ORANGEBURG, N.Y. – Freshman guard Evan Morton and redshirt senior forward Lakeem McAliley combined for 57 points as the East Stroudsburg University men's basketball team defeated Dominican (N.Y.), 116-105, on Friday night at the Hennessy Center.

The Warriors improved to 3-0 on the season, while the Chargers (1-1) suffered their first loss of the year. ESU connected on 17-of-36 3-point attempts, tying the Jeff Wilson-era record (since 2002-03) for most 3-pointers in a game, which was set against Cheyney in 2017.

Notables

• Morton led ESU with a breakout performance, scoring 29 points on 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. He added seven assists and three steals in 22 minutes. Morton contributed 17 points in the second half to keep the Warriors ahead.
• McAliley scored 28 points, hitting five 3-pointers on eight attempts, while recording his first double-double of the season with 10 rebounds. He added two assists, a block and a steal, and surpassed 1,500 career points, bringing his total to 1,514—sixth all-time in program history. The Philadelphia native posted 22 points in the first half, one point shy of his career best for a half. Through three games, the three-time All-PSAC East selection is averaging 26.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.7 steals and one block, while shooting 59.2% in under 20 minutes per game.
• Carson Howard (16 points, 6-of-9 FG, five rebounds), Cam Young (12 points, six rebounds, four assists, five steals) and Jalen Pichardo (10 points, six rebounds) also reached double figures. Nasir Griffin added nine points and seven rebounds.
• ESU's defense forced 19 turnovers, resulting in 33 points. The Warriors dominated second-chance opportunities, outscoring Dominican 23-3, with 21 of their 46 rebounds coming on the offensive glass.
• Led by Morton's 29 points, ESU's bench accounted for 54 points.
• Dominican was led by Koi D. Kirk Jr. (22 points) and Jaden Honis (20 points).

How It Happened

• ESU started strong, building a 24-point lead at 37-13 less than halfway through the first half. The Chargers responded with a 26-10 run to cut the deficit to eight at 47-39 and 50-42 with 4:36 remaining. ESU closed the half with momentum, leading 66-48 at the break.
• In the second half, the Warriors reestablished a 24-point advantage at 96-72 with 9:16 to play. Dominican mounted a late surge, narrowing the gap to eight points at 110-102 after a 30-6 run. Forced to foul in the final minute, Dominican watched ESU sink all six of their free throws to secure the 116-105 victory and improve to 3-0 on the season.

Up Next
ESU concludes the 12th Annual Daniel Sullivan Memorial Tournament on Sunday against Caldwell at 6 p.m.