ERIE, Pa. – Facing the reigning PSAC and Atlantic Region champion on the road, the East Stroudsburg University men's basketball team suffered its second loss of the season, falling to Gannon 105-93 on Saturday afternoon at the Hagerty Family Events Center.
The Warriors drop to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in the PSAC, while the Golden Knights – who are receiving votes in both major top-25 polls – improve to 6-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
Notables
- Lakeem McAliley led the Warriors with his fifth consecutive 20-point performance, finishing with an even 20 points in just 15 minutes of action, due to foul trouble. The Philadelphia native shot 7 of 11 from the field, including 7 of 8 inside the arc. He also grabbed four rebounds, posted two assists, and recorded a steal. McAliley now has 1,556 career points, tying Earle Greer (1980-84) for fifth all-time in program history.
- Davon Lee contributed 15 points on 7 of 11 shooting from the field.
- Carson Howard tallied 14 points and six rebounds, converting 8 of 10 from the free-throw line.
- Cam Young added 14 points, five rebounds, and two steals, while Ethan Millirons knocked down three 3-pointers and a jumper for 11 points, along with five rebounds.
- Jalen Pichardo came close to a double-double, finishing with nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
- Gannon also had five players score in double figures, led by Ernest Shelton (23 points), Justin Debuck (19), Pace Prosser (14), and Tasman Goodrick (10).
- The Warriors dominated the boards, outrebounding Gannon 45-33, including 19 offensive rebounds that led to 24 second-chance points. However, the Golden Knights shot an impressive 56.8% from the floor, including 61.1% in the second half.
How It Happened
- The first half was a back-and-forth affair, featuring three lead changes and six ties.
- With the score knotted at 30-30 heading into the final media timeout of the half, Gannon used an 8-0 run in just 38 seconds to take a 38-30 lead. The Warriors responded by scoring five of the final nine points of the half but trailed the Golden Knights 42-35 at the break.
- Gannon opened the second half with a 3-pointer, extending its lead to double digits at 51-39 less than two minutes in. ESU managed to cut the deficit back to seven, but a 9-5 spurt allowed the Golden Knights to regain momentum.
- Later, Gannon went on an 18-6 run over a 3:49 span, connecting on 8 of 9 shots from the floor to extend the lead to 69-51 with 12:51 remaining.
- The Warriors continued to score but could not match Gannon's offensive efficiency. After an Ethan Millirons 3-pointer cut the deficit to 12 at 79-67, the Golden Knights countered with a 21-12 surge, taking a game-high 100-79 lead.
- ESU ended the contest on a 10-2 run but ran out of time, falling to the defending PSAC and Atlantic Region champions, 105-93.
Up Next
- ESU heads out of conference to face Goldey-Beacom on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Wilmington, Delaware.
