JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Holding a 23-12 lead near the halfway point of the first half, the East Stroudsburg University men's basketball team exploded on a 24-0 scoring run and cruised to a 108-59 win over Pitt-Johnstown on Tuesday afternoon at the Sports Center.
The Warriors (8-1, 3-1 PSAC) enter the holidays with a three-game winning streak. The Mountain Cats (3-7, 1-3 PSAC) fall after picking up its first PSAC victory on Monday against Bloomsburg.
In the win,
Lakeem McAliley and
Jaelen McGlone, who each played less than 22 minutes, combined for 56 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and six steals. The duo combined to shoot 20-27 on field goal attempts, 8-10 from 3-point range and 8-8 from the free-throw line.
Notables
- A day after setting a season-high with 23 points and surpassing 1,000 career points, McAliley put together another season-best performance, pouring in 32 points, grabbing 11 rebounds while distributing two assists while recording a block and two steals defensively. McAliley - who played just 21 minutes – shot 11-16 from the floor, 4-5 from 3-point range and made all six of his attempts from the free-throw line. He neared his career-best performance of 35 points, set against Bowie State in 2022-23. The contest marked McAliley's second double-double performance of the season and the ninth of his career. He is now averaging 15 points and 7.8 rebounds after the two impressive performances this week. McAliley's 32 points are the third-most points in a PSAC contest this season.
- McGlone's 24 points are a new career-high, as the guard from Cheltenham made 9-11 of his attempts from the floor, matched McAliley's 4-5 mark from 3-point land and made both of his attempts from the stripe. He added two rebounds, two assists and four steals in 19 minutes on the floor. McGlone now has 10 steals over the past two games and ranks second in the PSAC with an average of 2.9 per contest.
- Cam Young added 10 points, while all 14 Warriors that appeared scored at least one point. Justin Paz led the game with six assists and totaled seven points. He currently leads the PSAC with a 2.8 assist/turnover ratio.
- ESU's 24 assists are a new season-best, its most in a PSAC game since recording 28 helpers against Lock Haven on Feb. 21, 2022. Nine Warriors recorded multiple assists, while 11 Warriors registered at least one assist.
- The Warriors held a 43-24 advantage off the glass. ESU's 19-rebound advantage is the most since out-rebounding Molloy, 53-31, on Dec. 7, 2022.
- No Warrior totaled more than two turnovers in the contest.
- The Warriors 35 made field goals, which tied a season-high (Holy Family).
How It Happened
- After UPJ took a 5-4 lead early on, the Warriors used a 7-0 run to take the lead for good at 11-5 with 16:48 remaining in the first half. The Mountain Cats cut the deficit to 11-8, as the Warriors used an 8-2 run to grab a 19-10 lead on the scoreboard.
- After a jumper from UPJ's Vinnie Cugini, cut the deficit to 23-14, ESU took full control with a game-altering 24-0 scoring run. During the 4:21 of game clock, the Warriors knocked down 9-11 attempts from the field and 5-6 from 3-point land. McGlone scored nine points during the stretch, while McAliley added seven, with Paz totaling six of his seven points. The Warrior defense forced six turnovers and held the Mountain Cats scoreless on three shots. ESU took a commanding 47-14 advantage with 6:42 remaining in the half. The two teams split the final 28 points evenly over the final six-plus minutes, as ESU took a 61-28 advantage into the locker room.
- ESU shot 64.5 percent in the first half (20-31, 10-15 3PT) and forced 13 UPJ turnovers during the opening 20 minutes to build the sizeable lead.
- In the second half with the game in-hand, ESU's lead fluctuated from 31 points to 55 points. The Warriors scored 42 of the first 62 points in the final half of play, as its lead grew to 55 at 103-48 with 5:38 remaining. The Mountain Cats finished strong, closing the game with an 11-5 run for the final score of 108-59 in favor of the road Warriors.
Up Next
- ESU is idle for the holiday season until Sat., Dec., 30, when the Warriors return to Koehler Fieldhouse to host defending PSAC Champion IUP. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m. in the Poconos.
