ORANGEBURG, N.Y. – Trailing by 13 points with just over seven minutes remaining, the East Stroudsburg University men's basketball team tied Caldwell with 17 seconds to go but ultimately fell to the Cougars, 79-77, on Sunday evening at Dominican (N.Y.)'s Hennessy Center.

The Warriors (3-1) suffered their first loss of the 2024-25 season, while the Cougars (4-0) remained undefeated.

Trailing 77-74 with under 30 seconds left, Lakeem McAliley converted a layup, was fouled, and sank the game-tying free throw with 17 seconds remaining. However, Caldwell answered as a well-defended full-court pass landed in the hands of the Cougars' Tristan Rogers, who layed in two points to give CU a 79-77 lead. With nine seconds left, McAliley controlled possession in the paint but was forced into a turnover with less than a second remaining. Caldwell secured the inbound pass to clinch the victory.

Notables

• Lakeem McAliley, the reigning PSAC East Athlete of the Week, led ESU with 22 points and added eight rebounds, two assists, one block, and two steals.
• Cam Young recorded his first double-double of the season, contributing 14 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
• Evan Morton also reached double figures with 10 points.
• Ethan Millirons hit three of his four attempts from beyond the arc for nine points, while Carson Howard added eight points.
• ESU shot 39.1% (25-of-64) from the floor and 36.4% (8-of-22) from 3-point range.
• Caldwell had three players in double figures, led by Isaiah Philbert's game-high 23 points. The Cougars converted 50% of their 28 3-point attempts.

How It Happened

• ESU started strong, building an early 13-5 lead. Caldwell tied the game at 15-15 and later took an eight-point advantage at 39-31. After a layup pushed the Cougars' lead to nine at 41-32, ESU's Davon Lee added a layup and Nasir Griffin hit a late 3-pointer, cutting the halftime deficit to four at 41-37.
• Caldwell maintained their lead in the second half, with a Philbert 3-pointer extending the margin to seven at 46-39. After ESU pulled within one possession at 51-48, the Cougars built a 13-point edge at 69-57 following another Philbert triple. ESU stormed back with a 20-8 run over the final seven minutes to tie the game at 77-77, but a fortunate bounce for Caldwell set up the Cougars' 79-77 lead with less than 10 seconds to play. ESU had one last chance to tie but was forced into a turnover by the CU defense, sealing the outcome.

Up Next

• ESU begins PSAC crossover play at defending champion Gannon on Saturday, Nov. 23.