will Brown totaled eight from long distance twice in the 2015-16 season. He did not have a turnover in 26 minutes on the floor.  
• Lakeem McAliley produced 19 points in just 18 minutes, leading ESU with eight rebounds. The two-time PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week added four blocks and a steal.
• Troy Jones led ESU with 14 points at halftime and finished with 16 points on the evening. He stuffed the stat sheet with four rebounds, six assists.
• Marc Rodriguez and Davon Lee also contributed 10-plus points. Rodriguez buried three 3-pointers, while Davon Lee shot an efficient 4-of-5 from the field with a pair of assists.
• In nine minutes on the court due to foul trouble, Carlos Pepin totaled nine points, three rebounds and three assists.  
• ESU's 29 assists are a season best and are the most since the Warriors recorded 30 assists against Bloomsburg on Jan. 21, 2019.
• The game between ESU and LHU was originally scheduled for Wednesday but was moved up to Monday to accommodate an ESU-Mansfield makeup game on Feb. 23 at Koehler Fieldhouse.

How it Happened

• After Lock Haven recorded the first six points, ESU scored five consecutive points to get within one of the Bald Eagles. LHU would hold the lead temporarily, taking an 11-5 advantage with 15:57 to go. With LHU up six at 13-7, the Warriors flipped the script with a 28-11 scoring sprint to grab an 11-point lead at 35-24. Paz registered nine points, while Jones added eight points during the 10:57 of clock.  
• ESU closed the first half strong, outscoring the Bald Eagles 10-7, to take a 14-point lead into the locker room at 45-31.
• ESU took full control early in the second half. Before the first media timeout, ESU raced on a 19-7 run over just 3:41 of clock. The Warriors shot an impressive 8-of-9 from the field, making all three of its 3-point attempts. With ESU up by a game-high 27 points at 62-35, the Warriors cruised the rest of the way, with its lead not dipping below 16 points over the remainder of the contest. ESU reached the century mark for the second time this season with the 100-81 victory.

Up Next

• ESU returns to Koehler Fieldhouse one last time this regular season for Senior Day on Wednesday against Mansfield.
• The opening tip between the Warriors and Mountaineers is slated for 7:30 p.m.
• The contest will be broadcasted on Blue Ridge Cable TV 13, the PSAC Sports Digital Network and Bigfoot Country Poconos 103.1 FM / 840 AM.