EAST STROUDSBURG – Trailing by seven points with less than five minutes remaining, the East Stroudsburg University men's basketball team rallied with a 15-4 run to secure a 73-69 victory over Edinboro on Sunday afternoon at Koehler Fieldhouse.
The Warriors (8-2, 2-1 PSAC) extended their winning streak to five, while the Fighting Scots (4-6, 1-3) dropped their fourth straight contest.
With Edinboro leading 65-58 at the 4:19 mark, Cam Young converted an and-one layup, and moments later, Ethan Millirons connected on a 3-pointer to even the score at 65-65. After Edinboro moved back ahead, 67-65, Lakeem McAliley buried a 3-pointer to push ESU in front. The Scots briefly reclaimed the lead at 69-68, but McAliley delivered a powerful dunk while being fouled to put the Warriors up one. He then added a free throw with 28 seconds to play, extending ESU's lead to two and followed that by stealing the ball after an Edinboro timeout. With five seconds left, Jalen Pichardo sank two free throws to seal the 73-69 win.
Notables
- McAliley paced the offense with 23 points (7-of-12 FG, 4-of-8 3PT, 5-of-7 FT), seven rebounds and two steals. He has now scored at least 20 points in eight of ESU's 10 games this season, averaging 21.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.0 steals, while shooting 55.9% from the field, 34.3% from beyond the arc and 85.5% from the free-throw line.
- Young added 14 points (5-of-8 FG, 4-of-4 FT), four assists, four steals and a block.
- Davon Lee contributed nine points (4-of-6 FG) and a game-high five assists, while Nasir Griffin totaled eight points and Millirons hit a pair of 3-pointers.
- For Edinboro, Cenker Evran posted 16 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Daunte Wilcott added 13 points, six rebounds and four assists, Ryan Ladjevich scored 12, and Michael Dunn had 11.
- ESU converted nine steals into 22 points off turnovers. Edinboro tallied 10 steals but managed only 10 points off those ESU miscues. Both teams turned the ball over 16 times.
Gallery: (12-8-2024) ESU 73, Edinboro 69
How It Happened
- The Warriors built an early eight-point lead at 13-5 before Edinboro responded with an 8-2 run to trim the margin. Both teams traded buckets, and the Scots took a 27-26 lead after a 10-4 stretch. Tied at 34-34 with 2:52 left in the half, ESU closed with an 8-0 run to take a 42-34 lead into the break.
- Early in the second half, ESU pushed its lead to 10 points at 48-38 following a McAliley 3-pointer. Edinboro answered with an 18-0 surge to seize a 56-48 lead with 11:09 to go. The Scots maintained control until Young sparked the decisive 15-4 run in the final four minutes. McAliley provided six of his 23 points in crunch time, helping the Warriors claim their fifth consecutive victory.
Up Next
- ESU heads back on the road one final time in the 2023 calendar year, traveling to face Seton Hill on Wednesday, Dec. 18. Tipoff in Greensburg, Pa., is set for 3 p.m.
