EAST STROUDSBURG – In their home opener under head coach Liz Flooks, the East Stroudsburg University women's basketball team gave No. 10 Jefferson a battle, trailing by just one point with less than two minutes remaining. However, the Warriors couldn't contain a late Rams run, falling 69-58 Wednesday evening at Koehler Fieldhouse.

The Warriors (2-1) suffered their first loss of the season, while the undefeated Rams improved to 5-0.

After Brooke Droege hit a jumper to pull ESU within 59-58 at the 1:46 mark, Jefferson held the Warriors scoreless the rest of the way, scoring on both of its field goal attempts and went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line to close with a 10-0 run.

The closely contested game featured four ties and six lead changes.

Notables

• Emily Chmiel led ESU with 22 points (9-for-15 FG, 4-for-5 FT), adding six rebounds, two blocks, and a steal in 28 minutes. She is now just 10 points shy of 1,000 collegiate career points, having scored 662 at Chestnut Hill (2021-22, 2022-23) and 328 at ESU. She aims to join the 1,000-point club on Saturday at Gannon.
• Izzy Vogel posted a season-high 17 points and filled the stat sheet with eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and four steals.
• Brooke Droege and Brie Droege each added six points, shooting a combined 6-for-11 from the field.
• Lacie Kringe dished out seven assists and added a block and a steal.
• Corrin Gil contributed four assists and five steals.
• For Jefferson, four players scored in double figures: Cassie Murphy (22), Emma Kuczynski (15), Carolyn Sipprell (14), and Emily Spratt (12).
• The result showed tremendous improvement for the Warriors, who lost to Jefferson, 73-48, nearly a year ago on Nov. 21, 2023, in Philadelphia.

How It Happened

• The first three quarters were tightly contested, with neither team leading by more than four points in the first frame. Jefferson held a 14-10 advantage late in the quarter, but ESU closed with back-to-back baskets from Brie and Brooke Droege to tie the game at 14-14 after 10 minutes.
• Jefferson built a six-point lead early in the second quarter, but ESU responded with a 9-0 run to take a 23-20 lead. The Rams closed the half with an 8-2 run to lead 30-27 at the break.
• In the third quarter, Jefferson twice extended its lead to seven points, but the Warriors kept fighting. A free throw from Madi Siggins, a layup by Vogel, and a jumper by Brie Droege cut the deficit to 48-46 heading into the fourth quarter.
• In the final frame, ESU came within one point after a three-pointer by Jessica Polin made it 59-58 with 1:46 remaining, but Jefferson sealed the win with its decisive 10-0 run.

Up Next

• The Warriors will look to rebound on Saturday with a road game at defending PSAC and Atlantic Region champion Gannon. Tipoff for their first PSAC crossover matchup of the season is set for 1 p.m.