EAST STROUDSBURG – Holding a six-point lead at halftime, the No. 19/9 East Stroudsburg University men's basketball team began the second half on a 25-6 run and cruised to a 103-74 win over Kutztown on Monday night at Koehler Fieldhouse.
With the win, the Warriors (17-2, 11-2 PSAC) extend their winning streak to four, while the Golden Bears (2-17, 1-12 PSAC) fall in its fourth straight game.
Notables
- Lakeem McAliley, who was named the PSAC East Athlete of the Week earlier on Monday, stuffed the stat sheet with 28 points (10-15 FG, 2-4 3PT, 6-9 FT), five rebounds, four assists, six steals and three blocks in just 25 minutes on the court.
- McAliley becomes the first Warrior since Whis Grant in 2013-14 to record at least 20 points in a four-game span. He looks to become the first Warrior to register at least 20 points in five consecutive games in the Jeff Wilson-era (since 2002-03) on Wednesday at Mansfield. His six steals are a new career-high for the Philadelphia native.
- During ESU's four-game winning streak, McAliley leads ESU in points per game (23.8), field goal percentage (.655), steals (3.3), blocks (1.0) in just 21 minutes per contest.
- Jaelen McGlone posted 22 points (7-10 FG, 5-6 3PT, 3-4 FT) and dished two assists. Tyshawn Trail posted 15 points (6-8 FG), with five rebounds and four assists. Cam Young also reached double-figures with 11 points, six rebounds, three steals and a block.
- The trio of McAliley, Cam Young and Nasir Griffin combined for 12 of ESU's 16 steals.
- ESU's full-court press in the second half caused KU fits, with ESU forcing 14 second-half turnovers on 12 steals over the final 20 minutes of play. The Warriors held a 43-10 advantage in points off turnovers. Kutztown's 28 turnovers are the most for an ESU opponent since Lock Haven committed 31 turnovers on Jan. 29, 2020.
- With the Warriors committing only 10 turnovers in total, ESU's +18 turnover margin ranks third best against PSAC teams in the Jeff Wilson era.
- ESU now leads the all-time series with Kutztown by a mark of 97-78, earning victories in 12 of the previous 13 meetings and 23 of the past 27 since 2012.
- The Warriors led in field goal percentage (52.9%-44.3%), 3-point field goal percentage (37%-25%), rebounding (38-33), assists (20-11), bench points (28-10), blocks (5-1), fastbreak points (24-13), steals (16-5) and points in the paint (50-46).
- Jeff Wilson picked up his 398th career victory in the win and is now 398-199 in 21 seasons as the Warriors' head coach.
How It Happened
- Despite scoring 103 points, the Warriors started slow offensively. Kutztown took a team high six-point lead at 21-15 with 8:34 remaining in the first half. The Warriors took the lead for good with 4:38 left in the first half with a 13-6 run and closed the opening 20 minutes on a 24-12 run to take a 39-33 sprint.
- From the opening inbound pass in the second half, when Tyshawn Trail stole possession which turned into the layup, ESU dominated. The Warriors used a game-altering 25-6 run in just over five minutes of action to take a 64-39 lead. Suddenly holding a 25-point lead, the Warrior lead fluctuated from 20 to a game-high 37 points at 92-55 with 5:58 to go. With the game decided, Kutztown outscored ESU, 19-11 over the final six minutes for the final score of 103-74.
Up Next
- ESU returns to action on Wednesday evening at Mansfield (6-12, 4-9 PSAC). Game time at Decker Gymnasium is set for 7:30 p.m. against the Mountaineers.
