WEST CHESTER, Pa. – In another back-and-forth postseason thriller, the East Stroudsburg University's men's basketball team to knocked off PSAC East No. 2 seed West Chester, 85-72, in the PSAC Quarterfinals on Wednesday evening inside Hollinger Fieldhouse.
The PSAC No. 3 seed Warriors (23-7) advance to the PSAC Semifinals at Shippensburg, where it will meet PSAC West No. 1 seed IUP on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The Golden Rams (21-8) will find out if it has earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament during the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Selection Show on Sunday evening.
Jaelen McGlone led five double-figure scorers with 16 points. He matched a team-high with six rebounds, and distributed four assists. He led ESU on the defensive end as well with three steals and three blocks.
Notables
- Carlos Pepin and Lakeem McAliley each added 12 points despite both being in foul trouble. McAliley scored all 12 of his points in 11 minutes on the court in the second half. Pepin totaled eight of his 12 points in the 13 minutes on the court.
- Mike Millsip stepped up with 11 point, six rebounds and three steals off the bench. Davon Lee contributed 10 points and two steals, while David Duda Jr. buried 2-of-3 3-point attempts for nine total points. Justin Paz led the Warriors with five assists.
- Elijah Allen (19 pts), Joshua Walker (16 pts. 8 reb.), Eli Barrett (14 pts., 11 reb.) and Robert Smith (14 pts.) led the way for the Golden Rams.
- ESU had a significant advantage in shooting percentage, making half of its 58 field goal attempts, with WCU posting a 39.4 percent mark from the floor. The Warriors buried 40 percent (8-20) of its 3-pointers, while the Golden Rams sunk just four of its 21 attempts (19%).
- The Warrior bench contributed 32 points compared to West Chester's six from its non-starters. WCU led the way off the glass (42-35).
- It was the first time in three meetings this season that the Warriors were victorious against West Chester, with the Golden Rams earning a 86-81 win Jan. 21 at Koehler Fieldhouse, along with a 106-98 win at Hollinger Fieldhouse on Feb. 8.
How It Happened
- The contest was tight throughout. Neither team could gain significant advantage early on. The Warriors took a four-point lead at 19-15 following a Shamir Johnson jumpshot. WCU was able to retake the lead at 21-20 following a five point WCU swing.
- As the teams traded points, the contest was tied at 28-28 with 3:29 to go in the first half. The Warriors did not concede a point the rest of the opening half, grabbing momentum with a 10-0 run to take a 10-point lead into the locker room.
- WCU was able to shrink the Warrior lead to three points at 47-44, following a 16-9 Golden Ram run. ESU refused to give up the edge, as WCU got close at 50-49 and 53-52. After a West Chester jumper, made it a 57-54 contest, ESU was able to steal momentum once again with a quick 7-0 spurt to retake a double-digit lead.
- From that moment on, WCU got as close as six points at 67-61, but the Warriors outscored the Golden Rams 18-11 over the final 6:15 of clock to escape Hollinger Fieldhouse with the victory.
Up Next
- With the win, ESU advances to the PSAC Semifinal round, which will be hosted at Shippensburg's Heiges Field House.
- The Warriors look to knockoff PSAC West No. 1 seed IUP (28-1) on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
