EAST STROUDSBURG -- Holding a five-point halftime lead, the East Stroudsburg University men's basketball team could not prevent a second-half Shippensburg run, falling to the Raiders 86-74 on Wednesday night in front of a boisterous Koehler Fieldhouse crowd.

The Warriors see its season come to and end, finishing 2021-22 with a 19-8 record. The Raiders (21-8), advance to the PSAC Semifinals and will play PSAC West top seed and host IUP on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Millersville and Mercyhurst meet in the other semifinal, with the winners advancing to the PSAC Championship on Sunday.

Shippensburg held a slim four-point lead at 65-61 with 6:34 left and put together a game-changing 15-3 scoring surge to secure the win.

Notables

• Carlos Pepin led all scorers with 25 points, making each of his first nine field goal attempts and finished the night swishing 11-of-13 attempts from the field. He also led the game in rebounds (9) and steals (3).
• Joining Pepin in double-figures were Troy Jones (17 pts.), Marc Rodriguez (10 pts.) and Lakeem McAliley (10 pts.).
• Jones made all six of his attempts from the field and also distributed a pair of dimes in his final action as a Warrior. He ended his collegiate career in style, registering at least 16 points over his final five contests and scored 14 points in his final half.
• Rodriguez and McAliley each added 10 points. McALiley played 17 minutes and struggled with foul trouble. Rodrigue distributed a team best five assists.
• The win snapped a 13-game PSAC Tournament winning streak at Koehler Fieldhouse for ESU. The Warriors are now 14-3 all-time in the conference postseason tournament in the Poconos.  
• ESU is expected to return all but seniors Troy Jones and Tim Uzor to the lineup in 2022-23.

How It Happened

• Both teams were hot shooting in the first 20 minutes, with ESU shooting a scorching 68 percent and Shippensburg countered with 55.6 percent. Both teams committed just four turnovers in the first half. In the second half, the Warriors still shot at a decent clip at 45 percent but turned the ball over 12 times and made just half of its free throw attempts (7-14 FT). Ship took advantage, outscoring ESU 14-2 in points off turnovers in the second half.
• ESU began the contest strong, building a 16-9 lead through the first five minutes of clock, as the Warriors made each of their first six attempts from the field.
• Both teams traded buckets, as ESU's went between three points (31-28) and 10 points (38-28) after a quick 7-0 run from ESU. With 3:32 left, the Raiders scored eight of the final 12 point in the first half, as ESU took a 45-40 lead into the locker room.
• After the break, Shippensburg immediately erased the Warrior lead with a quick 8-0 run. After ESU retook the lead at 49-48, Ship ensued on a 17-9 run, grabbing a 65-58 lead with 8:18 remaining. A Jones triple halted the run, but a game-altering 15-3 run decided the contest. In total, Ship outscored ESU 32-15 over the course of 12:23 of clock. The Raiders made 9-of-14 attempts and 12-of-17 free throw attempts.
• ESU attempted to make a comeback over the final two minutes, but came up short, falling to the Raiders by a score of 86-74.
• The Warriors close 2021-22 with a 19-8 record and PSAC Eastern Division Co-Championship.
• ESU has eclipsed the 18-win mark in each of their past 10 seasons.