EAST STROUDSBURG – The East Stroudsburg University men's basketball team secured a 65-48 victory over defending PSAC Champion IUP in its final PSAC crossover game of the regular season on Saturday afternoon at Koehler Fieldhouse. ESU held the Crimson Hawks to their lowest point total in over ten seasons in the victory.
With the win, the Warriors (9-1, 4-1 PSAC East) extended their winning streak to four. The Crimson Hawks (7-4, 4-1 PSAC East) see their six-game winning streak come to an end.
Notables
- ESU was led by Lakeem McAliley, who recorded a double-double in the first half and finished the contest with 17 points (5-12 FG, 6-8 FT), 14 rebound, two assists, two steals and three blocks in 32 minutes on the court. McAliley's 14 rebounds match his career-high set against Edinboro in 2020-21 and are the most by a Warrior this season. The double-double for McAliley marks his second consecutive and his third double-double during his junior season. He now has 10 career double-doubles, which is tied for eighth most in the Jeff Wilson era with Ryan Smith (2018) and LaMont Jones (2002-03).
- Three additional Warriors reached double-figures in scoring. Justin Paz knocked down 4-6 attempts from 3-point range for 16 points. He also led ESU with four assists and committed just one turnover in 28 minutes on the court. Tyshawn Trail (11 pts, 2 steals) and Nasir Griffin (10 pts, 8 reb) also reached double digits in points. Trail had a game-best plus-minus of +23 during his 28 minutes on the court.
- Jalen Pichardo totaled six rebounds off the bench.
- IUP was led by Ethan Porterfield's double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds. Jaylen Stewart also reached double figures in points with 12 and added a game-high five assists.
- The Crimson Hawks were missing its second and third leading scorers in its lineup in Dallis Dillard (15.8 ppg) and Garvin Clarke (15.2 ppg). Dillard ranks second on the team in rebounds, while Clarke paces the Crimson Hawks in assists.
- The Warriors led the game in field goal percentage (36.5%-27.4%), 3-point field goal percentage (30%-16%), free-throw percentage (83.3%-58.8%), rebounds (45-44), assists (15-9), bench points (16-10), blocks (7-1), fastbreak points (21-8), steals (7-5), points off turnovers (12-9), second-chance points (10-6) and committed one less turnover (13-14) than IUP.
- IUP's 48 points match the fewest points scored by the Crimson Hawks since Jan. 21, 2012 against Mercyhurst, in a 71-47 loss to the Lakers. The Crimson Hawks were last held to 48 points over 10 year ago on Feb. 16, 2013 against Mercyhurst.
- ESU snapped a five-game losing streak against the Crimson Hawks with the triumph, picking up its first win over IUP since an 85-82 win on Jan. 10, 2018 in Indiana. The victory was the first for the Warriors in the Poconos over IUP since Jan. 4, 2013, snapping a two-game skid at home. IUP now leads the all-time series by a 22-8 mark.
How It Happened
- It was a defensive battle to start and was throughout the entire 40-minute contest. After a Griffin 3-pointer opened the scoring, IUP scored five consecutive points to take its first and only lead at 5-3. ESU took a 10-5 lead at the 12:20 mark in the first half, with both teams struggling to score. ESU and IUP combined to shoot just 6-31 on its first 37 attempts from the floor. The Warriors slowly built an eight-point lead at 19-11 following a Paz 3-pointer. The two squads that last met in the PSAC Tournament Semifinals in 2023 continued to trade points, as the Warriors took a 10-point lead at 29-19, but the Crimson Hawks scored the final four points of the first half. ESU ultimately took a 29-23 lead in the locker room at halftime. McAliley recorded 12 of his 17 points in the first half and 10 of his 14 rebounds.
- The Warriors seized momentum over the final 20 minutes, using a 17-6 scoring run to open the second half. Paz recorded eight of ESU's points during the nearly five-minute stretch.
- ESU's advantage grew to as high as 18 points at 51-33 with 11:12 remaining. The Crimson Hawks used a 12-3 surge to get within nine points of the Warriors with 6:14 to play, but ESU would not allow IUP to get back into the game. The Warriors closed the final six minutes with an 11-3 scoring run, earning a 65-48 win over IUP on Saturday afternoon.
Up Next
- ESU (9-1, 4-1 PSAC) is idle until Wed., Jan. 3 when the Warriors travel to Edinboro for its final PSAC crossover matchup of the regular season.
