EAST STROUDSBURG – The No. 18/19 East Stroudsburg University men's basketball team closed the first half on a 23-5 run and cruised to a postseason program-record 114-72 win over Mansfield in the PSAC First Round matchup.
With the win, the three-seed Warriors (25-4) advance to PSAC Quarterfinals on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. against two-seed Millersville at Pucillo Gymnasium. The Mountaineers close their season with an 8-20 record.
Notables
- After just two points on Saturday against Mansfield, Jaelen McGlone led ESU with 18 points, knocking down 6-7 attempts from the field, 4-4 from 3-point range and 2-2 from the stripe. He tied for the team-high with four assists.
- Lakeem McAliley added 17 points, three rebounds, two assists and a block.
- Nasir Griffin totaled 16 points, going perfect 6-6 from the field and 3-3 at the line.
- Jalen Pichardo nearly tallied a double-double with 14 points (5-5 FG) and nine rebounds. Tyshawn Trail rounds out the double-figure scorers with 14 points and tied for the team-high four assists.
- Cam Young stuffed the stat sheet with nine rebounds, four assists, a block and a steal in 21 minutes.
- Justin Paz became just the fifth Warrior in program history to register 200 3-pointers made in his career, joining Whis Grant (268), Andy Heimbach (236), Will Brown (219) and Nick Giordano (212).
- The Warriors have now set season-highs for field goal percentage (63.1%, 60%) in each of its past two games. ESU has also set season-highs for free throw percentage (.857, .840) in back-to-back contests. Since Saturday, the Warriors have combined to shoot 39-46 (84.8%) from the charity stripe.
- ESU's 14 3-pointers are a new season high and are its most since swishing 15 triples against Molloy at Koehler Fieldhouse on Dec. 7, 2022.
- The Warriors showed off their balance, with all 13 players that appeared scoring at least two points.
- ESU's 114 points mark the 10th time ESU has eclipsed the century mark in points, tying the 2017-18 team that reached the NCAA Elite Eight. The Warriors have reached 100-plus points in three consecutive games, which is tied for the second-longest streak in program history.
- ESU is now 23-17 all-time in the PSAC Tournament, with a mark of 16-3 at Koehler Fieldhouse. The Warriors remain undefeated in the PSAC First Round, now holding a 4-0 record.
- ESU's 25 wins ranks third all-time in program history for wins in a single season. Only the 2017-18 team (27-6) and the 2013-14 squad (30-2) have posted more victories.
Notes
- ESU's 114 points are the most in program history in a postseason game (PSAC/NCAA). ESU's previous postseason points record came in a 108-102 double overtime win over Millersville in the Warriors' first-ever PSAC Championship victory.
- The mark is tied for third all-time in PSAC Tournament history with Kutztown, who earned a 114-93 win over West Chester in the PSAC Quarterfinal round in 2017. Only Mansfield (117, 1997) and California (Pa.) (117, 1998) have totaled higher point totals in the conference tournament.
How It Happened
- Despite the 42-point win, the two teams were even to start the first half, as the Mounties led 25-21 with 10:09 remaining. With 8:40 left in the first half, ESU took full control with a 37-12 run to close the half, knocking down 12-18 attempts from the floor and 11-12 from the line to build a 21-point edge.
- In the second half, the Warriors held at least a 19-point advantage, as ESU never relented, outscoring Mansfield 50-27 over the final 16 minutes to earn 114-72 win.
Up Next
- The No. 18/19 Warriors head to Millersville for the PSAC Quarterfinals on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. The winner advances to the PSAC Semifinals on Sat., March 9th at the highest remaining seed in the PSAC Western Division.
