EAST STROUDSBURG – In a back-and-forth affair that featured 21 lead changes, 11 tied scores and no leads greater than eight points, the No. 11/8 East Stroudsburg University men's basketball team came up just short to Lock Haven, 75-70, on Wednesday evening in Koehler Fieldhouse.
The Warriors (13-2, 7-2 PSAC) see their eight-game winning streak snapped and are now tied for first place in the PSAC East with Lock Haven and Millersville. The Bald Eagles (9-5, 7-2 PSAC) earn their fifth consecutive win and move into a first-place tie with ESU.
Notables
- ESU, who ranked second in the nation in free throws attempts and makes heading into the day, only totaled 10 attempts with six makes. Lock Haven countered with a 20-26 mark from the stripe. The Warriors entered the day averaging 21.3 free throws made on 28.4 attempts.
- Jaelen McGlone led ESU with 16 points (7-12 FG, 2-5 3PT), four rebounds and two assists.
- Justin Paz totaled 14 points, three rebounds and led the squad with five assists and tallied a steal. With his five assists, he surpassed 300 career assists and now has 301, which ranks 11th most in program history.
- Two-time All-PSAC East First Team and leading scorer Lakeem McAliley struggled with foul trouble early and was limited to 19 minutes on the floor. He finished with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
- Tyshawn Trail, Nasir Griffin and Cam Young each poured in seven points. Griffin paced ESU with eight rebounds, while Young tallied a team-best three steals.
- Pacing the Bald Eagles were five double-digit scorers in Justice Shoats (19 points, three assists), Collin Jones (14 points), Isaiah Stewart (13 points five rebounds, two assists), Dyson Harward (13 points) and Jalen Gorham (12 points, 11 rebounds).
- ESU led in field goal percentage (42.4% - 40.7%), rebounds (41-36), assists (19-13), steals (6-3), points off turnovers (21-19), points in the paint (34-32) and second-chance points (9-1).
- Prior to the game, Lakeem McAliley was honored for joining the 1,000-point club. He is the 34th Warrior to accomplish the feat and is just the fifth player to record his 1,000th point during his junior season.
How It Happened
- ESU started strong with a 9-2 sprint to start the contest. The Warriors matched its game-high lead at 12-5. The Warriors made 5-8 from the field to begin the contest, as McGlone scored five early points. A 10-2 LHU run gave the Bald Eagles its first lead at 15-14.
- The Warriors built a five-point lead at 24-19, but LHU answered to grab a 26-24 advantage. Over the final five minutes in the first half, the Bald Eagles outscored the Warriors, 7-6, to take a 32-31 lead into the locker room. McAliley was held without a point after playing just four minutes in the first half, shooting just one attempt after two early fouls.
- The seesaw contest continued over the final 20 minutes, with 12 lead changes alone in the second half. The Warriors took a six-point edge with 8:44 remaining after a pair of Jalen Pichardo free throws. Lock Haven registered eight consecutive points to retake a 56-54 lead. ESU grabbed its last lead 65-64 after a pair of Justin Paz free throws with 2:29 remaining, but Lock Haven answered with a 3-pointer to retake a lead at 67-65. McAliley tied the contest up with a contested layup with less than two minutes to play, but LHU would close the game with an 8-3 run, making 6-8 attempts from the line to take home the 75-70 victory.
Up Next
- The Warriors look to right the ship against Shippensburg on Sat., Jan. 20 at 3:00 p.m. The contest will be broadcasted once again on Blue Ridge TV-13 with a simulcast on the PSAC Sports Digital Network.
