EAST STROUDSBURG – Holding a two-point lead at halftime, Lakeem McAliley scored 22 second-half points to lead the East Stroudsburg University men's basketball team to a 90-76 win over Goldey-Beacom on Tuesday night at the Joseph West Jones Center. The victory snapped a rare two-game losing streak for the Warriors.
The Warriors improve to 4-2 on the season, while the Lightning fall to 2-5.
With the score tied at 71-71 with 6:10 remaining, ESU closed the non-conference game with a 19-5 run. McAliley scored 12 of his game-high 31 points during the surge as ESU shot 5-of-7 from the field and made all nine of its free-throw attempts down the stretch.
Notables
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Lakeem McAliley recorded his third career 30-point performance and his first of the season, finishing with a season-high 31 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and 13-of-14 from the free-throw line. The Philadelphia native has now scored 20-plus points in all six games this season and extended his streak to seven games, dating back to last season.
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Ethan Millirons contributed 13 points, hitting 3-of-4 attempts from beyond the arc and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line.
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Nasir Griffin added 10 points and led ESU with five rebounds.
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Davon Lee scored nine points, dished out four assists, and recorded two steals.
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ESU sunk 36-of-41 free throws, tying its most free throws made in a game since the 2016-17 season. The Warriors previously made 36 free throws against West Chester on Jan. 23, 2019, and last exceeded the mark with 37 made free throws at Millersville on Jan. 6, 2017. The total is tied for the fourth-most made free throws in the Jeff Wilson era (since 2002-03).
McAliley Notes
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McAliley now has 1,582 career points, moving into sole possession of fifth place on ESU's all-time scoring list, surpassing Earle Greer.
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His third career 30-point game ties him with Whis Grant, Juwan Justice, and Eric White for the second-most at ESU since at least 1985-86. Only all-time leading scorer Jonathan Roberts has more (10).
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Entering the game ranked 10th in NCAA Division II in points per game, McAliley is now averaging 25.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 1.8 assists while shooting 59.1% from the field and 91.3% (42-of-46) from the free-throw line—all in just 20 minutes per game.
How It Happened
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The first half was evenly contested, with neither team holding a lead of more than six points. The period featured four lead changes and four ties.
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Trailing 14-12, ESU went on an 8-0 run to take a 20-14 lead with 10:24 left in the half. Goldey-Beacom responded with an 11-4 run to regain a 25-24 lead, converting all three field goal attempts and 5-of-6 free throws during the stretch.
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After the Lightning extended their lead to 30-26, ESU countered with a 10-4 run to edge ahead 36-34 with 3:05 remaining. The teams split the final 10 points of the half, sending the Warriors into the locker room with a 41-39 lead.
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Goldey-Beacom opened the second half with a 9-4 run to take a 48-45 lead. ESU answered with a 15-8 run to build a 65-58 advantage, but the Lightning clawed back to tie the game at 71-71 with 6:35 left.
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The Warriors seized control with a 15-0 run over the next five minutes, taking an 86-71 lead with 1:21 remaining. ESU ultimately closed the game on a 19-5 surge to secure its fourth win of the season.
Up Next
- The Warriors are idle for the holiday before wrapping up their five-game road stretch at Holy Family on Sunday, Dec. 1. Tip-off in Philadelphia is set for 3 p.m. against the Tigers.
